Can't comment on the nematode aspect, but I believe Chuck Hayes and Frost Proof may be the better choice. Both have small leaves, are compact and with good growth rate. I find the glossy lanceolate leaves on Frost Proof quite attractive too.

The newer, hardy varieties aren't likely to be available as grafted plants like the old varieties, probably because they can easily be propagated by cuttings. Must be something in the genes...and I find they are much more forgiving (as in they can handle more abuse, over-fertilizing, over-watering, etc.).

You may also want to look into a variety called Crown Jewel Gardenia.

Thank you. I stopped by a local nursery and they gave me bad news. Apparently my west-facing front yard that receives full sun would be inhospitable for gardenias. They told me that they'd burn up. So, I have to find an alternative. They recommended that I consider tea olive (osmanthus fragrans), indian hawthorn, or viburnum suspensum. Oh well! They did recommend that I plant a gardenia on my partially shaded backyard. They recommended Jubilation a southern living plant.

I don't know that Indian Hawthorn has much of a fragrance at all, and the leaves of the V. suspensum have a foul odor to most people.

I'm glad that you were steered away from the gardenia as a hedge. Not only would that location have been inhospitable, but you would have been plagued with whitefly all year long. "If you have gardenia, THEY will come."

Thank you. I'm not familiar with white fly. It sounds like I may have struck out with v suspensum and Indian hawthorn.
Any thoughts on tea olive? It looks like there are good options for 3-4' tall varieties with nice fragrance.

If I go with the jubilee variety or any other gardeni variety is there anything I can do to prevent white flies?

Nolefan, I grow Frost Proof in a container situated in full sun here. I live in a climate where many plants usually can't handle the harsh sun here but can under different climates. The Frost Proof Gardenia does fine in full sun here which was initially quite a surprise to me. Like I said, there is something in the genes with the newer varieties that makes them tougher than the older varieties (mystery, august beauty, belmont, etc). Perhaps you may want to trial some Frost Proof, Kleim's Hardy, or Chuck Hayes gardenias there with a couple starter plants. I'm not an expert, but if Frost Proof can take full sun here...

tea olive can grow to 20'+!
confederate jasmine can make a nice hedge. there is a post on this forum about it used that way, with pictures (in italy, i think).
pittosporum might work for you. there is a dwarf form, too.
i think prague viburnum might be a better choice for an evergreen hedge for your location. if you want a tall hedge, viburnum nudum is very nice.

Mystery and First Love are large plants. They can grow to 6' easily. For a natural hedge, get the more popular "August Beauty". It is an excellent upright hedge plant.

Chuck Hayes and Frost Proof are more hardier, but I do not see hardiness is an issue with your weather.

I do not know what is the problem with full sun. I used to grow like 8 varieties of gardenia in DFW area and I did not have any problem growing them outdoors. They were planted in the North and West in the open area. They were also planted in the backyard in partial shade. All had no problem, what so ever. Not white flies at all...

Delayed follow up. I planted a ton of gardenias. Different varieties in different locations, just to see how they'd do. Lowe's and Home Depot had a sale and I got them for about $3 a piece.

5 August beauty in my east facing back yard. They're thriving. Even though I'm overwatering new sod...

1 grafted Miami supreme in the west facing but heavily shaded front yard (along the south side of it). Surprisingly it has survived four months so far despite strong shade and my poor planting practices. I played something fierce with the rootball when I planted it to make sure it wasn't root bound. My wife later told me that the instructions said not to disturb the rootball for fear of killing the plant...

1 veitchii there too. Living. Looks good.

1 mystery there too. Ditto.

1 frost proof. Ditto.

1 radicans Ditto. I expect it to be the first to go when the others grow over it...

I don't actually have room for most of the ones I bought. The 5 August Beauties have a great location as a backyard foundation planting. The others... well, I stuck them in the only patch of dirt left... just to see if they'd live and how'd they do. So far, no white flies but this is Florida and inevitable. I used horticultural oil on them to prevent anything.

We have opted not to replace the hedge in the front yard. We had varigated ptisporum on the north side of the property line and unvarigated pitisporum on the south side... previous homeowner had interesting taste... it looked horrible.

We ripped that all out, cleaned up the yard and installed emerald zoysia sod instead. Yard looks much neater now. Huge improvement.