BuddyPress.org

Hi @repterra,

if you use a child theme with 2015, please read here about the new (since 2.3) Companion Style Sheet:

BuddyPress Companion Stylesheets

Gardenia is not BP ready.

Create first a child theme. Add a new folder to wp-content/thems/
wp-content/themes/gardenia-child/
Now add a new file and call it style.css
Copy this header comment into it (/* & */ included):

/*
Theme Name: Gardenia-child
Description: child theme
Version: 1.0
Author: XXX
Template: gardenia
*/

Save.

In that folder, add another one called buddypress and another one in this folder called css

Go to wp-content/plugins/buddypress/bp-templates/bp-legacy/buddypress/css/ and copy buddypress.css file into the css folder you created in the child theme.

In legacy/buddypress/ directory, is a js folder. Copy the whole folder into child’s buddypress directory.

End result should be:

/gardenia-child/
/gardenia-child/style.css

/gardenia-child/buddypress/css/buddypress.css

/gardenia-child/buddypress/js/buddypress.js
/gardenia-child/buddypress/js/password-verify.js

Go to dashboard > Appearrance > Theme and activate Gardenia-child.

Done ! The theme shows BuddyPress properly.

I tested successfully this method applied to Gardenia (free version) before posting it here. Retry. You can also ask the theme author.

Ok, let’s try something different.
Add a file called functions.php to child root
/child/functions.php
Copy/paste this, including php tags

<?php
// enqueuing the child to parent - don't remove */
function theme_enqueue_styles() {
    wp_enqueue_style( 'parent-style', get_template_directory_uri() . '/style.css' );
}
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'theme_enqueue_styles' );

/********************** CUSTOM STUFF **********************************/

// other custom function

?>

Inside child’s BuddyPress folder, you can remove anything except CSS and JS folder.

You may adjust existing menus or use the buddypress menu.

BuddyPress Links in WordPress Menus