Jasmine (Jasminum)

Fresh from our holidays in Turkey, I wanted to add to my favourite plants postings.  I've already sung the praises of the winter jasmine that brightens up our front garden.  Now just imagine yourslelf walking past this magnificent hedge of pungent smelling jasmine, brushing against it, the sweet scent bathing your nostrils.  Mmmmmm.....

There are 200 or more species of jasmine from decidous (lose their leaves in the winter) to evergreen (keep their leaves all year round). Some are classed as shrubs, others as climbers and they often have frangrant flowers (and boy are they frangrant)..

Climbing jasmines will twine over any suitable support like a trellis, a pole, fence, a garden arch and so on.  They need something to twine around and will not normally attach suckers to the wall like ivy does.

Jasmines can be fully hardy to frost tender.  They can be grown in full sunshine or partial shade in well drained soil.  During growth, water a lot and apply a low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer monthly.  Water very little in the winter.  The jasmine in the Turkish pictures is more than likely jasminium polyathum which bears pink budded white flowers and is only suitable outdoors for warm climates where it flowers from spring to summer.  In France we are more likely to cultivate it as an indoor plant which can lend a fine fragrance to any room.

•Jasmines grow well in moist, well drained, sandy loam to clayey graden soil with moderate level of fertility.


•Jasmine prefer full sun to partial shade and a warm site.

•Jasmine bushes should be planted during June to November.

•Jasmine Plant should be kept at least eight feet apart in order to save the later growth of the plant from jamming together.

•Adding of leaf moulds to the soil makes it better for the growth of the plant.
•Water well during the summer.

I've just installed a wall of evegreen jasmine on a terrace and yesterday, I was working on a terrace with a very well established evergreen jasmine that has grown up a huge wall to give pleasure to all the inhabitants in the buildings around it.

Jasminum officinale (a variegated jasmine with cream edged leaves) and Trachelospermum Jasminoides (Star Jasmine with glossy dark green leaves and creamy white flowers) are reccomended for south and west facing walls.

Jasminum Humile (yellow jasmine in a bushy shrub plant) is reccomended for North and East facing walls.

Hre's a Tachelospermum jasminoides making pretty a hotel terrace in 6th arr of Paris.  I've just planted by the side of our cherry tree and I'm hoping it will climb up into the branches.  (I've supported it discreetly by tying twine around the trunk so it can climb up).