Jasmine

Heavenly Scent!

It's heady! It's 'full on'! And yet the flowers of the jasmine are so delicate, adding to its appeal.

On a balmy summer evening, when dining 'al fresco', the rich scent pervades the air, conjuring feelings of exotic places. It's no wonder this beautiful climber is grown near windows, over pergolas and on patios.

Jasmine Varieties

The pure white of 'Jasminium officinale' seems to glow in the dusk and 'Jasmine x stephanense' has beautifully pink tinged flowers. This is my favourite, as the deep pink buds against the lighter pink petal undersides and the white flowers all merge to give a truly stunning effect.

Positioning is important. Being only frost hardy, these plants need a warm, sunny site that is south or west facing. I have known many people, living in colder areas, grow these plants very successfully as long as they are sheltered by a warm wall or garden structure and are south or west facing.

Once established, they require little pruning other than removing two or three old stems each year. Simple to look after and yet so effective!

There are other varieties too: cream, golden-leaved, and the yellow winter variety (which is useful in the garden because, at this time of the year, very little is flowering).

More about the Trachelospermum jasminoides shown here later.

Planting Combinations

Even though these climbers can stand alone as a feature plant, there are lots of other beautiful plants that will enhance the colour of your jasmine.

Use any plant with white, pink, crimson red and purple blooms: clematis or roses are ideal climbers to really highlight the colours of the petals. Underplanting with the zingy, lime green foliage of euphorbia, hostas, heuchera and alchemilla mollis can look really good, too.

Finding other climbing plants to grow in combination can be a real joy. Take into account the particular colour, form, scent and seasonal interest of each, and make sure that if you choose plants to go together, they do flower at the same time.

Be adventurous - create a sensational display!

Growing Jasmine Over a Pergola

Jasmine can be a wonderful choice for a pergola, particularly the summer-flowering climbing varieties. The combination of delicate flowers, fresh green foliage and that wonderful fragrance makes it especially appealing when the pergola is close to a seating area or somewhere you can enjoy the scent. Summer-flowering jasmines such as Jasminum officinale are vigorous climbers and are well suited to covering structures such as pergolas, arches and trellis.

Choose a warm, sheltered position where the jasmine will get plenty of sunshine, as this will help it flower well and bring out the fragrance. A strong pergola provides plenty of framework for training the stems, but it is worth remembering that some jasmines can become vigorous once established, so the structure needs to be sturdy enough to support them.

Training the young stems along the pergola as they grow will help to spread the plant evenly rather than allowing it to become concentrated in one area. Over time, the foliage and flowers can soften the structure and create a beautiful green canopy overhead. It is one of those combinations where the pergola and the plant really do seem to belong together.

Jasminum × stephanense is beautifully fragrant too, filling the air around the pergola with a delicate perfume. I love the way its soft pink flowers look against the purple planting and relaxed garden seating.

Jasmine or Star Jasmine – What's the Difference?

It is easy to become confused by the two. Star jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides, isn't actually a true jasmine. True jasmines belong to the family of plants Jasminum, while star jasmine belongs to a completely different group. The name jasmine is widely used for star jasmine because its small white flowers have a wonderfully similar fragrance.

There are several different true jasmines, including common jasmine (Jasminum officinale), winter jasmine (J. nudiflorum) and Chinese jasmine (J. polyanthum). They vary considerably in their appearance, flowering season and hardiness.

Common jasmine, for example, is a hardy deciduous climber with fragrant white summer flowers, while winter jasmine is a scrambling shrub with yellow flowers that appear in winter and early spring.

Star jasmine is rather different. Trachelospermum jasminoides is an evergreen, woody climber, with glossy green leaves and clusters of intensely fragrant white flowers in summer. Its foliage can take on bronze or reddish tints in winter, giving it interest outside the flowering season too. It likes a warm, sheltered position and, with suitable support, can be trained over a pergola, arch or other garden structure.

So, although the two plants are not related, both can be wonderful choices where fragrance and a beautiful climbing habit are wanted. The main thing is to check which plant you are buying and make sure its growing requirements suit your garden.

A Beautifully Fragrant Jasmine for Your Pergola

If you love the idea of a pergola covered in vibrant white, pale yellow or soft pink, beautifully fragrant flowers, a jasmine is a wonderful choice. Its delicate blooms and twining stems create a romantic, relaxed effect that looks especially lovely against a wooden pergola.

And if you’d like to discover more plants that can transform a pergola, take a look at my Climbing Plants page for lots more ideas and inspiration.

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