How to Grow Climbing Jasmines in Your Garden

Climbing jasmines are among the most popular and easy to grow hardy climbers, ranking in popularity alongside such established favourites as clematis and honeysuckle. They are particularly notable for their sweet scent. Summer flowering species include white, pink, cream, red and yellow varieties, and the winter flowering jasminum nudiflorum produces fragrant yellow flowers.

Where to Grow Jasmines

All varieties named are at least frost hardy. They will tolerate part shade, but prefer a position with full sun and a sheltered south or south west aspect, with shelter from cold winds.

The plants have a twining habit, and may be trained to climb a garden trellis or pergola or to scramble through another shrub or small tree. With suitable support they may also be used to screen an unsightly fence or wall.

Cultivation

Jasmines will grow in any reasonably fertile soil, but do best in a rich, moist loam. Dig in plenty of compost and bone meal when planting.

If sited against a wall plants should be set far enough away to avoid the dry ‚”shadow” of the wall.

Feed and mulch them annually using a balanced general purpose fertiliser such as Growmore. Alternatively use a high potash feed to promote more abundant flower.

Pruning

Regular pruning helps to promote vigorous growth and plentiful blossom.

• All varieties are best pruned immediately after flowering, in late summer or autumn for summer flowering varieties and in early spring for winter jasmine. This allows maximum time for next year¬¥s flower to develop on the current year¬¥s growth.
• Cut back flowered stems to a strong side shoot, and trim out tangled or weak growth.
• Neglected specimens respond well to heavy pruning. Cut out all weak or tangled growth and trim main shoots back to about 2 feet high. Feed well and mulch in late winter or early spring. Avoid feeding in autumn after summer pruning as this will encourage soft growth which will be vulnerable to frost.

Jasmine Species

The most popular and commonly grown species, all of which have several different cultivars, include:

• Jasminum Beesianum. Height 15 ft. Frost hardy. Dark green foliage and sweetly scented pink red flowers in June and July.
• Jasminum humile. Height 8 ft. Fully hardy. Rich green foliage and bright yellow, fragrant flowers from June to September.
• Jasminum nudiflorum. “Winter Jasmine”. Height 10 feet. Fully hardy. Arching green stems produce bright yellow scented flowers from November to March. This species will tolerate more shade than summer flowering Jasmine, but regular pruning and feeding are particularly important to ensure a good display.
• Jasminum officinale. Height 13 feet. Frost hardy. Bright green leaves and very fragrant white flowers from June to September. Aureovariegata has attractive variegated foliage.
• Jasmine x stephanese. Height 16 feet. Fully hardy. Dull green leaves and fragrant, pale pink flowers in July and August.