My dirty little secret

Every year around this time my secret love affair starts.  It starts off slow with only a hint of the love and pure joy that will come as the days turn into weeks and finally months.  Then very quickly it’s gone. All the happiness and pleasure gone and I come crashing back down to earth. 

I have to keep my love a secret as so many people disagree with me plus this love is just so, so, so common!

But I’ll let you in on my dirty little secret…. I love Jasmine Polyanthum. They give my end of winter start of the wester/ly winds blues the TLC I need to continue.  I know spring will be here soon.

I love nearly everything about this plant. I love the soft feather like foliage, the deep green lushness of its leaves.  I love the way it soft stems intertwine themselves and fall gracefully down.  I love how the pink buds form at the end of winter, letting me know the end of this cold is close.  I love watching the deep pink buds open to the purest white flower. But most of all I love the scent.

I love the scent wafting in the air, just a hint of spring.  I love getting up close and breathing deeply letting the fragrance fill me.  I love how it captures me and makes me want more. Oh how glorious it would be to be surrounded by Jasmine Polyanthums. 

Every year I forget what their scent does to me. Then I start to notice them everywhere. This beautiful dense climber with pink buds and then they buds open and I’m in love all over again. 

While Jasmine Polyanthums are beautiful at this time of year reality hits around autumn and winter when they have a tendency to look a little shabby.  I have found that a good fertilise with Organic Link Fertiliser and trim after flowering (October, November) and just before flowering (July) helps keep them looking neat and beautiful. 

Jasmine Polyanthums love the full sun but can grow in some shade.  They are a very vigorous climber and can cover an area quite quickly.  If you don’t have anywhere for them to climb don’t worry they look glorious in hanging baskets or trailing over the edges of retaining walls.  I have even seen some Jasmine Polyanthums climbing on chain link fence but they were highly trimmed and it looked like a box hedge.  These plants are hardy – they don’t mind a little bit of dry weather or a little bit of wet weather.

Jasmine flowers are also commonly used as aphrodisiacs so make sure you like your neighbours before you use it on your fencing!  Also for many people the scent can be very overpowering and even a bit sickly so do be mindful of where you plant it.

This weekend give your love life some TLC and bring a Jasmine Polyanthum home, it can stay inside for a few days too but only if necessary!