The jasmine family of plants offers much to recommend for the garden. From the deep green and glossy foliage to sweetly scented blooms and hearty growth habit, it suits a wide range of planting areas. Jasmine cultivars come in low trailing and mounding forms, vining creepers and more aggressive climbers. Choose a cultivar with a natural habit in keeping with the style of planting effect you wish to achieve for optimal performance.
Containers & Topiary
The sweet scent of jasmine is particularly compelling when planted or placed near windows and doors of the home. When ground soil space is not available or you are concerned about jasmine's reputation for being invasive, plant jasmine in large pots and patio container boxes fitted with a wood or metal tuteur, topiary form or simply bamboo stakes lashed together in the form of a teepee. This will expand the space for the jasmine to spread out and raise its scent up to where passersby and the breeze will readily catch it. Place container grown jasmine on porches, patios, loggias, gates and entry ways and flanking doorways. Containers will also give you the flexibility to rotate the plants into new locations or overwinter indoors.
Wall Trellising
Jasmine growing on a wall trellis has several beneficial effects. First, it creates a green living wall providing a pleasant atmosphere in any outdoor space. The wall trellises can be mounted near windows, French doors and sliding doors, allowing the scent to be enjoyed indoors and outdoors. Wall trellising also keeps the bulk of the plant off of the ground making pruning simple and controlling the spread of the plant over ground easier.
Groundcover Underplanting & Beds
Many cultivars of jasmine are low growing or will create an attractive blanket effect when planted as a ground cover on flat soil. You get the benefit of the bloom and scent, quick establishment and spread with little installation effort. It can be placed along side drives and sidewalks where high maintenance lawn or flower beds might be. It can also be under-planted around many specimen trees to create a lush and professional look in the landscape.
