| Jasminum simplicifolium subsp. Suavissimum | ||
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| This has been one of the real highlights of 2006. A most unusual looking Jasmine with a thick bunch of 40 thin green stems which are weakly attempting to climb and the result is more of a weeping effect with the plant scrambling over other plants and here and there twining. The leaves are very thin blades almost grass like and this gives the whole plant a very airy attractive feel to it. This alone does not warrant it space in a glasshouse or garden and it earns its keep by continually throwing out highly scented flowers from mid May onwards. After a main flowering it continued to produce flowers so that rarely a day passes without a few pairs of these simple jasmine flowers adorning the ferny foliage. The scent is surprisingly strong but has a very light intensely sweet and refreshing note to it. I suppose I did not expect such a light weight diminutive plant to pack such a punch scent wise but it does. I saw it originally growing in the South of France in a private garden planted against a very hot wall where it was being trained close to the sitting area to scent the air and it looked very tidy and attractive not to mention unusual. It rarely exceeds the height of an average person when planted in the ground (smaller in a pot) making it ideal for patios and conservatories and is remarkably tolerant of drought. Coming from SW Australia I am not surprised. One other point to mention is that as with all nurseries we have two main pests, vine weevil in hardy stock and red spider mite in the glasshouse and are always keeping on top of it by an integrated spraying program. Any plant with thin linear leaves I have always found susceptible to red spider mite such as Cantua buxifolia and tend to become infested at a remarkable speed. Again as with all Jasminum they tend to be remarkably resistant to all pests and this species (subspecies) has shown not any signs of pest damage or indeed scorching or anything. I am pushing full ahead with propagation and hope to have good sized plants to offer in 2007. |