Star Jasmine

Star Jasmine (Jasminum multiflorum), also known as Confederate Jasmine, is another plant that seems to like it here on the Gulf-coast. This perennial vine has lovely green foliage all year round, and is covered in snowy white flowers in the spring. Here's a picture of how mine looked during its last blooming season.


It is relatively low-maintenance, assuming you don't plant it someplace where you'll have to trim it back all the time. During the summer and fall growing season, it grows very rapidly. I have one that was planted underneath some trees, before I moved into my house, and I have to frequently trim it back to keep it from climbing into them. Star Jasmine can also work as a rambling groundcover, if you have a large enough space for it.

Here, it blooms in the spring. In the milder climate of my native Southern California, the star jasmine blooms into summer.

The only other difficulty I have had with mine is the occasional bit of powdery mildew, when the humidity starts to go back up toward the end of Spring.

I find, however that this is relatively easy to cope with, using an organic fungicide spray.

Search: Pruning Jasmine

Someone was looking for info on pruning jasmine, so I'll offer my two cents, for what they're worth.

The star jasmine I have growing in my garden has a tendency to twine itself around my trees, if left alone long enough (about 2-3 weeks) during its summer and fall growing season. The pruning process usually involves 3 basic steps:

1. Get hedge clippers
2. Chop off what I don't want.
3. Dispose of clippings.

Given our generally warm climate, whatever I cut off grows back fairly quickly. This vine is evergreen thorughout the winter, so in my region it requires no winter pruning. In fact, the above process I have described and an occasional treatment for powdery mildew is pretty much the only work I put into this plant at all. I mostly ignore it the rest of the time, except in spring when I admire the beauty of its flowers.

Talking to my plants...

...and my husband has been the primary outlet for my gardening concerns lately, as I have had little time for blogging. Much of my free time, such as it is, has been spent outside, taking advantage of every remotely tolerable moment of decent weather to get as much heavy outdoor work done as possible before the summer heat confines me to light weeding, seed scattering, and small container gardening. However, plenty has been happening, so while I wait till I have a little more time for more detailed posting, here are a few things I have learned during my (monthlong now) blogging silence:

Radishes do not always grow as fast as the book says they will.

Squash plants grow very fast when planted in good conditions.

Round-up (despite its drawbacks) is by far the most efficient method I have yet tried for getting rid of unwanted areas of lawn.

Containerized Grumichama (Eugenia brasiliensis) does not like neglect. Do not allow to dry out for more than a couple of days, or risk losing the year's fruit crop.

Containerized feijoa's hate drying out, too.

It is possible to neglect a bougainvillea too much.

Thornless Prickly Pears like south facing Houston walls in the springtime

Cherimoya seeds can be sprouted by wrapping in a wet paper towel kept constantly moist.

Sophora Secundiflora sometimes drops its immature seed pod crop, thwarting plans to send ripened seeds to waiting relatives. Cause as yet unknown. However, happy plants grow well. Next year's flowers may come from this year's growth.

Double Knockout Roses are awesome.

So are "Wave" petunias.

Checkerboard fuschias are both collectible and hardy, and look great growing in the shade near star jasmine and Southern Maidenhair ferns.

Pinto beans can sprout in the bottom of a wet kitchen sink, if left long enough.

Air potatoes can, apparently, sprout in a dark closet in a plastic bag with no soil, no water, and next to no light while certain persons try to decide whether to plant them at all due to their potentially invasive qualities.

That just about covers it!