In the Garden with Gerry Daly: winter jasmine

Name: Winter jasmine

Botanical name: Jasminum nudiflorum. The common name for winter jasmine is very apt because it is a true jasmine and it flowers in winter. The botanical name identifies it as a true jasmine also and alludes to another interesting aspect of this plant, namely that it flowers on bare branches, hence nudiflorum. Jasmine is part of the olive family, the Oleaceae, along with forsythia, ash and lilac.

Garden use

True jasmine is usually associated with Mediterranean or indeed areas of tropical climate, but winter jasmine is easily the most widely grown species here.

Winter jasmine has yellow flowers dotted along the green, rush-like twigs. The flowers are bright yellow, much brighter than primroses which they resemble.

The flowers are usually carried in clusters, sometimes singly. The clusters are carried along the stems.

Although the stems are woody, this plant does not really support itself. It is not a typically upright shrub, nor is it a climber. It is a lax scrambling plant.

When planted against a wall, it mounds itself up and in a few years makes a big heap of green stems. The stems droop and tend to pile on top of each other. It also spreads quite a lot along the ground and large plants are often six metres or more in length.

As the stems run along the ground, they often take root, which means that in the right conditions, this is a plant of indeterminate spread. This is also one of the reasons why the winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum, is so widely grown – it is easy to pull up a piece with a fine fibrous root system attached. The rooting of stems is greatly encouraged by the rotting of leaf litter that catches among the tangle of stems.

The winter jasmine is hugely popular for its cheery flowers from early winter to spring. Native of China, it is completely hardy and can be grown in any part of the country. Although usually seen planted by a wall, it is versatile. It can be encouraged to furnish a wall to a couple of metres by setting up robust wires to which it can be tied. It can be grown so as to scramble over a bank or low retaining wall, and probably looks its best in this kind of use, which uses its natural scrambling qualities to good effect. It can be grown through other shrubs and looks especially well teamed with the herringbone cotoneaster, the red berries of the later making a nice picture with the yellow jasmine.

Winter plants in general are noted for their production of scent – witchhazel, sarcococca and winter heliotrope among them. This helps to draw pollinating insects when these are scarce. But strangely the winter jasmine, a full member of a family renowned for its wonderful scent, has no scent. Why this should be is not known but it is a great pity. Even so, the winter jasmine is worth growing for its winter flowers alone.

Pruning butterfly bush

Butterfly bush is a great shrub for summer and early autumn. The bush carries large number of pointed purple, red or blue flowers and there are good creamy white kinds too. It is a magnet for butterflies and should be grown in gardens for this alone. It makes a large bush to well over three metres and as much across.

This size can often be accommodated in a country garden and there is no need to prune. Pruning is often necessary in smaller town gardens, but it might be necessary in a rural garden too if the position has limited space.

But there is another reason for pruning butterfly bush – it makes it flower later and with more upright larger flowers. This can make the bush look much better in a mixed border or a shrub border. Pruning is simple – all the stems can be cut to about 30cm of the ground and will re-sprout. This can be done each year or every second year.

Trees, shrubs and roses

In dry settled weather, all kinds of pot-grown trees and shrubs can also be planted and planting of bare-root deciduous trees, hedging and shrubs can go ahead. But do not plant into heavy wet ground. Check that young trees are properly staked going into winter gales.

Flowers

Bedding plants for spring colour should have been planted by now, but wallflowers, pansies and bachelor’s buttons could still be planted, especially if they are available in pots. Lift dahlias and begonias in inland areas, or cover with soil to keep frost off.

Lawn

Lawn mosskiller, such as sulphate of iron can still be applied. Moss will grow vigorously in the coming damp months. An occasional mowing during winter is a good idea if the soil is not squelching. If there is drainage under the lawn, check it is working at the outlet.

Greenhouse and house plants

Give very little water to reduce the risk of grey mould disease. A small electric frost protection heater will save tender plants (such as geraniums or fuchsias) in a greenhouse or unheated conservatory.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

Tree, bush and cane fruits can be pruned now, if this has not been done already, but not plums or cherries which are pruned in summer. Dig over vegetable ground in dry weather. Plant new fruit trees and bushes. Apply control weeds around fruit trees and bushes.