I have a recess by my front door, just a small recess where the door is set back a couple of feet, and on either side of the door there is a space of about one foot. That little recess annoys me. I always think it lacks something, something green and growing and wonderful. It's a south-facing door but even though there is a slight recess, it can get blustery on blustery days; and there are plenty of those. At the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Centre, where I visited today, it was suggested that I grow a clematis. Well, clematis are okay but they tend to be picky plants, wanting their heads in the sun and their roots in the shade, and plant them deep enough, and this and that. Now, in my back garden,
on the north facing fence, I have a Jasmine Officinale which tolerates full sun or partial shade. It gets both. It is growing in a rather rubbish bit of soil, right up against the fence by the shed, facing winds and God knows what, and although it hasn't produced a whole lot of flowers as yet, it is healthy and strong, and seems happy in its allotted space. So, having said all that, I decided that I would grow jasmine by my front door. Can you imagine how beautiful they will smell on opening my door, should they actually flower? The thing is, I didn't want anything that would go on the rampage as there isn't all that much height. Also, anything that grows large usually, if not always, needs a large pot and there isn't room. I found what seems to be the ideal jasmine: Jasmine Officinale Devon Cream (aka Clotted Cream).
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| Jasmine 'Clotted Cream' |
A relatively new variety (first available this time of year, 2011), it has larger flowers than usual. It flowers June to August, like sunshine, and grows to about 3m x 3m. The only problem is that it is only frost hardy and needs some winter protection, but I will sort that out when winter comes. I am thinking that if mine are grown in pots, they might be restricted as to how vigorously they grow, in which case I should be able to move them around the back of the house and protect them with bubble wrap (on the tubs) and fleece on the plants in a hard winter. Failing this, if they die, I think I'd better buy realistic plastic plants!
To plant them, I bought two small 'Yorkshire Flowerpots' Longtoms made by Naylor's. I hope they do the job. One can only try. That's gardening. Trial and error. And occasionally success.
http://www.naylor.co.uk/gardenware-products/
