One whiff of jasmine has the ability to transport me to another country and often another decade. Memories flood back of my mum and sister adorned with jasmine necklaces in Tunisia in the mid-Seventies, of me spotting and sniffing them while interrailing in southern Europe in my teens and twenties, and more recently being led nose first on family holidays through the cobbled streets of French medieval towns in search of the source of the magical perfume. Perhaps it’s the perfect climber for that staycation this summer.
Jasminum officinale can grow to 12m
MARIANNE MAJERUS GARDEN IMAGES
Jasmine has such a distinctive fragrance. It’s my favourite: sweet but not sickly, powerful yet seductive. And boy does it travel. Some varieties are coming to the end of their flowering time, but there are plenty coming into
