Where to plant jasmine for the best fragrance

I always say it: Jasmine is one of my all-time favourite plants in the garden. Knowing where to plant jasmine, though, will allow you to get the best out of the fragrant blooms.

In fact, if you want to learn how to grow jasmine successfully, the first step is finding the perfect spot for it. This climber thrives in plenty of sunshine – and from experience, I can say that’s true.

Below, you’ll find my notes on the best place to plant jasmine, as well as tips from the experts on encouraging as many scented blooms as possible.

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What you’ll need

The key to lots of fragrant blooms on a jasmine plant? Plenty of sunshine – as much as possible, actually.

That became very clear to me when I visited Italy last year and stumbled across the most beautiful star jasmine arch. I’ve never seen so many blooms on one plant, and the display was huge.

And yes, that was under a Mediterranean climate – but you can make the most of the British sunshine if you know where to plant jasmine. The more sunshine your plant receives, the more flowers it’s likely to produce – and that means better fragrance.

My jasmine thrives on my south-facing fence. It’s one of the best fast-growing climbing plants for privacy for a reason – the woody stems fill in the gaps in the trellis fence topper beautifully.

I double-checked with Jane Lindsay from RHS Chelsea medalists Tynings Climbers, who own the National Collection of Jasminum, and she agreed that sunlight is crucial for flowering.

‘If it’s part-shade or shady, you would just lose flowers,’ Jane said. ‘They will grow, but you probably will lose the flowers on them.’

Position is important, but it’s also wise to plant around the areas you want to perfume in your garden. For me, that’s right next to my patio, in my south-facing border – so sitting outside during the summer months, we get to enjoy a lovely fragrance.

‘If you want to get the best scent from it, I’d always recommend choosing somewhere warm, sunny and sheltered,’ agrees Liam Cleary, gardening expert at Old Railway Line Garden Centre.

Of course, sunshine alone won’t reward you with scented blooms – although it’s a leading factor – and you’ll need to make sure you’re caring for your plant in other ways, too.

‘They don’t need too much TLC, but they do like a well-drained soil,’ says Jane.

A small amount of fertiliser like Empathy Climbers Biofertiliser from Amazon can promote better flowering, too, but it’s important that you don’t overfeed jasmine – Jane told me that too much fertiliser can cause the plant to plough its efforts into the foliage instead of the flowers.

It’s also crucial that you know how to water your plant well during dry spells (Jane recommends a bucket of water every week) and know when to prune your jasmine so you don’t remove this year’s flowers.

Where to plant jasmine in pots

Jasmine is one of the best climbing plants for pots, and the same rules apply: make sure the soil is well-drained, and position the container somewhere it’ll receive plenty of sun. Westland John Innes Number 3 Mature Plant Compost, available at Amazon, is a good base, but it’s wise to mix in some horticultural grit like Westland Potting Grit for added drainage.

Don’t just choose any pot, though – Jane raised a really important point that can determine how well your jasmine will flower.

‘If people are pot-growing jasmine, don’t put them straight into a large pot – it’s the root you’re looking after, not the plant, so pot on gradually,’ Jane explained. ‘If the roots are happy, the plants are happy, and you’ll have a more free-flowering plant.’

If you’re wondering why your jasmine plant isn’t flowering, it could be down to a number of factors – but a lack of sunshine might be up there with the most likely culprits.