Smells Like a Southern Spring

When I was six, we lived in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. Honeysuckle vines divided our little backyard from the vast and mysterious Fairmont Park. On spring nights the delicious scent would drift in on a breeze through my bedroom window. It was a magical way to fall asleep. The fragrance wasn’t overpowering like lilac or demure like most other flowers. Wild honeysuckle blooms seemed like the type of flower faeries would prefer. Even as an adult, I continue to love it. Maybe because I can’t get a bouquet from the supermarket or floral shop.

Last week, I asked about the sweet and heady scent filling the air in my friend’s Mount Pleasant backyard. Now, I have another new favorite – Confederate Jasmine. It’s also a flowering vine and produces clusters of white, phlox-like flowers. To create privacy, my friend and her husband had installed an antique iron headboard in the ground next to their patio (Great idea!). The Confederate Jasmine they had planted at the base grew to create a lush garden wall.

It’s my first Spring here and I’m noticing it everywhere. Charleston smells as good as it looks.

Outdoor Growing Facts:

• Hardy in Coastal South Carolina;
• Blooms spring and summer;
• Can can climb trellises, fences, walls and porches up to 20-feet;
• Can be used as ground cover or as spill in a garden container;
• Moderate to fast growing;
• Enjoys sun to partial shade and well-drained soil (add leaf mold);
• Add fertilizer in spring.

For more information on Jasmine, check out Clemson University’s Home & Garden Info.