How to Grow Jasmine Plant – from My Balcony Garden
Jasmine plant in my balcony garden has flowered again. It is the Arabian Jasmine variety. I did get some learning experiences along the way about How to grow jasmine plant, that too in a pot in my balcony.
To my pleasant surprise, they are not just one or two, but hand full of them continuously for past two weeks. Bangalore does not have a definite spring season; therefore often we are not aware when summers have set in and spring has long gone.
How to Grow Jasmine Plant
This plant has bloomed consecutively for two years now. I still remember how tiny it was in the nursery, standing alone in the corner, with looks as if begging me to take it home. I almost fell for the single bloom it had then.
Growing the jasmine plant wasn’t very difficult as I thought it would be. But it required some attention on a daily basis. The vines need to be trimmed and twinned early when the new branches start to grow. I used plain sticks.
A hardy plant, it didn’t demand too much attention from me. It looked satisfied with my occasional glances, and weekly nutritious drinks I made with my vegetable wastes, as fertilizers.
With time I realized that my jasmine plant grew well in full sun to partial shaded areas. There are two varieties, Summer-flowering jasmine and winter jasmine. While the former does better in a sunny spot, while other varieties, the latter likes a more shaded area. Jasmine plant thrives well in well-drained, moist, moderately fertile sandy loamy soil.
Common jasmine is moderately fast growing. It grows 12 to 24 inches a year, but slight neglect can kill the plant. One reason why people are clueless about how to grow jasmine plant.
Arabian Jasmine variety
Jasmine Flowers for Home Decor
Now in its full bloom, swaying in gentle breeze, it tried to say: Here, these jasmine flowers are for you! Can I spend the dawn rolling in my bed when the fragrance of these tiny specks of beauty in my balcony garden beckons me? I cast my greedy glances at it, “My dear Jasmine, I am of the wicked type, not loyal to you.”
Soon my fingers are plucking them out; I am intoxicated by the delicate fragrance. The night lamp that glowed dimly once, held my lure. Set beside the bedside, it has a different role to play now.
Do you use fresh flowers for home decor? I always prefer real flowers over the artificial ones. And my balcony garden is generous in giving flowers like orchids and lily.
Jasmines for decor
Since jasmine plant is not toxic, one of my friends with pets used several jasmine plants for garden landscaping. Seeing my plant flowering so well in a balcony she was confident it would do well in her garden.
Medicinal Values of Jasmine Flowers
Jasmine flowers are used to make medicine. Jasmine has been used for liver disease (hepatitis), liver pain due to cirrhosis, and abdominal pain due to severe diarrhoea. It is also used to cause relaxation as a sedative and also to heighten sexual desire (as an aphrodisiac) probably one of the reasons they are used in Indian marriages. It is said the flowers are helpful in cancer treatment.
Very often I was tempted to use the jasmine flowers for scenting tea but hesitated each time as I was not sure. Their intense fragrance has been traditionally used for scenting tea. Only the species Jasminum Sambac of this flower can be eaten as rest all other Jasmine species are not edible so please exercise some caution.
Some trivia on Jasmine Flowers
- Jasmine symbolizes amiability, feminine sweetness and beauty.
- When Vasco da Gama returned from his circumnavigation of the globe in the sixteenth century, he brought home a small, fragrant, white flower from the Far East.
- Italian brides often wear a sprig of jasmine flower on their wedding day, hoping for good luck.
- Jasmine is the national flower of Pakistan.
Read more:
Yellow Hibiscus in my Balcony Garden
Purple Water Lily in my balcony
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(This post was first written on May 24th, 2009.)
White flowers are very pretty.
I absolutely love the smell of jasmine…a little goes a long way too! Even one flower is fragrant enough for you to smell it at a decent distance from the plant.
Congratulations on your ever blooming Jasmine!
Beautiful blossoms..words and pictures. What a great way to end the evening and go to sleep…mmmm I can smell them now:):)
Looks great! I love the last picture. Jasmine is one of the best fragrances in the garden, I think. Right up there with Lilac and Daphne. The other day I was driving a van full of Jasmine, Helitrope amd Nemesia plants and the smell was almost over whelming. I am pretty sure that is what heaven smells like.
I love the aroma of jasmine flowers 🙂
Enjoy with your blossom 🙂 I used to ask my mom often to get me rose plants and she still buying me!
Oh, this is that variety that has the awesome fragrance.:)
What a lovely post. I enjoyed your commentary very much. I have sipped Jasmine tea and I have eaten Jasmine Rice but never have I seen this beautiful flower before and I would love to breath in its intoxicating scent. It is exquisite and your photos are super. Thank you very much for sharing them.
Lovely! The one in the clay diya look the best 🙂
jasmine flowers are very fragrant, i love the scent so sweet and soft.
Jasmine,
I had 3 outside in pots.
But they are all dead frozen
in the winter.
It was last winter -20C here,
and I forget to put them
in a warmer place 🙁
I need to buy new jasmine.
They smellllll yummieeeeeee 🙂
Your last shot is soooo sweet,
I love it ,nice for one my table 🙂
That’s just so beautiful in so many ways.. the flowers, your sentiment, the scent, the images. Lovely.
what a divinely smell the jasmine has…in kerala we have two such flowers, the pala and the jasmine, and one of these days i will tell a story connected to them…
I’m with George, I could almost smell the jasmine! Your photos are gorgeous, Indrani, as always! Thanks for sharing the beauty and the fragrance!
I could almost smell the jasmine while looking at your beautiful pictures. We’re hoping that our bush will be blooming in a couple of weeks.
I loved reading this, your words made as vivid a picture as your camera! This morning the wind is bringing the scent of lilacs into my room. Teeling time and seasons by flowers – what is better!
I almost smell it!!
Sweet jasmine ! Lovely pics too.
I love the smell of Jasmine… but the flowers you show are not the Jasmine I'm familiar with.
I'm sure the smell is the same, but they just look slightly different, especially the leaves.
Lovely photos & post.
best wishes
Ribbon
The night lamp holding your beautiful flowers, what a perfect composition!
Lovely Jasmines. Nicely Captured!
Jasmine is like the most perfect scent. Would love to have some around the house. Beautiful shots. =)
Who can resist the Jasmine? nd you have made it even more irresistible by your words and the beautiful shots…
May your friend live long and give you more blooms.
Looks so white – a symbol of purity!
wonderful use for the blossoms to perfume your night.
I like it. Great post!
You are a very lyrical writer Indrani, and the white jasmine , so pure goes perfectly with your writing or may be its vice-versa, but the post is fantastic.
Jasmine has a very delicate scent. You must have a green thumb. You write very beautifully.
How nice!! It must be wonderful to get jasmines from your garden everyday. My mom’s garden has 3 varieties of jasmine and i look like a geek wearing the flowers in my hair when I go there.
We’re in Canada and the Jasmines have bloomed too today…what a coincidence,
mine are potted plants but they bloomed as well
mine are potted plants , but they are blooming as well 🙂
Jasmine, is Sampaguita to us. It’s Legend means “sumpa kita” meaning I vow to you if I get the literal meaning right.
Jasmine is my country of birth’s National Flower. It is used to make leis. It is also used in perfumery and bath soap.
Your tropical climate makes it suitable to grow in your area.
Jasmine signifies the maiden’s purity.
Lovely post to read.
Beautiful! I love jasmine, I have the small ones at home and the orange jasmine with very tiny white flowers..I dont have your type though..but I would love them a lot.
I can almost smell that delicate perfume you have written about. Nice pictures and nice text.
Oh they are lovely, they give very pleasant scent.
I love the smell of Jasmine,my neighbour got a pot and I always hover around it taking photos. Here in Singapore they bloom all year round but sadly to say they only lasted a few days.
So lovely! Love the Jasmine, they look so delicate and they have such wonderful fragrance. Near by my home there is a little street where these trees are growing along the side. When I walk there during blooming, the lovely scent fill the air!
I really like the arrangement on your last shot! 🙂
Nothing quite like the fragrance of jasmine and doesn’t it look lovely? I like the way you put the blossom in the little dish!
Very lovely.
Lovely white flowers. The fragrance must be wonderful. I especially enjoy your photo of the blooms in a lovely red-trimmed bowl.
Impossible to leave a comment but now it works.
Oh, your jasmin are so nice and wonderful…I am jealous….a little.
wow! it reminds me of my home country, Philippines, did you know that it is our national flower? I love the smell of it and yes, we use it to make necklaces to welcome a tourist . It’s beautiful!!!we call it “Sampaguita” in tagalog. 🙂
I love the way you write with fondness about this plant! We als have a jasmine in the garden and you are right: its smell is so wonderful! Thanks for your visit Indrani! Have a great week.
Beautiful Jasmine blooms.
Congratulations.
Luiz Ramos