If you have a sheltered spot it might survive with a good mulching.

Hi Karyn,

Here are the spots I'm thinking of putting it. One is an a south facing spot and the other faces east (back steps, where the dryer vent is located). I'm thinking the south spot, but I don't know yet.

Brad AKA Moonwolf

A good place for tender plants is against a brick wall with a sunny exposure that's sheltered from the wind and has very well draining soil. The sun heats the bricks up during the day and they retain some of the heat thru the night. If the plants are cheap I'd go for it. The worst that will happen is they won't survive the winter but you'll be able to enjoy them probably until Oct. You could also keep them in a container and allow them to go dormant in the garage. Just give them enough water to keep the roots hydrated, about a cup a month.

Okay, I've decided to get the jasmine and I took a picture of where I wanted to plant it. This is the south side of the house and I want it to go around the window. From the ground to the bottom of the window is about 3-4 feet. Now all I need to know is how to get it around the window? Mom thought of tucking the vines in around the shutters like she does the Christmas lights. Any ideas?

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brad,

I wouldn't tuck them around the shutters because the vines won't like having the shutters block their sunlight. They may untuck themselves to reach for sun, and fall down. Or weave themselves into the shutters so you can't get them out without cutting. Besides, unless they're already tall enough to reach the top of the window and drape around it, they'll need help getting up that high.

That looks like vinyl siding, so I'm guessing you don't want to put holes in it. If you're OK with holes you can get screw-in eyehooks, put them where you want them, and attach wires to the hooks. Some of my neighbors do this and it looks great when the vines grow. I've seen the wires run vertically, horizontally, and a grid of diagonals; supporting clematis, morning glories, Dutchman's pipe, and wisteria. It all seems to work. One house has a row of hooks in the front porch roof and another row in the railing. They ran clear fishing line vertically from roof to rail using the hooks. The fishing line is almost invisible. Their clematis is trained horizontally across the lines so it looks like it's floating.

Otherwise - homemade trellis built to fit around your window. Jasmine in bloom around a window will be heaven. Ideally that's a bedroom window you'll open on summer nights, so the perfume can drift into your dreams. I was sorely tempted by hanging baskets of a vining jasmine sold in the supermarket(!)this spring. Maybe next year.

I just did a quick online search for you. Sources differ on j. officinale's hardiness but agree it can be reproduced by cuttings. Some say only it's only hardy to zone 7, so a second plant kept indoors would be insurance in case the outdoor one doesn't make it. I'd definitely take cuttings if I had one. Not just because I don't yet know of a variety that can survive winter in zone 5; I've heard some will flower indoors in winter with the right care. Wouldn't that be a treat?

Edie

Edie, thank you for that information! As it turns out, the jasmine I got happens to be J.sambac Maid of Orleans, so I know it's not hardy in my zone. The window isn't in a bedroom, but I do open it in the spring and sometimes fall when it's not too hot or cold. Mom's going to put mums out front instead.

Brad AKA Moonwolf