Okay, so let’s talk about this ‘paolini jasmine’ thing. It’s been a bit of a journey, really. Heard the name floating around, maybe from an old neighbour, maybe online, can’t quite recall exactly. Sounded interesting, you know? Different from the usual jasmine everyone has.
So, I decided I wanted to try growing it myself. Finding one wasn’t straightforward. It’s not like you walk into any garden center and pick one up. Took some searching, ended up getting a small starter plant from a specialist grower I found through a forum. Came in a tiny pot, looked a bit sad, honestly.
Getting Started
First thing, I had to figure out where to put it. Read somewhere it liked sun, but not scorching afternoon heat. Typical jasmine, I thought. Found a spot on the patio that gets good morning light. Then, the pot. I got a decent sized terracotta one, figuring it would help with drainage. Didn’t want the roots sitting in water.
Mixed up my own soil blend. Just some regular potting mix, added a bit of perlite for drainage, and a handful of compost for richness. Gently took the little ‘paolini jasmine’ out of its sad plastic pot, loosened the roots just a tiny bit, and settled it into its new home. Watered it in well.
The Watching Game
And then, the waiting started. And the watching. Lots of watching. For the first few weeks, not much happened. It didn’t die, which was a good sign, I guess. I was careful with watering – letting the top inch or so dry out before giving it a drink. Stuck my finger in the soil pretty much daily.
- Watering: Checked soil moisture regularly.
- Sunlight: Monitored the morning sun exposure.
- Feeding: Gave it a very mild liquid feed maybe once a month during spring and summer.
It grew slowly. Very slowly. Put out a few new leaves here and there, but it wasn’t exactly vigorous. Compared to other jasmine varieties I’ve grown, this one was definitely taking its sweet time. Started to wonder if I’d done something wrong, or if the spot wasn’t quite right.
Any Payoff?
Months went by. It got a bit bigger, a bit bushier, but still no sign of flowers. That’s the main reason you grow jasmine, right? For the scent. I was getting a little impatient. Read online that sometimes they need a bit of stress, or maybe a specific fertilizer. Tried a bloom booster feed once, didn’t seem to make a difference.
Then, late last summer, I almost missed it. Tucked away under some leaves, were these tiny buds. Really small. Over the next week or so, they swelled up and finally opened. The flowers weren’t huge or overly flashy, quite delicate actually. But the scent… wow. It was different. Still jasmine, but with a slightly spicier, maybe greener note? Hard to describe, but really lovely.
It wasn’t a massive display, just a few flowers here and there. But honestly, after all the waiting and wondering, it felt like a proper achievement. This ‘paolini jasmine’ taught me patience, that’s for sure. It wasn’t easy, and it definitely wasn’t quick. But yeah, glad I stuck with it. It’s still out there on the patio, growing slowly. Maybe I’ll get more flowers this year. We’ll see.
