The Scent Wall

  Years and years ago, I bought a small sprig of a jasmine vine.  This was the Confederate Jasmine that can be found all over the Deep South.  To be perfectly honest here, this is not a true jasmine nor is it truly southern.  It just happens to be something someone liked, brought here, planted and then it sort of took root (pun intended).  Folks of the Deep South are all about flowers that smell good and this vine fit the bill perfectly.  Here, we go from wisteria and citrus blooms to jasmine and roses to magnolias and gardenias.  These blooms have some of the most heavenly scents around so we claimed them all.  Having each of these be easy to grow is another apple in the basket for us.  Smell good, easy to grow, pretty to look at...what's not to love.

  Although I did some major pruning on the roses and jasmine this past winter, both have outdone themselves already this spring.  The "wall" of jasmine is filling the entire yard with its sweet, spicy aroma.  At night, with the windows open to let in the cooling bay breezes, the scent fills the house and is far better than any air freshener or candle.  This is the real thing, folks, and it is amazing.  

  The Confederate Jasmine combined with the heritage rose, Seven Sisters, fills the fence.  It makes a perfect privacy screen at all times of the year but in spring, the fence line becomes my "scent wall".  I love it so much that I have rooted several more vines to completely surround the small area known as the Rose Garden.  Roses and jasmine!  What could ever be better?  Maybe it is a southern thing!