There are two types of Jasmine that are grown. Summer jasmine, Jasminum officinale can be grown in sunny and sheltered spots in milder regions and winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum which will provide flowers in shady and cold places when little else is in bloom.
Summer jasmine is a lot fussier when it comes to its growing location. It will require a very sheltered spot in full sun with a south or south-west aspect.
Those jasmines that are frost hardy can be kept in a greenhouse or polytunnel as long as it is kept frost free with a heater in the coldest weather, though most jasmines will only survive if they are kept indoors over the winter, somewhere with a minimum night time temperature of 13-15 degrees Celsius.
Winter jasmine is more tolerant of shade and cold.
Some variants of winter jasmine are frost hardy, but not all of them (and not summer jasmine)
Of course the delicacy of these plants means that it is almost always infeasible to grow jasmine directly in the ground, though they can make lovely container specimens. With container grown jasmine the key thing to consider is the drainage. Good drainage in your containers is essential. This can be achieved by placing crocks in the bottom and by using a good, fertile and free-draining potting medium.
You should water jasmine freely when the weather is good and the plants are in active growth in spring and summer and then begin to water less as the weather begins to cool down in the autumn. Only sparse watering is necessary in the winter.
Jasmine grown in containers should be fed with a potassium rich feed – the same solution you might use to fertilise tomato plants. This can be a proprietary organic plant feed or something home made like a comfrey tea or seaweed feed.
Summer jasmine is best pruned after the plant has finished flowering, in the late summer or early autumn, while winter jasmine is best pruned in the spring. Jasmine is propagated by layering or cuttings.
Why grow jasmine in the garden?
Jasmine is usually grown for its pretty and delicate flowers. It can be used to make tea or for its fragrance and it has also been used in herbal medicine. The smell of jasmine is said to be really good for calming the nerves and reducing stress and it is a common ingredient for perfumes and bath products.