Jasmine is a flowering vine which smells delicious and has small, delicate white flowers which look stunning on fences and in garden arbors. Integrating jasmine into the garden does require some planning, as when well cared for, the vine can get very large. Jasmine makes a wonderful addition to virtually all gardens in vine or shrub form, depending on the desired effect. While it may take several years for jasmine to grow into itself, the final product is worth the wait.

Jasmine is a vine like shrub which can be pruned and trained to grow as a bush or given an arbor or trellis to spread out on as a vine. When fully mature, the plant can reach 15 feet (5 meters) in height, and will spread three to six feet (one to two meters). The plant has dark green leaves and delicate white five lobed flowers which release a delicious scent in the spring.

Jasmine prefers full sun to partial shade, and will tolerate a wide range of soils including clay, loam, alkaline, and acidic soils. Jasmine is also somewhat drought tolerant, although the leaves and flowers may begin to droop if the plant does not have adequate water. If jasmine is being grown as a vine, the plant will need to be pruned to encourage lateral growth while the trunk of the plant will need to be staked for support until the plant is strong enough. If growing jasmine as a shrub, the plant will need to be pruned frequently to encourage even growth.

When integrating jasmine into the garden, keep the scent in mind. If you have other delicately scented plants, you will not want to plant jasmine in their vicinity, because the jasmine odor will overpower other plants. You may want to plant jasmine close to the house or under a bedroom window so that the scent can be enjoyed indoors as well as out. Make sure to grow jasmine plants at least eight feet (2.4 meters) apart so that the plants will not be choked for room as they grow.

Jasmine looks excellent on a trellis or arbor, and some gardeners like to line paths with jasmine, or train jasmine to grow on gazebos and other garden features. A jasmine lined path will be relaxing and soothing to stroll down while the plant is in flower, and because the plant rarely loses all of its leaves, the waxy dark green leaves will look attractive in the late summer, fall, and winter.