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Trachelospermum jasinoides
Trachelospermum jasminoides is a twining, evergreen shrub that grows to as much as 20 feet (roughly 6 metres) in height. Native to China and Taiwan, it was introduced to Britain in the early 19th century.
It has rich, dark green leaves which turn a beautiful bronze colour in winter. In mid-summer it bears clusters of delicate, pure white and star-shaped flowers, each about an inch wide and highly fragrant. Honeybees are particularly attracted to the flowers. A climber, it can be trained to climb trellises or trees, or grown as a bush or ground cover if you pinch off the stem tips.
It’s not especially hardy, but grows quickly in the right conditions. You can grow it against a wall in warmer areas of the country if it will be protected from cold winds. If you get severe frosts in winter, it’s best kept in a greenhouse, or indoors in a light area, but out of direct sunlight. Outdoors, it tolerates partial shade but thrives in full sun, and likes well-drained but moist soil.
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Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’
Skimmias are dioecious, meaning they have male and female flowers on different plants and both sexes must be planted to pollinate the female plant and ensure a crop of fruits. ‘Rubella’ is a male variety and particularly strongly scented, with attractive dark green leaves with red edges.
It produces clumps of tiny, fragrant flowers with red buds and off-white petals, in early spring. Easy to grow, it is hardy, but - as you’d expect from any plant that grows naturally in a forest, beneath the tree canopy - it likes partial or full shade. In full sun the leaves will go yellow and fall off and the plant will suffer. It does well in most types of very moist, well-drained soil and grows particularly well in a container.
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