The winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum, is really a wall shrub, but its long, lax stems are easily trained over trellis or on wires to cover screens and fences. Masses of starry golden yellow flowers appear on bare stems in late winter and early spring, but unlike summer jasmine, they are unscented.

Planting jasmine

Choose a spot that will be in full sun or partial shade in the winter to encourage the best blooms. Note that areas that are in sun in summer may be shaded later in the year, so check your aspect carefully. In autumn, dig well-rotted organic matter, such as manure or homemade garden compost, into the soil before you start, and plant the jasmine as for wall shrubs.

Evergreen clematis

Exquisite blooms set amid evergreen foliage are the star qualities of winter-flowering clematis. Plant them in a sheltered site because they don’t tolerate low temperatures.

Planting tips

Clematis armandii has sweetly scented white or pink flowers and long, slim, dark green leaves. In some areas it may stay quite compact, but when fully established and in a suitable location, it can grow through a large tree. Clematis cirrhosa, with its freckled, cup-shaped flowers, can be equally vigorous in ideal conditions. Although these clematis are less likely to fall prey to clematis wilt, it is still worth planting them deeply in well-drained soil, just in case the disease strikes.

Aftercare

Water well during dry spells for the first year until the plants are established, and clip untidy growth lightly after flowering. The lower leaves of Clematis armandii may turn brown and fall, which is a characteristic of this plant; use another climber or shrub to disguise the stems.