Star Jasmine

Despite my enjoyment for dabbling in lots of different activities, gardening isn't one of my interests. I've tried it a few times and can't quite get into it for the long haul. There is just something about doing all that work -- prepping beds, planting flowers, spreading mulch -- and everything is good for a few days and then you have more work to do! Weeding, watering, and so on. I like my finished projects to stay finished, you know? And gardening is never quite finished.

That said, I do enjoy the fruits of other people's gardening efforts! And every now and again, I get to enjoy my own yard, despite not having made much (if any) effort.The previous owners of our house planted a ton of plants right before they sold the house, and many of the plants have somehow thrived despite the neglect I dish out to them, which leaves the yard looking less like a garden and more like a jungle. Which makes the birds happy, so I don't mind too much. And some of those overgrown plants are pretty in their own wild way.

This is one of my favorites: the star jasmine.

It has grown so much over the last 5 years, and it has the most amazing smell when it blooms, which it's doing right now. It's just covered in these little white star-shaped flowers. The fragrance is so delicious that our neighbor, who is in the midst of a massive and awe-inspiring garden project herself, asked what that plant was that makes our back yard smell so good.

It's the jasmine. Beautiful, sweet-smelling, low-maintenance jasmine.