Question:
Quote: Originally Posted by Indiscreet I now realise what I'm seeing/smelling is actually jasmine. I always thought jasmine was yellow because we had yellow jasmine in the garden when I was growing up. I'm a doofus. Good grief - I have a huge front hedge of this, and my garden shed in the back garden is covered with it, and I was also wondering what you meant! Of course! My jasmine flowers are tinged with pink at the base, and smell slightly different/stronger than the pure white ones. They flower at this time of the year (in London, at any rate), and again in mid - late summer. The plant is completely covered in blossoms, and you can smell them at least half a street away; the smell is almost hypnotic; it is my favourite flower. However it is the second flowering that is the best, although the blossoms are not quite as prolific, simply because the scent of jasmine really sings in hot weather, especially in the evening after a hot day.
None of the jasmine perfumes come close, although A La Nuit is not too far off. Incidentally, the yellow jasmine is called winter flowering jasmine, and has no scent. It er, flowers in the middle of winter!

Answer:
Thanks very much everybody!
And Indiscreet, the flowers I mean are definitely Linden tree flowers.(looked it up at internet) Sambucca is the latin name. Maybe this brings me somewhere.
I used Dirorissimo for several years, but it's nog exactly what I mean. Maybe I should try Eden from Cacharel again and the suggestions here.

Answer:
Do you mean Linden, Tilia Cordata, or Elder, Sambuca Nigra? The only listing for Elder as a note is Tobacco Flower by Fresh, but that is Elderwood rather than the flower.

Answer:
There is another thread on this:
/showt...ghlight=linden
The jasmine is a bushy vine, I believe. Small white star-like flowers that smell heavenly. I'm surprised to hear they grow in London, but it could be a different kind from the tropical one I know.

Answer:
I looked up the jasmine on a site called English Country Garden - it's common white jasmine. I did wonder why the yellow ones didn't smell of anything! Apparently they (common white) are meant to flower from June, but it's been unseasonably warm. I've even seen roses out already (and yes I stopped to smell them!).
I have to say that it's been a really beautiful spring - the trees are full of blossom and where I work (actually a residential area), the houses are covered in wisteria and there are flowers and magnolia trees in all the gardens.

Answer:
Hi Cornelia!
I suggest you also take a sniff at Matthew Williamson (a rather soft floral containing jasmine and other white flowers, rounded off with a hint of vanilla), it should be easily found in the perfumeries (launched in 2005). I find it less sharp than Diorissimo.

Answer:
Jasmines are very hardy. Mine started life as houseplants; when they finished flowering I popped them in the ground outside. They managed to flower a second time even in their first years. London is warmer than people think; I also have an olive tree that produces (OK rather small!) fruit, and my banana palm comes up every spring... The real gem in my front garden is a Manuka Tea Tree which will start flowering in Jan-Feb if it is really mild. This year it has only come into flower for the last few weeks.
The jasmines are the same jasmines as the ones found all over the Middle East where I spent much of my childhood. They are indeed a bushy vine, and will climb over anything they can. Interestingly they appear to make their flower buds a good 6 months or so before they actually flower. Mine are covered in tiny closed buds all through the winter and these are unharmed even by snow.