[John J]

I always associate the colour yellow with spring, it seems to be the predominent colour at that time of year. One of the first plants in our garden to break out in a mass of yellow is the Primrose Jasmine (Jasminum mesnyi). It looks best where it can cascade, over a frame or down a wall I always think. Unfortunately no scent but we have the other Jasmines for that.

[Daisy]

That is a lovely photo John J.
There are a couple of gardens that have this plant in the town of Irapetra on the south coast of Crete.
They are growing through and cascading over a wrought iron fence and look elegant and cheerful.
I see them every week at this time of year, as I have a passion for fresh peas in the pod and the Saturday market in Irapetra is the only place I can find them, this early in the season.
Daisy

[Daisy]

I took a trip around the Bay of Mirabello this morning, and found this.
Daisy

[Alisdair]

What a beautiful specimen! Jasminum mesnyi is a lovely species, but it is essential not to prune it back in the late summer/autumn - otherwise you lose all the winter/spring blossom along those long arching shoots. Every year we ask Eleftheria who looks after our garden in our absence to be sure not to cut back ours, but she can't abide what strikes her as untidiness, and every January we arrive to find just a handful of flowers on the few smaller shoots which have escaped her attentions.

[Trevor Australis]

Robyn and Ian Powell at TUPELO GROVE have a very compact dwarf jasmine. I'm not sure of its name but maybe Alasdair's garden 'helper' would be able to abide it? tn

[Alisdair]

Sounds a nice plant, Trevor! But we put our J. mesnyi in a corner of a courtyard, stone retaining walls behind it, intended as an understorey to the jacaranda we planted there (which usually keeps its leaves well into late winter). We imagined the jasmine producing long cascades of gold to liven up that corner in winter/early spring, but what it always is in its too-pruned state is a big bushy largely unproductive clump of growth.

[Daisy]

You are a lot more forbearing than I am Alistair.
I would be hopping mad.
Daisy

[Fleur Pavlidis]

If it's any consolation to you, Alisdair, My Jasminum mesnyi has never been pruned and still doesn't flower.

[David Bracey]

We let our J mesnyi grow and grow and grow. No pruning. It never fails to flower.  A must for medgardens so longasyou have plenty of room.

Another yellow flower in the spring.  I wonderwhy so many springflowers are this colour?

[JTh]

Re ' I wonderwhy so many springflowers are this colour?': Don't you think there is a connection between the insects present at that time of the year and their preference for yellow?

[david glen]

Regarding the question about the why of flowers' colours, and specifically yellow , there was an article in the journal or perhaps a book review ( in the last few years) on this subject. Also in wiki you'll find the question, but I don't think there's a sure answer.

[David Bracey]

My article,TMG no64 page 51 concluded "why are so many spring flowers yellow?. I am not really sure" and then with my tongue in my cheek, I concluded "maybe the yellow colour is just irresistible to pollinating insects" ! ..........

[David Bracey]

 I had a eureka moment last night.  Spring flowers are yellow because they are successful. Yellow is a bright colour and attracts pollinating insects .. Simple Darwinism, survival of the fittest.