Star Jasmine

I think this is my favourite time of year in Auckland, or at least it is when it stops raining. Days are getting longer, mornings are light and temperatures are pleasant. Almost to the point where I can sit out and enjoy my morning cuppa.

It’s the time of year when daytime temperatures are in the sweet spot. Not too hot like you feel your skin is cooking, or with a humidity that means you sweat just standing still. Instead,  there’s a gentle warmth that comforts and energises. You really do feel like you could achieve anything when it’s like this. Except we can’t - but I won’t go there today.

It’s also the time of year when Star Jasmine starts to appear….and be smelt. It’s such an amazing plant. Quite how it manages to be so fragrant from such a distance is beyond my comprehension. It’s so aromatic that more often than not, you smell the plant long before you see it. It starts with a slight whiff in the air which then gets slowly stronger. You know then that there must be Star Jasmine around here somewhere…..

Auckland’s gardens and parks are starting to fill up with this little plant, their small white flowers hiding their power to fill the air with amazing scent.

But I suppose above all, the appearance of these plants can only mean one thing…..Summer is on the way!