0005: The Smell of Jasmine

The White Jasmine Branch, painting of ink and color on silk by Chinese artist Zhao Chang, early 12th century

Although it is believed that jasmine originated in the Himalayas in western China, the sweet smell of jasmine is all around my neighborhood and in my front yard. I'm so lucky to have these beautiful little flowers in my life! And isn't it amazing that the painting above is about 900 years old and it looks almost exactly like the picture below of the jasmine in my front yard.

So, a little trivia: The delicate jasmine flower opens only at night and may be plucked in the morning when the tiny petals are tightly closed, then stored in a cool place until night. The petals begin to open between 6p - 8p, as the temperature lowers. (per Wikipedia...) Anyway, I feel it's like a hug from nature and a beautiful way to start the day. I need to also remember to pluck in the morning and store until the evening for when I have houseguests, what a nice touch - as long as they are ok with smells :-)