The After Hours Garden…..     

     

So you think because its dark when you get out of work you can’t enjoy a beautiful garden? What if you had a garden that worked with your late schedule?  It can happen with a moonlight garden! Imagine being able to relax in your garden after a day’s commotion: you’ve got a glass of wine and are taking in the tranquility of your garden enjoying the fragrance and beauty of the flowers in the lower light. This type of garden consists of plants with flowers and foliage in whites, grays, pastels and blue greens (a list of possible plants are at the end of this posting) which are easy to see in the light of the moon or even by ambient light from nearby fixtures. Street lights, porch lights or even landscape lighting can create that relaxing or even romantic ambience you’ve been looking for.

A moonlight garden is one of the easiest to plant because you can incorporate it into any existing landscape. No need to tear out what’s already there (who doesn’t like to save money??) just add a little extra flair with a few new plants. Just make sure the new plants and existing plants in the bed have the same requirements for sun or shade and water.

Hummingbird hawk moth

By planting a moonlight garden you will see some critters that come out at night to feed or pollinate the plants. You might see the sphinx or hawk moth, the Luna moth as well as some bats, fireflies (depending on your region) and a range of night birds. Consider adding paving stones or boulders if appropriate and a source of water; such as a shallow bird bath or a couple of plant saucers filled with water. This gives your night crew a little help in their work!

                                                                                                  

The best way to get started would be to first, figure out where you may want your seating area to be. Look at the existing plantings and decide where you can incorporate some new plants and mark those areas; I recommend using something light colored because you will come back out at night to view this area again and you want to be able to see where the new plants may go in. You may need to relocate some existing plants to get the effect you want. Once you have your design, the next step is to purchase your plants and dig them in. (The fun part & one of my favorite!)

Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t start a whole new planting bed to create your moonlight garden. That’s even easier to do! You can choose which plants you want, place them where they are most aesthetically pleasing to you, step back to view the effect and then dig them in! As always, make sure the plants meet the existing light & water of that area.

  

The use of fragrant plants is important to the overall effect too. Sitting outside, sipping your favorite refreshment and smelling rose,honeysuckle or my favorite – Night blooming Jessamine, can be a very relaxing experience. Just the thing when a trip to the spa is just not on the agenda!

Even if you only incorporate a few plants, it still makes your garden a 24/7 kind of place! Involve the kids and add a few touches of whimsy to the moonlight garden. How about a couple of dancing toad statues? Or garden gnomes? There are also some interesting garden lights that operate by solar panels*, they light up just enough to see and lend a little light to see your plantings.

Whatever you do, enjoy the process and your imagination is the limit. Your garden can be your own “staycation destination!”

*Check out these websites for some interesting garden art

www.gardeners.com

www.gardenfun.com

 “Moonlight” plants to check out

Artemisia -“Powis Castle” Gorgeous silver foliage, kind of feathery. The leaves have an interesting scent, another favorite of mine

Evening primrose – Oenothera biennis- Pretty flowered groundcover, can be invasive, so check with your nursery about the varieties in your area.

Honeysuckle – Lonicera japonica- a climbing vine needs some sort of support if you don’t want it trailing on the ground.

Nightblooming Jessamine – Cestrum nocturnum * a note of caution: this plant can be overwhelming for some people. Its fragrance has been known to travel over a few blocks. There is a variety with pinkish purple flowers that has a kind of rubbery fragrance, I don’t recommend it.

Lamb’s Ear – Stachys byzantia – silvery soft leaves with a pink or yellow flower.  I prefer it for its foliage rather than flowers.

Lavender – Lavendula angustofolia –“Hidcote” has silvery foliage so it will stand out more. The soft lavender flowers are a plus.

Nicotiana – Nicotiana sylvestris or S. alata- These two varieties are the most fragrant, but also pretty tall (4-6’) so I recommend either towards the back of your garden or if you have it in an open area, towards the middle.

Roses – white, pastel pink, lavender, yellow are good colors, another good way to add fragrance into your garden. Make sure prior to purchasing that they do have fragrance. Some growers sacrifice scent for unique coloring.

Impatiens – Use the lighter colors. These are shade annuals in most areas so be aware you will lose them in a season.

Angel’s Trumpet – Brugmansia versicolor – Gorgeous huge trumpet shaped blossoms that are fragrant evening and early morning.

Also look for trees with silvery blue foliage such as acacias, pines or junipers  or with variegated leaf like the ficus r.a.”Variegata; Japanese maple such as “Butterfly”

 bulbs like Iris, Gladiola, and Ixia can be used for a dramatic effect. Don’t forget vines like Potato vine, Clematis, Passionflower, bougainvillea and trumpet vines. Even groundcovers like Gazania & Snow-in-Summer work well.  Variegated foliage like Hostas, Silver Dragon Mondo grass to name a few.  Even succulents & cactus can work in your moonlight garden.