In The Night Garden: Create Moon Garden

There is something mystical and romantic about walking through a garden on a summer evening. The moonlight casts a spotlight of shadows capturing and emphasizing moody white flowers and shimmery plants amongst the greenery. The sounds are quietly eerie. Day lilies are closed up tight and sleeping. Nightfall brings entirely new and intoxicating fragrances that awaken the senses to a unique garden experience.

What is a night garden?
A night garden incorporates plantings whose, color, texture, sound, and scent can be appreciated in the evening. Sometimes night gardens are called “moon gardens”.

Are night gardens new?
According to this Lifescript article, night gardens have been around for a long time: “A night garden is not new to the contemporary world. Moonlight gardens were planted in medieval Japan using white or pale-colored rocks and sand. Pools of water caught the shine of the moon and white chrysanthemums cast a ghostly profile. In the 1600s India’s mogul emperor planted a stunning night blooming garden using fragrant and beautiful flowers like jasmine, narcissus, and lilies all in white.”

Why plant a night garden?
People who work all day and have busy schedules that keep them away from home until the evening get to enjoy the beauty of the garden. For those who want to unplug and unwind in the evening to the sounds of nature, a night garden is the perfect place to relax.

Where to plant a night garden?
Plant it in a place where you will enjoy it most. Small container night gardens are perfect for those with limited space.

What plants to plant in a night garden?
These plants listed on the DoItYourself site are night bloomers and aromatic, making them perfect for night gardens.

▪ moonflower
▪ white sand verbena
▪ fragrant plantain lily
▪ evening campion
▪ yucca
▪ night-flowering catchfly
▪ thornapple
▪ scarlet gaura
▪ citron daylily
▪ lemon lily
▪ evening iris
▪ evening star
▪ gumbo lily
▪ soapwort
▪ vesper iris
▪ evening primrose
▪ night blooming tropical waterlilies
▪ four o’clock
▪ desert lily
▪ white gaura
▪ evening stock