Moon Gardens: Designing and Planting

Moon gardens or evening gardens are designed to extend the enjoyment of your garden into the night. Not only are these gardens designed with flowers that reflect the moonlight creating a soft glow under the stars, they typically include flowers that emit intense fragrance once the heat of the sun has passed. Whether you choose to create a rambling moon garden complete with statuaries and shrubs or simply want to enjoy a container garden under the stars, is up to you. Either way, there are a few rules to follow.

Choosing Flowers for a Moon Garden
Choose a variety of flowers from tiny clouds of sweet alyssum to impressive moon flowers clinging to a trellis to add interest and depth to your moon garden. Whites, silver and pale pastels work best as they catch and reflect the moonlight..Don't limit yourself to pure white flowers. Variegated flower such as sweet William can create a dazzling show in the moonlight. Experiment with other variegated and pastel flowers to create the effect you desire. Some flowers with golden hues create a stunning show of color at sunset and create a dramatic transition into the night

Include Night-Blooming Flowers in Moon Gardens
Select flowers that release their scent at night. Night blooming jasmine, four-o-clocks and nicotania are good choices, but don't forget to add a few herbs as well. Lavender may not reflect the light, but it will fill the night air with its sweet fragrance. Garden phlox create a heady scent that exudes romance.

Backgrounds in Moon Gardens Matter
Consider the background when designing and planting a moon garden. Dark colored trellises blend into the night giving the illusion of flower floating in the air. The same applies to hanging baskets filled with trailing flowers. Try a green basket filled with white cascading petunias to add both fragrance and beauty to the night garden.

Place Moon Gardens Under the Path of the Moon
Place flowers where they will receive the light of the moon. Although this sounds obvious, it sometimes overlooked by well meaning gardeners. Check the path of the moon on a moonlit night to be sure that other garden structure or nearby trees to do obscure it from view.

Extend the Blooms in Moon Gardens
Choose flowers that bloom at different times to keep your moon garden aglow all summer. Adding Shasta daisies and white petunias help to extend the effect you are looking to achieve as they bloom from early summer until frost.

Supplemental Lighting for Moon Gardens
Add lanterns or glowing lights to the garden to enhance it beauty even when the moon is not visible. To create the illusion of moonlight, hang lanterns from trees or on shepherds hooks to illuminate the garden from above.

Water Features Enhance Moon Gardens
A small water feature adds sparkle and soothing sound to the moon garden. Consider bordering it with white rocks or adding garden décor that will catch the moonlight.

Include Seating in Moon Gardens
Add seating near the moon garden for those relaxing summer nights under the stars. Stone benches, wooden chairs or simply an old log or flat rock to sit on creates a romantic get-a-way for whispering sweet nothings under the stars.

SOURCES:
Oregon State University Extension; Night Blooming Flowers