Theme Gardens, The Moonlight Garden

Moonlight gardens add a mystery, charm and new dimension to your gardens. One of my favorite times to relax and enjoy the day is at night with tea candles and lanterns glowing in the yard. The color and fragrance of a moonlight garden just completes the experience.
photo credit: alicepopkorn ( busy )

If you are putting in a moonlight garden first consider the location. Start by walking around your yard at night to look for suitable spots, which will reflect the most moonlight. Do you want a location close to the house for viewing from a window, or a garden where you can sit in and enjoy? The garden should also see plenty of day sun as well.

After you have chosen the location: plant white, cream or yellow flowering plants. They reflect the moonlight. Choose a few plants are Shasta daisies, white or nocturnal dailies or yucca. Also include plants that have silver or gray foliage. The foliage will stand out from its surroundings in moonlight. Dusty miller, lamb’s ear and lavender will create this effect.

Even though you are planting this garden to be a moonlight garden it will be an accent in your yard during the day so plant some pastel colored flowers to add interest. Bright colored flowers have a tendency to make the white flowers look washed out, pastels emphasis the whites. I also add garden art! A mosaic or fountain in a moonlight garden is wonderful! A small mirror is also nice.

Use fragrant vines throughout the garden. Wisteria and honeysuckle are often more fragrant in the evening. This is to attract moths and other insects. All scents do not combine well so you will have to take this into account when choosing the flowers

photo credit: loop_oh
and vines in the garden. If one aroma clashes with another just place it in a different location.

If you don’t have a lot of room add a container or bushel basket moonlight garden. It’s just enough to add fragrance and a unique look without being additional work.

One other plus of a moonlight garden is that it encourages bees to pollinate at night. There are several flowers that need pollination at night and the moonlight garden will help. Gourds are an example of one garden crop.

One last tip: keep the white flowers dead-headed or picked off. Dried up brown flowers are not pretty.