Shy of an extensive garden lights system, how can you enjoy a garden if you are always away during daylight hours? If you happen to be one of those diligent individuals who works all day, attends meetings all night, and doesn’t get home until well after dark?
Easy – simply design and plant a moon garden in your yard.
The moon garden – which is sometimes called the night garden or the evening garden – is the perfect outdoor retreat for people whose lives just don’t allow for leisure when the sun is out. It truly shines at night.
We all can see our friends and neighbors in their daytime gardens. They sit on the benches, stroll down the paths. It seems so peaceful and relaxing. With a moon garden, you can have those qualities too. You can come home after a long day, pour yourself a nice glass of white wine and go sit in your moon garden.
Some people might even argue the night garden is more peaceful and calming than one designed for the sun.
How should you approach planting a moon garden? Well, the big difference is that you are going to be focusing on plants and shrubs that tend to be on the monochromatic side. Basically, everything is white – or possibly silver.
So consider the Moonflower – a type of Morning Glory that only unfolds as the sun sets. Or perhaps Gardenias, which tend to really perform well at night. Some Hosta variants are ideal for night time gardens. You might also choose Night-blooming Jasmine or some Silver Sage.
These might seem a tad boring during the day, but at night the white blooms and silvery foliage will seem to glow with an inner intensity that is quite captivating.
If the garden isn’t at its best when people can see it, you should throw a party. Have friends over at the full moon. Read some poetry, drink some herbal tea, or sip some wine. Your friends will be amazed.
And – bonus – night time gardens are much cooler!
You can certainly add garden lighting – solar-powered lights of low wattage work well, as do candles and lamps. Don’t leave open flames unattended, however.
For many years, people whose schedules or work habits kept them away from home during daylight believed that gardens were just a thing of the past. But no more! With a moon garden, you can partake of the joys of gardening until the sun rises!