What Is a Night Garden?

When the sun goes down, does your garden sleep? If you’re a night person, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy an “after hours” garden with all its sights, scents - and yes, even sounds. A night or a moon garden sounds romantic and mysterious by turns, but there’s also a very practical side to it. The light and temperature conditions are different from traditional daytime gardening...and then some.

They only come out at night

Planning a night garden doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy its nuanced beauty in the daytime. However, the plants have to be carefully selected so that they are at their best in the evenings. The best ones to grow are white or light-colored blooms, or plants with silvery stems - these give the impression of luminescence and are perfect for outdoor evening gatherings. Lilies, Solomon’s seal, white roses, crocuses, and moonflowers are great examples of “glow-in-the-dark” blooms because they reflect back the light they catch.

Get ready for some “sixth scents”

In the stillness of night, the olfactory sense is heightened. If you carefully select the kind of plants in your night garden, you will be rewarded with many fragrant evenings. Stargazer lilies, wisteria blooms, tuberoses, moonflowers, night phlox, and night blooming jasmine are known for perfuming the night-time air with their unique scents. The best location for these plants? Somewhere near your window so that you can always catch a whiff of them especially during warm summer nights.

The mysterious pollinators are out and about

Nocturnal pollinators include moths and bats because pale night-blooming plants typically give off stronger scents than their daytime counterparts. Their aroma guides these night-time pollinators the same way the brightly-colored blooms attract butterflies, bees, and dragonflies in the daytime. The softly beating wings and the squeaks of bats could take some getting used to, but they are sounds that will reassure you that your moon garden is ticking sweetly, and all’s right with the world.

The garden of earthly delights

A gorgeous moon garden can inspire many gatherings - from nocturnal picnics, star-gazing parties, to simply bonding over flora and fauna. Night gardens are perfect complements to gazebos, porch swings, lawn furniture, and other outdoor seating arrangements meant for quiet contemplation. The scents, sounds, and sights that go with it are precious things to look forward to after a long and tiring day.