Moon Gardens

How can you enjoy a garden if you are always away during daylight hours?

Are you one of those people who works hard all day? You know, you leave the home at 7 a.m. And don’t get back until well after the sun has set? Maybe your job ends at a normal hour, but you have other commitments – non-profit board meetings and the like?

Well, you can consider adding garden lights to your garden – even solar-powered lights are going to be a real boon.

But have you ever given any thought to building a moon garden – one that naturally displays ambiance and character during the night hours?

Moon gardens – which are also called night gardens or evening gardens – have but one purpose in their design. They are meant to be enjoyed at night. And because of that, they are ideal for people who are not able to spend time in their gardens during the day.

Moon gardens are ideal for letting a busy or stressful day just drift away from you. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine and head out onto a bench in the darkness. Many people believe that moon gardens can be even more peaceful and calming than their daytime counterparts.

And a bonus is that your garden will be cooler – a true place of respite.

How do you approach a moon garden? For starters, you want to think in terms of white flowers and silver-colored foliage. You could plant a moonflower – a Morning Glory whose blossoms only unfurl at the end of the day. Gardenias are standbys when it comes to moon gardens, as is night-blooming Jasmine and Silver Sage.

Certain types of Hostas are also strong candidates for addition to evening gardens.

The white white flowers that bloom on these plants appear to be illuminated as if from within in the darkness. And the silver-tipped foliage adds its own shimmering outline to the evening air.

This type of garden does obligate us to rethink our traditional approach to gardening. For starters, they are awfully monchromatic. During the day, they can appear downright boring, even when they are thriving. Your neighbors won’t be able to appreciate your garden from afar. Your bragging rights become a bit more subdued.

But the emotional payoff can be significant. You don’t have to surrendur the nice garden bench or table setting. You should absolutely include a small pond or waterfall. Even a path has its place in a moon garden. You won’t lose your way – the soft glow of the low-lying flowers will guide you.

Consider throwing a late night party for friends. Perhaps in mid-summer when your garden is at its finest, you might invite friends over for cocktails and a poetry reading. Invite a string quartet even – the understated elegance of a moon garden can be very inviting.

And you don’t have to skip the lighting. Natural lighting – candles and so forth – are often welcome additions. The soft hue of solar-powered lighting can also be a nice touch.

You don’t have to give up your green thumb just because you’re busy. And you can even plant a moon garden to supplement your traditional garden. Why not enjoy the garden’s meditative beauty around the clock?