{"id":2710,"date":"2011-04-14T07:16:34","date_gmt":"2011-04-14T11:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/?p=2710"},"modified":"2013-08-28T10:02:18","modified_gmt":"2013-08-28T15:02:18","slug":"plant-a-moon-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/?p=2710","title":{"rendered":"Plant a Moon Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring is slowly sidling into view here in Northern VA,* which means that soon it will be possible to stay out after dark without risking frostbite. Now’s the time to start thinking about creating a garden to enjoy when the sun goes down.<\/p>\n

Even if you don’t have the space (or ambition) to devote a large garden to midnight strolls, many of these plants do well in pots. Choose a few for their color or fragrance and use them to turn the corner of a balcony into a moonlight retreat. Some of the smaller ones would also be lovely in a window box.<\/p>\n

White flowers and silvery foliage are good choices for an evening garden, since they stand out in low light. There are also many plants which bloom at night, adding wonderful fragrance. Depending upon your region and light availability, consider some of these:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Angel’s Trumpet<\/a><\/td>\nDatura metel<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Asiatic Lily<\/a><\/td>\nLilium, many species<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Azalea<\/a><\/td>\nRhododendron pentanthera<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Calla Lily<\/a><\/td>\nZantedeschia aethiopica<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Camellia<\/a><\/td>\nCamellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Candytuft<\/a><\/td>\nIberis Sempervirens<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cleveland Pear<\/a><\/td>\nPyrus Calleryana<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Climbing Hydrangea<\/a><\/td>\nHydrangea anomala petiolaris<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Columbine<\/a><\/td>\nAquilegia alpina<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coneflower<\/a><\/td>\nEchinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cosmos<\/a><\/td>\nCosmos bipinnatus<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Crape Myrtle<\/a><\/td>\nLagerstroemia indica<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dame’s Rocket<\/a><\/td>\nHesperis matronalis<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dusty Miller<\/a><\/td>\nSenecio cineraria<\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elijah Blue Fescue<\/a><\/td>\nFestuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’<\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Evening Primrose<\/a><\/td>\nOenothera pallida ‘Innocence’<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Evening Scented Stock<\/a><\/td>\nMatthiola bicornis<\/td>\nFragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fairy Lily<\/a><\/td>\nZephyranthes candida<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flowering Crabapple<\/a><\/td>\nMalus ‘White Angel’<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flowering Tobacco<\/a><\/td>\nNicotiana alata<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Forsythia<\/a><\/td>\nAbeliophyllum distichum<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Four o’Clock<\/a><\/td>\nMirabilis jalapa<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Foxglove<\/a><\/td>\nDigitalis alba<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gardenia<\/a><\/td>\nGardenia jasminoides<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Honeysuckle<\/a><\/td>\nLonicera flava<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hosta ‘Aphrodite’<\/a><\/td>\nHosta plantagenia ‘Aphrodite’<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hosta ‘August Lily’<\/a><\/td>\nHosta plantagenia ‘August Lily’<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Impatiens<\/a><\/td>\nImpatiens walleriana<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Japanese Anemones<\/a><\/td>\nAnemone hupehensis var. japonica<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jasmine<\/a><\/td>\nJasminum officinale<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lavender<\/a><\/td>\nLavandula angustifolia, many varieties<\/td>\nFoliage, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lilac<\/a><\/td>\nSyringa vulgaris ‘Alba’<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lily of the Valley<\/a><\/td>\nConvallaria majalis<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mock Orange<\/a><\/td>\nPhiladelphus coronarius<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Moonflower<\/a><\/td>\nIpomoea alba<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mullein<\/a><\/td>\nVerbascum spp<\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Night-Blooming Jessamine<\/a><\/td>\nCestrum nocturnum<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oriental Poppy<\/a><\/td>\nPapaver orientale<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Paperwhite<\/a><\/td>\nNarcissus papyraceus<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Phlox<\/a><\/td>\nPhlox drummondii ‘Promise White’<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Silver Sagebrush<\/a><\/td>\nArtemisia cana<\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Silver Thyme<\/a><\/td>\nThymus argenteus<\/td>\nFoliage, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Snowdrops<\/a><\/td>\nGalanthus nivalis<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Snow-on-the-Mountain<\/a><\/td>\nEuphorbia marginata<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Soapwort<\/a><\/td>\nSaponaria ocymoides ‘Alba’<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Swedish Ivy<\/a><\/td>\nPlectranthus coleoides ‘Variegata’<\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sweetbay Magnolia<\/a><\/td>\nMagnolia virginiana<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tuberose<\/a><\/td>\nPolianthes tuberosa<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Variegated Ribbon Grass<\/a><\/td>\nPhalaris arundinacea ‘Dwarf Garters’, which is the best variety name ever<\/em><\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Verbena<\/a><\/td>\nVerbena x hybida ‘Vertis’<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Virgin’s Bower<\/a><\/td>\nClematis virginiana (not<\/em> Clematis paniculata, which is invasive)<\/td>\nFlowers, Fragrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Western Mugwort<\/a><\/td>\nArtemisia ludoviciana<\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
White Bleeding Heart<\/a><\/td>\nDicentra spectabilis<\/td>\nFlowers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Woolly Lamb’s Ear<\/a><\/td>\nStachys byzantina<\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Woolly Yarrow<\/a><\/td>\nAchillea tomentosa<\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wormwood<\/a><\/td>\nArtemisia absinthium<\/td>\nFoliage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Be sure to ask your local agricultural extension office about pollinators for night-blooming plants. Depending upon where you live, adding local flora to your garden might help encourage visits by moths or bats. (Also be sure to ask about toxicity and invasive species, to make sure you don’t wind up planting something you’ll regret.)<\/p>\n

There are also several books on the subject of night gardens, such as The Evening Garden<\/a>, The Moonlit Garden<\/a>, and Evening Gardens<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With a little time and effort you can create a lovely, fragrant place for wandering without having to worry about that pesky daystar. It’s always nice to be able to get some fresh air and<\/em> maintain a healthy pallor.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n*Which, more than any other season, makes me nostalgic for my childhood in Southern CA. It’s hot! It’s cold! Thunderstorms! Hailstorms! Back to hot! Freezing overnight! For god’s sake, make up your mind<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spring is slowly sidling into view here in Northern VA,* which means that soon it will be possible to stay out after dark without risking frostbite. Now’s the time to start thinking about creating a garden to enjoy when the sun goes down. Even if you don’t have the space (or ambition) to devote a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-unhallowed-ground"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2710"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19686,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2710\/revisions\/19686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.shadowmanor.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}