The secret is getting out: moon gardens are slowly becoming a big hit with gardeners. You may wonder - what's a moon garden? It's simply a garden designed to be enjoyed in the evening. A well designed moon garden looks great in the daytime, but when the sun slips down, the garden takes on a new personality. Moon gardens boast bright white blossoms, easily seen in low light, along with lusciously scented night blooming flowers. The combination of luminous blossoms and intoxicating scents lends a tone of enchantment to the evening garden and provides a welcome oasis from the hectic day.

Creating a moon garden is quite easy and requires only three simple ingredients.

White Blooms for Daytime Dazzle

The first ingredient is the bright white blossom. Colorful palettes of blossoms are gorgeous by day, but completely loose their impact in the evening light. Bright white flowers, however, begin to pop from their stems when the light begins to dim. Variegated foliage and silver-hued plants also are more vivid in low light. There are many white perennials and annuals to consider such as impatiens, phlox, delphinium, anemone, and the shasta daisy. These flowers do double duty; they look great by day, and in the evening they shine. For silvery-toned plants, try lamb’s ear and dusty miller.

Night Bloomers for Fragrance

The most magical ingredient for a moon garden is the night bloomer. These sun-shy blossoms really put on a show! They begin to unfold before sundown, many opening in a matter of minutes. Then they emit a secret, intoxicating concoction only available for the night air. The scent of these unusual flowers is unique and designed to attract night-pollinators such as the hummingbird hawk moth. Fragrant night bloomers to consider for your moon garden are the Moon Flower Vine (Ipomoea alba), Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii,) Evening Stock or Night-Scented Stock (Matthiola), Night Phlox Midnight Candy (Zaluzianskya ovata), Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana) and Night Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum).

Unwind Time

The last ingredient is probably the most important. It requires something from you. In order to reap the benefits of a moon garden, one must take time to relax and take in all the senses. It takes at least 5 to 10 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the low level of light. So find a comfy seat and begin to relax. As your senses adjust to the evening, you will slowly become aware of the balmy night scents, the still sounds of the evening and the luminous glow from the blossoms. Before you know it, the frantic pace of your day has melted away.

Creating a moon garden is a simple and easy way to build a back yard oasis. Just remember the white blossoms to keep your garden looking good day and night. Add the fragrant, show-stopping night bloomers for that exotic scent. And last of all, add a spot to relax, have a glass of wine and take in all the senses. Remember, that unwind time is essential if you want to enjoy all the benefits of a moon garden. If you do these three things, your moon garden will never cease to amaze you.