Don’t you just love relaxing on your porch or patio, enjoying warm summer evenings? Perhaps you enjoy entertaining outdoors, or maybe you’re more of an introvert who prefers solitude. But there’s just one little problem: As tranquil as the setting might be, you can’t really enjoy your garden in the dark.
…Or can you? If you grow a moon garden, you will appreciate beautiful blooms even in dim lighting.
Moon gardens tends to be composed of plants that glow in the moonlight, such as white blooms and pale foliage. You can choose anything you wish, but some common choices include:
● Pennisetum “skyrocket” – an annual ornamental grass featuring thin blades with wide, white margins
● Hostas – hostas come in many varieties, but many feature plenty of reflective white coloring on their leaves
● Carex “ice dance” – another thin, strappy leave with white margins
● Brunnera – these large, silver-white leaves are simply gorgeous in the moonlight
● Mandevilla – perfect for a trellis, these vines grow up to five feet and feature white, funnel-shaped blooms
● Petunias – these summer annuals are easy to grow, and are available in white
● Angelonia – featuring spires of white flowers that bloom from spring to fall
● Gardenias – not only are these white blooms quite beautiful; you will enjoy their strong, sweet fragrance on warm summer nights
● Brugmansia – these large white flowers release their strong fragrance at night, making them perfect for a moon garden
● Impatiens – these bloom well in the shade, and their dark glossy foliage seems to disappear at night, making the white blooms appear to float
As with all container gardens, you should pay attention to each plant’s sunlight and water needs, and treat them appropriately. The great thing about containers is that they can be moved! So, if one of your plants seems “unhappy”, you can easily adjust its growing conditions.
