How to Plant a Moon Garden

Gardens aren’t just for people who enjoy spending time outdoors during daylight hours. With a moon garden, day people and night owls alike can enjoy the blooms and fragrance of a garden. The garden design is simple--just incorporate white or other light-colored flowers together with interesting foliage, add moonlight, and enjoy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A variety of plants
• Gardening gloves
• A designated area
• Outdoor furniture

1. Consider the ideal location on your property to plant the garden. Do you spend most evenings in the backyard or on the back balcony, or do you live in an apartment where there isn’t room for more than a few containers and boxes? Or is the front of the house a more peaceful space? Plan to plant your garden in an area where you will enjoy spending time.

2. Think about the lighting in your chosen location. Are there tall or full trees that might block the moonlight from washing over your garden? Be sure that the garden will be placed where the light shines both day and night.

3. Choose your blooms. Select plants that have bright and light colored blooms. The flowers don’t all have to be white to make a proper moon garden. In fact, silvers and grays, as well as pastels such as pink, can also add depth to a night blooming garden.

4. Use plants that flower from early spring through the first frost so you can enjoy your garden all year. Spring blooming flowers to choose from include tulips, daffodils or narcissus, white roses, and snowdrops. For summer blooms, white bellflower, Shasta daisies, astilbe, night blooming jasmine, impatiens, and, of course, moonflowers.

5. Add interest with foliage. Tuck flowering and non-flowering perennials in and around your night blooms to add interest to your garden. Variegated leaf hostas, lamb’s ear and common sage will all add light colored and textured foliage. In addition, the flowers produced by these plants will add additional color to the garden.

6. Choose and place comfortable furniture near, or within, your garden so it’s easy and comfortable to enjoy the sights and scent of the moon garden. A bench or chairs, or comfortable patio furniture will make the space more welcoming and ideal to spend time in. You may also want to consider adding some small solar lights along the path leading to your garden or even as accents inside of it so it’s easy and safe to access the area after dark.

Tips & Warnings

• Select plants of varying heights to add interest to your garden. Clematis and moon-flowers climbing on a trellis will add height to the garden plan, as will hanging baskets.
• Moon-flowers are poisonous if eaten. Take precautions if children or pets will be near the plant.