Make A Beautiful Moonlight Garden

I worked night shift hours for several years.  Working in a sleep lab is predominantly a night shift job.  I watched everyone else sleep but never actually slept myself.  In my neck of the woods - the world is partial to day time workers.  Nights are made for sleeping in the Midwest.  I would step outside at my 2 a.m. break and note that even the floral life was asleep.  The only thing I might see slinking around at dusk was a sneaky red fox that had been hanging around, aloof and wild for years.

On my nights off, I would creep around the house trying to be as quiet as possible so that I wouldn't wake anyone in the house.  I would turn the radio on low and do any cleaning that could be done quietly.  Sitting on the back porch on cool summer nights was peaceful.  I had a mature Cherry Tree, Apple Tree and a small L shaped garden around the porch.  It wasn't visually appealing as all of my flowers were also - sleeping. 

I learned that not only is it possible to make a garden that is visible at night, but it is a popular gardening technique.  Moonlight Gardens can also be extremely fragrant.  Some flowers only release their fragrance at night.  Moths pollinate many of these types of flowers and some of them even bloom toward the moon.  Bats may also pollinate some of the night bloomers as well as they are drawn in by the scent.

A moonlight garden can be made for just about any region.  While many of the white flowering, night blooming varities are tropical almost any white flower can be used.  The trick is to use white flowers and mix them with bits of deep reds and blue florals.  These colors compliment the white and lighter shades of lavender, pink or light yellow that can be added.

Designers have made very elaborate night time gardens.  They are ideal for entertaining outdoors for parties, bar-b-ques, the ever-popular outdoor wedding or a romantic night alone with your hearts desire.