I did.

{{gwi:692986}}

I've decided I don't care for it. Next year, I plan to move it to a better location, if I do it at all. I think a fragrant garden in that corner is a better idea. That gives me more choices for plants.

I'm not sure if I have one or not! LOL I've never tried to take pics at night altho have lots of white shastas, feverfew, lamb's ears, and dusty miller. Might show up on a night pic. I'll have to try.

I read the other thread and wondered why people use black flowers in a moon garden. Do they show up at all at night?

So many of the suggested plants are not hardy here. Has anyone in a colder climate tried a moon garden? Which flowers do you use?

Really like your moon garden Token. I used to have one years ago, planted under some old apple trees in the orchard. The white gooseneck loosestrife is still growing down there, but has spread quite a bit of course and a bit of white phlox is there still. Now that had to be over 20yrs ago! I'm trying to remember what else I planted, but can't recall; but I know whenever there was a full moon it was gorgeous and mysterious looking.

I think the black flowers are for shadows, Lucky, especially for daytime interest. Silver plants like Dusty Miller and Licorice Plant are good, too.

I've intended for several years to make a Moon Garden next to my carport where I don't have to brave the snaky wilds farther out. I think I have an idea that might work for next year. Meanwhile, I must put night blooming cereus on the carport ledge. I need to move them so I don't miss the next blossoms which will be soon. I missed the last ones for not paying closer attention because they're in an out of the way spot.

Nell

You can't really see it in my photo, but I have lots of dark purple and red plants, mostly foliage plants. I did it because I wanted something for interest during the day, like Nell mentioned. Otherwise, it would just be a white flower bed. The castor beans worked really well. Purple queen will make a bigger impact next year. Hopefully the roses will come back.

I'm not completely turned off by the idea of continuing a moon garden, but I should have paid more attention to the needs of the plants, rather than their attributes. And it would help to have it near something I can sit on at night.

Nell, I completely understand about the snakes. I've seen too many in my yard to venture across the grass at night. All my stones have given them too many nooks and crannies.

Well, guess this night photography thing needs some work! Caught the sunset but the white/silver plants don't show overly well. Oh well, back to the drawing board. I like the idea of a moon garden, will have to research that. And the photography.

A moon garden wouldn't be of much use to me since I can't break the old habit of getting up around 3-4 AM and going to bed almost before dark! We had the dairy too many years I guess.

I've often thought I'd like a moon garden right outside my bedroom window where I can see it while I'm using the computer. I don't like to sit outside on summer nights because of the mosquitoes.

Would there be any point in making one on the west side of the house under a huge tree, where moon light probably won't reach the ground? The moon rises in the east and sets in the west . . . right? I suppose I could use artificial lighting.

Token, the moon garden is delightful and so is your photography! WAY cool!

How about adding some tall white phlox (I'm really loving my Davids just now). Now only would they extend the glow upward, they smell nice and are gorgeous during the day, too.

A moon garden in the location you describe, TL, might have impatiens, white caladiums, gingers, and a host of other shade lovers. Enough light shines from the light over my kitchen sink to illuminate the ground outside. You might experiment with lamp placement and white plants in pots to see how white flowers in that location would work.

Creative Staring in the Dark -- a new garden concept.

Lucky Gal's garden glass reflects the light. Has anybody used mirrors in a night garden, or white stepping stones?

Nell

Well treelover has given me my next project - a moon garden right outside the bedroom window. The moon light shines very brightly there.

luckygal, your British Columbia sunset makes my heart sing. Great of you to share it.
Pat

For photography, I use the night time setting and put the camera on immovable objects. Then I still had to brighten them in photoshop. They sky should have been dark in those photos. So don't think I'm a master, I just have tools at my disposal. :)

I love to see white (and pale yellow) flowers in the night. They glow like lightening bugs.

When I created the fragrance garden, I chose white flowering fragrant plants -- sweet bay magnolia, august beauty gardenia, confederate jasmine, white butterfly ginger. However, they don't all bloom at once, so I don't get the "moon garden" effect. In the evening though, the fragrance is heavenly.

I recently messed with the white flower color theme after pulling out variegated ligustrum. I planted lavender, agastache and salvia in an orange and purple color scheme in the bed along the house. Why these plants? The foliage is fragrant and helps keep the snakes from coming up along there.

Cameron

Token, lovely job!!

I've never had a moon garden per se, but I always plant tall white nicotiana somewhere or other. Not only does it glow under moonlight, but its fragrance simply pours out over the garden at night, covering quite an area.

I had a moon garden summer of 08 and still have some remanants of it. For some reason, I wasn't crazy about it. I think this might be b/c I tend to enjoy my garden more during the day when the mosquitos aren't so bad. Here is what I planted:
Tuberose-the pearl-lovely and it's actually coming back this year.
Moonflower-I enjoyed this the most, but found out it is illegal for me to grow here.
White Heliotrope-loved this, too.
Shooting Star Gardenia in a pot-I killed it.
Veronica-the fairy
Echinacea-Fragrant Angel
New Dawn and Moondance Roses
Silver Moon Clematis
white petunias, geraniums, euphorbia, dusty miller, and alyssum.

I learned an important lesson about not getting carried away choosing plants for their names! :)

Oh, Roselane, what a wonderful new thread that would make, about choosing (or not choosing) plants for their names.

Nell

There are always way too many mosquitoes out to truly go out and enjoy a moon garden here. Plus, since I have one main garden area, it needs to look good all the time. But, I did make sure to include a fair amount of white and lavender flowers, so it looks good from inside the house at night. The white flowers include boltonia, shasta daisies (tho mainly on the side you can't see well from inside), bridalwreath spirea, white dianthus (greystone?), and white cosmos.

I made a Moon Garden 30+ years ago out of necessity!

When I moved to Vermont and couldn't afford to live in town, I rented a barely winterized 'summer camp' in the Lake Champlain Islands. (Heat tape on the water supply. That was then, price-wise, sigh...)

A great place to skinny-dip on sultry summer nights; my little dock was too far from the house for lights to reach. I planted lots of Dusty Miller and white Zinnias to line the path and everyone found their way safely. Wish I'd had a digital camera back then.

Since that time, we're agreed that fragrance has more importance at night than during the day? Have y'all tried Mignonette? Annual, easy from seed, kinda ratty looking, but short. Easily tucked behind anything 8" tall and heavenly scented.

~Ana

Who thinks luckygal captured sunset perfectly!

Just found this and I'm wondering if everyone still has their moon gardens? Any changes?

I'm thinking of adding more white plants for some evening interest, but I'll probably put some in each garden. I'm thinking of growing moon flowers on an arbor with two benches. White petunias and white alyssum would be nice. Maybe white geraniums, too. It's in my kitchen garden, but I need more flowers in that area :)

Token- Beautiful moon garden.

Luckygal- Gorgeous sunset...with the silhouette of the pine trees.

I had, in late January through early March, a moon garden around my back door in Maryland. A 15' X 7' stand of leatherleaf mahonia with glorious sprays of pale yellow flowers that, with the back porch light reflecting off them, floated above the dark foliage. A glorious sight to come home to on winter nights.

I moved mine. It's now located along the corner of the driveway, but it's not completely white. It's filled with datura, four o'clocks, perilla, nicotiana, and petunias. Some pink and orange seeds were scattered here and there for a little color. I have no idea what color four o'clocks I planted. It should be in bloom in another month. The rain of the past week has really made things shoot up.

{{gwi:384322}}

Luckygal, I think your picture is amazing! All that is needed is a nice little bench or glider there at the bottom of the picture and you would have a perfect place to sit in the late evening, cocktail in hand, to watch the sun set and then enjoy the beauty of your garden. How lovely it is.

Token, I really liked your moon garden's location and thought that a few white Christmas twinkle lights would have given a nice up-lighting effect. But you were too fast and moved it already LOL! It will be lovely there by the door where you can pull up a chair and enjoy the night sounds of your garden as well as the moon catching flowers. I'm amazed every time I see your garden pics at how quickly you have built and planted this garden. It's is really looking good this year!

Love everyone's pictures! I don't have a moon garden, but I did plant moonflower vine in two places by my porch. I'm an insomniac, and one of my favorite things to do when I can't sleep on a warm night is to go out and sit on my front porch on one of the rockers. It is very peaceful. I can't wait 'til I have those lovely moonflowers with their legendary fragrance to keep me company.

Lisa

Beautiful gardens! I don't have a moon garden but I would like to add more whites in - it is so beautiful at night. I do have moonflowers and right now a gorgeous white clematis that is beautiful in the night lights.

tina