Top 10 Plants for Night Gardens
Turn your garden into a magical place when the sun goes down with clever planting
If you think gardens are places that can only be enjoyed during the daytime, think again. Evenings in the garden can be just as lovely if you use the right plants and throw in some outdoor lighting as well. As the light fades a well-planned night garden takes on a new dimension. The flowers of some plants, such as the moonflower, slowly open at night, while other blooms glow softly in the moonlight, adding an ethereal beauty to your garden. Others wait until nightfall to exude exotic perfumes. There are many different plants suitable for night gardens. Here are my top 10 favourites to get you started.
2. Flowering tobacco
If you’re after a real king-hit of perfume in the summer evenings, you can’t beat flowering tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris), also known as jasmine tobacco. This perennial produces its sweetly scented blooms in late summer, attracting pollinating moths to the garden. There are several flowering tobacco cultivars available, some more scented than others. Plant in fertile, moist, but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade.
GARDENER’S TIP: Although it’s classed as perennial because it doesn’t live very long, nicotiana is usually grown as an annual and replaced every year.
If you’re after a real king-hit of perfume in the summer evenings, you can’t beat flowering tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris), also known as jasmine tobacco. This perennial produces its sweetly scented blooms in late summer, attracting pollinating moths to the garden. There are several flowering tobacco cultivars available, some more scented than others. Plant in fertile, moist, but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade.
GARDENER’S TIP: Although it’s classed as perennial because it doesn’t live very long, nicotiana is usually grown as an annual and replaced every year.
3. Angel’s trumpet
The tropical scent of angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia) is at its most intense in the evening. This evergreen shrub or small tree produces large trumpet-shaped white flowers through summer and autumn. It’s frost tender so is often grown in containers in colder areas. Plant in a sunny spot and water regularly during the warmer months.
GARDENER’S TIP: All parts of brugmansia (formerly known as Datura) are poisonous, so plant out of reach of children.
The tropical scent of angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia) is at its most intense in the evening. This evergreen shrub or small tree produces large trumpet-shaped white flowers through summer and autumn. It’s frost tender so is often grown in containers in colder areas. Plant in a sunny spot and water regularly during the warmer months.
GARDENER’S TIP: All parts of brugmansia (formerly known as Datura) are poisonous, so plant out of reach of children.
4. Petunias
Usually grown for their beautiful blooms, petunias wait until night when their favourite pollinators are on the wing to release their most powerful fragrance (although some are lightly perfumed during the day too). Petunias are both annual and perennial plants that love the sun. However, they do best when soil is not allowed to dry out (particularly important for containers and window boxes) and when plants are fed regularly.
GARDENER’S TIP: As new petunia cultivars are being bred all the time, talk to your favourite nursery or garden centre about those with the best scent.
So your garden style is: cottage
Usually grown for their beautiful blooms, petunias wait until night when their favourite pollinators are on the wing to release their most powerful fragrance (although some are lightly perfumed during the day too). Petunias are both annual and perennial plants that love the sun. However, they do best when soil is not allowed to dry out (particularly important for containers and window boxes) and when plants are fed regularly.
GARDENER’S TIP: As new petunia cultivars are being bred all the time, talk to your favourite nursery or garden centre about those with the best scent.
So your garden style is: cottage
5. White Japanese wisteria
White-flowering plants are an essential component of the night garden. Combine white blooms with scent as well and you’ve got a winner. Like all members of the Wisteria genus, Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda ‘Issai Perfect’) is sweetly scented, but the added bonus is the serene glow of its stunning white flowers in the evening light. These frost-hardy climbing plants are deciduous, preferring a sunny position and fertile, well-drained soil.
GARDENER’S TIP: Whether you grow the white varieties or traditional mauve wisteria, try planting against a north-facing wall so its scent will linger well into the night.
White-flowering plants are an essential component of the night garden. Combine white blooms with scent as well and you’ve got a winner. Like all members of the Wisteria genus, Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda ‘Issai Perfect’) is sweetly scented, but the added bonus is the serene glow of its stunning white flowers in the evening light. These frost-hardy climbing plants are deciduous, preferring a sunny position and fertile, well-drained soil.
GARDENER’S TIP: Whether you grow the white varieties or traditional mauve wisteria, try planting against a north-facing wall so its scent will linger well into the night.
6. Chilean jasmine
Another scented climber with eye-catching white blooms is Chilean jasmine (Mandevilla laxa). This Argentinian native produces funnel-shaped flowers with a gardenia-like perfume all summer, and beyond if conditions are right. Warmth, sunshine free-draining fertile soil are essential.
GARDENER’S TIP: Chilean jasmine thrives in containers so plant in pots around your outdoor areas so its perfume can be enjoyed all evening.
Another scented climber with eye-catching white blooms is Chilean jasmine (Mandevilla laxa). This Argentinian native produces funnel-shaped flowers with a gardenia-like perfume all summer, and beyond if conditions are right. Warmth, sunshine free-draining fertile soil are essential.
GARDENER’S TIP: Chilean jasmine thrives in containers so plant in pots around your outdoor areas so its perfume can be enjoyed all evening.
7. Phlox
Soft colours like mauve, blue and pink take on a ethereal glow in the night garden. Phlox, a cottage garden favourite, is prized for its pastel-coloured blooms and an unmistakeable scent that is released in the evening. Phlox are flowering annuals and perennials that come in many sizes, from mat-forming and dwarf varieties to taller border plants over a metre high.
GARDENER’S TIP: Plant in pots in outdoor areas to catch its scent and also near your vegetable garden as phlox attracts pollinating bees, butterflies and many beneficial insects, such as lacewings and ladybirds.
Soft colours like mauve, blue and pink take on a ethereal glow in the night garden. Phlox, a cottage garden favourite, is prized for its pastel-coloured blooms and an unmistakeable scent that is released in the evening. Phlox are flowering annuals and perennials that come in many sizes, from mat-forming and dwarf varieties to taller border plants over a metre high.
GARDENER’S TIP: Plant in pots in outdoor areas to catch its scent and also near your vegetable garden as phlox attracts pollinating bees, butterflies and many beneficial insects, such as lacewings and ladybirds.
8. Astelia
Silver-leaved plants like New Zealand native Astelia species have a luminous quality at night, beautifully complementing white and pastel blooms. Astelia banksii and Astelia chathamica are the two most commonly grown species in the genus, with new silver-striped cultivars coming on all the time. Most prefer free-draining soil and will grow in full sun or part shade.
See more gardens that thrive in full sun
Silver-leaved plants like New Zealand native Astelia species have a luminous quality at night, beautifully complementing white and pastel blooms. Astelia banksii and Astelia chathamica are the two most commonly grown species in the genus, with new silver-striped cultivars coming on all the time. Most prefer free-draining soil and will grow in full sun or part shade.
See more gardens that thrive in full sun
9. Variegated hostas
Variegated plants like this Hosta play a similar role at night to those with silvery foliage, reflecting light around the garden. Within the hosta genus there are many, many different variegated forms as well as those with silvery grey foliage, making these deciduous perennials ideal for mass planting under trees in the night garden. They love part to full shade, are hardy to frost, and prefer moist but well-drained soil.
GARDENER’S TIP: The downside of hostas is they’re the favourite fodder of snails and other gastropods. Keep the bait handy.
Variegated plants like this Hosta play a similar role at night to those with silvery foliage, reflecting light around the garden. Within the hosta genus there are many, many different variegated forms as well as those with silvery grey foliage, making these deciduous perennials ideal for mass planting under trees in the night garden. They love part to full shade, are hardy to frost, and prefer moist but well-drained soil.
GARDENER’S TIP: The downside of hostas is they’re the favourite fodder of snails and other gastropods. Keep the bait handy.
10. Pulmonaria
Also known as lungwort, Pulmonaria are grown for their distinctive variegated leaves often spotted with white. When grouped as shown with silvery Artemisia, the effect in a moonlit garden can be delightful. Frost-hardy Pulmonaria prefers shade with moist, well-drained soil.
GARDENER’S TIP: Try planting these clumping perennials as a ground cover in shady areas of your night garden.
YOUR SAY
What have you planted to create a moon garden? Share your tips in the Comments.
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Also known as lungwort, Pulmonaria are grown for their distinctive variegated leaves often spotted with white. When grouped as shown with silvery Artemisia, the effect in a moonlit garden can be delightful. Frost-hardy Pulmonaria prefers shade with moist, well-drained soil.
GARDENER’S TIP: Try planting these clumping perennials as a ground cover in shady areas of your night garden.
YOUR SAY
What have you planted to create a moon garden? Share your tips in the Comments.
MORE
Browse more garden photos
The exotic moonflower (Ipomoea alba) has large, tubular white flowers that in summer open at night, filling the air with a divine fragrance. Related to the morning glory, moonflower is an evergreen annual climbing plant with soft stems that is often grown from seed in spring. Many gardeners train moonflower up trellises, arbours and fences to provide summer blooms and scent. Frost tender, it likes well-drained, fertile soil and plenty of sun.
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