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token28001

Moon garden

token28001
15 years ago

The moon garden forum appears to be dead. So I'm posting here.

What are some good plants for a moon garden? Right now I have common gardenias in the background, Hardy Kleim in the front since they're smaller, and a variegated gardenia that I bought last year.

Perennials: white obedient plant, casablance lily, ginger lily, and African Lily (dietes bicolor).

annuals: white petunias, datura inoxia, white nicotiana, giant red amaranth, dusty miller.

vines: confederate jasmine, moonvine.

I need some more fragrant plants. This garden area is just off the back porch. It's one of the few places I can sit in the evening without being eaten alive by mosquitos. White or dark red/black foliage is what I'm looking for.

Comments (24)

  • PRO
    Nell Jean
    15 years ago

    I have good notes somewhere for a moon garden. I'll post them later. One thing I meant to make for mine is stepping stones mosaiced in white tile bits so they show up in moonlight.

    Consider your petunias: they are fragrant at night; the closer to the species, the more fragrance. OTH, when it rains, they smell worse than a wet dog, any time of day. Nicotiana always smells good at night.

    Shrubs: Do you have room for a 'Little Gem' magnolia? Tea Olive? Philadelphus?

    Nell

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    15 years ago

    Would white phlox paniculata grow for you? It has a wonderful fragrance.

    Nancy.

  • pandorasgardens
    15 years ago

    Don't forget moon flower vine. The lovely large white blossoms are so huge and you can watch the blooms slowly spiral open after dusk.

  • token28001
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Nell, I have two fragrant tea olives back there already and what may be 3 rooted ones. I'm going to replace the leylands with these this spring.

    I also have mock orange that I've done root cuttings from. And white profusion butterfly bush.

  • kiddo_1
    15 years ago

    I, too, heartily recommend the moonflower vine. They are beautiful and practically glow in the dark. Night moths love them. I had them in my moon garden at my last house and always attracted attention on their trellis.
    Kris

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    15 years ago

    White foxgloves, brugmansias, campanulas, pinks, hollyhocks, snapdragons, monkshood and if you have a place to grow Clematis montana wilsonii smells like chocolate, a small flower but ohhhh that scent.

    Annette

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    15 years ago

    .....how could I forget these, white michaelmas daisies and shasta daisies. A

  • frogview00
    15 years ago

    Valerian

  • token28001
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Got moonvine seeds, white foxglove and earl grey larkspur. Also have shastas in the hoophouse from seeds planted this fall. I had forgotten about those.

    and two type of white brugs. Kongmansia and Ecuador White.

    Dianthus albus too. No white hollyhocks yet, but the seeds have been wintersown. Also have a black hollyhock that should bloom this year.

  • token28001
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Valerian. Looks a little like Queen Anne's Lace. I like it.

  • frogview00
    15 years ago

    token....we do not have a moon garden but we use Valerian for texture and fragrance (anise/honey) mixed with Tea roses. I can't smell Tea roses. It finishes bloom just as the datura starts to bloom which extends fragrance in the yard.
    No one has mentioned mums for Fall, or colchicum. Don't forget Fall.
    jim

  • PRO
    Nell Jean
    15 years ago

    Here's the notes I have on a moon garden, from 2006:

    This summer, a white crinum weÂd never seen before bloomed in what DH calls Âthe forest. Then I read this description, I think from the Chelsea Flower Show:
    Moonscape
    Designer: Kevin Randall
    Sponsor: Golden Days Nursery
    Award: Silver Gilt Medal
    "Kevin's garden reflects the mystery of the moon and moods created by the ever-changing sky. A contemplative garden where one can find peace and solitude while watching day turn to night. The colour scheme includes pale blue, purple, grey and black with highlights of white and silver to depict the effect of the moon in a dark sky. Some of the plants are night scented and night flowering."

    Existing Whites in this area:
    Crinum
    Camellia sasanqua
    C. Japonica
    Confederate Jasmine
    Gardenia

    Look at:
    Zantedaschia (black)
    *White Crape Myrtle outside boxwood
    Add hyacinths  white
    White violas in winter, white caladiums in summer, in pots for seasonal color?
    *White lilies  LA whites, Casa Blanca

    *Rose Campion and Persian Shield for the silver foliage
    *Purple Heart (setcreasea) -- purple foliage

    Look at :
    *White crape myrtle outside the boxwood
    Viola: Bowles Black?
    Ophiopogon planicapus "Ebony Knight"
    *Coclocasia esculenta "Black Magic"
    *Near Black Daylily "Dominic"

    * Existing plants elsewhere in the garden

    EOF

    Nell

  • token28001
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I've got a white camellia I'm trying to root now. It's not going so well. I have black pansy seeds, I think. And purple queen. Already wintersowed white crepe myrtle seeds. Hope they come true. They were the only crepe myrtles around there. Need to find white violas.

    Thanks Jim. I'll check into it. I've got datura inoxia that I plan to use as my filler this year until my perennials and shrubs, most from cuttings, get established. I hear it grows pretty fast here. lol

  • PRO
    Nell Jean
    15 years ago

    My white crape myrtles were seedlings from under Mrs. Gladys' white crapes. Only one was not white, being a pink.

    You can tell right away if they're going to be white. The white are fountain like, the pinks are more of a vase shape with upright branches, at least in this case. Even the leaves looked a little different.

    Crapes just need some evergreen shrubbery or green ground cover around them so they're interesting forms in the winter, rather than lonely bare sticks. Even some spiderwort will add green, and blue flowers spring and summer, if you've room.

    There are lots of dark leaved plants we haven't even mentioned.

    Nell

  • token28001
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    One thing I have is room. I can make this bed larger if I want to. Just need some cardboard, leaf mulch, and grass clippings. :)

  • mindysuewho
    15 years ago

    Four o'clocks have a delicate scent. I've had pink, yellow and red but just recently saw white ones in a seed catalog (can't remember which one.)

  • token28001
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Oh, I have white 4 oclocks. I saved the seed from white ones anyway. Don't know if they'll come true from seed or not. I tried to dig up the tubers for some white ones too, but they didn't make it past the drying stage. I left them outside too long.

  • flora_uk
    15 years ago

    This is not an idea I have come across but then we don't get many evenings warm enough to admire the garden by. I love Lilium regale - white flowers and wonderful perfume. Also pale flowered honeysuckles would be fragrant at night. Jasminum officianale???? Hesperis matronalis?? Evening primroses???

    As for gardenias - they are a distant dream over here. Really difficult and only possible under glass.

  • midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
    15 years ago

    Nell, there is also white spiderwort. It does have a small lavender bee, if that is important, but it is quite stunning!!

    Nancy - who has a bit of seed.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    15 years ago

    Nancy, I have that one I believe the variety name is Osprey, there is another all white one called Innocence. A

  • PRO
    Nell Jean
    15 years ago

    Tell me more about the white spiderworts. Are they less agressive than the species? The species seeds about here and is a thug. One clump will get the size of a washtub in two years.

    I divided a huge clump and spread it the entire length of one of my island beds for this reason: It stays green all winter. It blooms ahead of almost everything. It's a beautiful blue.

    {{gwi:633820}} When you open this thumbnail, spiderwort is behind the yellow lilies and in the background.

    The Downside: those clumps will have to be divided every now and then. It opens in shade; blooms close when the sun gets hot. After a couple months, those buds that have been opening one at a time (dayflower is a common name) have all finished. I cut it to the ground. It puts out again and starts over.

    Nell

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    15 years ago

    Nell Osprey behaves the same as my other spiderworts, they all increase in size each year but don't run amuck, the others I have are Rondeau Sapphire and Zwanenburg Blue one of these two blooms double at times, whichever is the paler of the two (lost the tags). Mine have never seeded around. I don't have the species to compare, so can't help there. I also bought Sweet Kate last year, love the contrast between flower and foliage.

    Annette

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    15 years ago

    Just going through my seeds and came across my Lunaria seeds, I have both the mauve flowering and white flowering with the variegated foliage. The white would be perfect for a moon garden. A

    Here is a link that might be useful: Lunaria

  • token28001
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Arghhh...I have the pink variety. How hard is it to mail seeds from Canada? LOL

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