Hot summer evenings are the perfect time to linger in a garden. Some plants, such as Asiatic jasmine (
Trachelospermum asiaticum
), waft their perfume wonderfully at night, spreading their sweetness.
To start planning an evening garden, think first of your favorite fragrant plants, then of location. If the garden is exposed to the western sun, consider a spot with partial shade for the night garden. Other elements to include are light-colored flowers, variegated foliage, water, a place to sit and lighting. Grasses add movement as they catch the breeze.
The smallest yard can still have a spot for evening enjoyment, on a deck, porch or small terrace. There's no reason you can't have an evening garden in containers.
Here are some plants to consider for a night garden.
Scented plants:
Brugmansia
(angel's trumpet)
Buddleja
(butterfly bush)
Calla lilies
Daphne caucasica
Geraniums, scented (
Pelargonium
)
Heliotrope, white forms
Lilies, white Asiatic or Oriental such as 'Casa Blanca'
Nicotiana sylvestris
(flowering tobacco)
Phlox paniculata
'Norah Leigh' (variegated phlox)
Rosa
'Gertrude Jekyll'
Trachelospermum asiaticum
and T.
jasminoides
(star jasmine) (for sheltered locations)
Vitis
(edible grapes)
Light-colored plants:
Anemone hybrida
'Whirlwind' (Japanese anemone, many white hybrids)
Phygelius
'Moonraker' (Cape fuchsia)
Salix integra
'Hakuro Nishiki' (variegated willow)
Weigela
'Briant Rubridor'
Grasses:
Stipa gigantea
(giant feather grass)
Miscanthus sinensis
'Morning Light'
Elymus magellanicus
(Magellan's blue grass)
Trees:
Acer japonicum
(Japanese maple)
Styrax japonicus
(Japanese snowbell)
Albizia julibrissin
(silk tree)
-- Homes & Gardens staff
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