The Mysterious Moon Garden

Hello!

Have you heard of a moon garden? If you haven’t heard of one, a moon garden is to be enjoyed at night by the moonlight. A moon garden is made up of plants of white and light colored blooms, that will open at night and shine with the moonlight.

Since I can’t start gardening yet. I have been planning for different garden projects that I want to do this spring. One of them is a moon garden, even if its just a small one. I think it would be pretty at the Simongetti North. When the skies are clear the moon shines bright.

Moon Garden Design

When planning your moon garden design, find a place where you can enjoy the moon garden and have access to it at night. A moon garden can be large or small, it’s up to you. A moon garden is usually in a place where you can see it from an outdoor sitting area like a porch or patio, or even a large window to see from indoors.

Finding the best place for your moon garden, you might want to spend some nights outside when the moon is out to see where the moon is shining the most. The object is to not make the garden bed look dark. It should light up with the moonlight. Also consider how the moon casts shadows, by adding uniquely shaped plants will look awesome in the moonlight shadows.

When designing any garden, don’t be afraid to use trees, bushes, shrubs and grasses. You can also add items like a gazing ball, solar lighting, white rocks or glow in the dark rocks, glow in the dark pots, to add more interest and pop to your moon garden design. I have listed some flowers for a moon garden.

Early Spring Blossoms

• Azaleas and rhododendrons – Cascade Azalea – Zone 5 – 9, Partial Shade, 3′ tall, spreads 4′ to 6′, has white and yellow flowers. Find an Azalea or Rhododendron that is white or light colors that works for your hardiness zone.
• Bleeding heart – Zone 3 – 9, Full Shade to Part Shade, can have some sun, 24″ to 26″ tall, spreads 18 to 30 inches. There are pink, white and white varieties. You would want the white for a moon garden.
• Bulb plants
  • White daffodils – Zone 4 – 8, Full Sun to Partial Shade, plant in the fall, bloom in the spring.
  • White tulips – Zone 3 – 8, Full Sun or Partial Shade, plant in the fall, bloom in the spring.
• Creeping phlox – Zone 5 – 9. Full Sun to Partial Shade, 6″ to 12″ tall and 9″ to 18″ wide. Purple, pink and white flowers
• Fothergilla – Zone 5 – 8, Full Sun to Partial Shade, 3′ to 5′ tall, these bloom on last years’ growth, prune when dormant. White Flowers like bottle brushes and has a slight licorice smell.
• Magnolia trees with white flowers, such as Royal Star Magnolia – Zone 4 – 9, Full Sun to Partial Shade, 10′ to 20′ Tall, has white flowers. Magnolia Butterflies – Zone 4 – 9. Partial Shade, 3′ tall and spread 4′ to 6′ wide. Has Canary yellow blossoms.
• Snowdrops – Zone 4 to 9. Full Sun to Partial Shade, Plant bulbs 2 to 3 inches deep, Plant in the fall, with groupings up to 25 bulbs. These are very small flowers, for an awesome spring display.

Companion bulbs for moon garden, woodland or rock garden

 

• Glory of the Snow – Zone 4 – 9, Variety of colors, light pink, blue, lavender or white flowers
• Crocus – Zone 3 – 8, Variety of colors, Purple, Lavender, Orange, Yellow, Blue, White and Cream Flowers
• Winter Aconite – Zone 3 – 7, Bright Yellow Flowers
• Adonis Flower – Zone 3 – 7, Yellow Flowers

Mid-Spring to Early Summer Blossoms

• Candytuft – Zone 4 – 8, Full Sun to Partial Shade, 12″ to 18″ tall, white or pink blossoms
• Climbing hydrangea – Zone 4 – 8, Partial Shade to Full Shade, 30′ to 50′ tall Vine, 5′ to 6′ wide. Vines get heavy, make sure the structure you let them climb is strong. Recommended to not have them climb any part of your house. White flowers.
• Doublefile viburnum – Zone 5 – 8, Full Sun to Part Shade, 8′ to 16′ tall and 12′ to 15′ wide, White Flowers.
• Dwarf Deutzia – Zone 5 – 8, Full Sun, 24″ tall and spreads 5′ wide. Double White Cluster Blossoms for Late Spring, and the fall the leaves turn a burgundy color, for some nice fall color.
• Foxglove – Zone 4 – 10, Full Sun, Part Sun or Part Shade, 2′ to 5′ tall and 1′ to 2′ wide, Variety of colors, Pink, Purple, Red, White and Yellow. Get the White for the moon garden.
• Japanese dogwood trees
• Wolf Eyes Dogwood – Zone 5 – 8, Full Sun to Part Shade, 15′ Tall – Flowers are white tinged with pink.
• Yellow-Twig Dogwood – Zone 3 – 8, Full Sun to Part Shade, 5′ to 8′ Tall, White flowers, and some varieties fruits to attract birds.
• Mountain laurel shrubs – Zone 4 – 9, Part Shade but can tolerate Full Sun, 5′ to 15′ tall, Variety of colors, Rose, Pink, and White. Blooms may have purple markings.
• Mock Orange – Zone 4 – 8, Full Sun to Part Shade, Many varieties from 4′ to 8′ tall, White flowers that resemble orange blossoms. Bloom time is short about a week or two.

• Queen Anne’s lace – Zone 3 – 9, Full Sun to Partial Shade, Up to 4′ Tall, this is also known as a wild carrot and can be used as a substitute for carrots. White lace flowers

• Shasta daisy – Zone 5 – 9, Full Sun, 3′ to 4′ Tall, and 2′ to 3′ Wide, White flower with a yellow middle.
• Snow in Summer – Zone 3 – 7, Full Sun, 6′ to 12′ tall and 9′ to 12′ wide, White Flowers
• Sweet alyssum – Zone up to 8 as an annual, Zone 9 – 11 as perennial, Full Sun to Partial Shade, 4″ to 6″ tall and spreads 6″ to 9″ ground covering, No deadheading but give sweet alyssum a haircut with scissors when they get leggy, remove 1/2 of the growth. This promotes flowering and more compact to the ground
• Yarrow – Zone 3 to 8, Full Sun, 3′ tall and spread 2′ wide. Variety of colors, White, Yellow, Pink and Red. White or Yellow for the moon garden.

Summer to Fall Blossoms

False dragonhead – Zone 3 – 10, Full Sun to Partial Shade, Flowers come in White, Pink, and Lavender with long spikes.Garden Phlox, Nora Leigh – Zone 4 – 8, Full to Partial Sun, 24″ to 36″ tall, and Spread about 20″ wide, cluster flowers that are deep-pink in the center with light-pink edges, very petite little flowers.
Montauk Daisy – Zone 5 – 9, Full Sun, 18″ to 36″, and spread about the same, White petals with green center disk flowers
Mums – Zone 5 – 9, Full Sun, 2′ to 3′ tall and 1′ to 2′ wide, Variety of Colors, Cream, White, Yellow, Lavender, Pink, Purple, Red, Burgundy and Gold.
Sweet Autumn Clematis – Zone 5 – 9, Full Sun to Part Shade, 15′ to 30′ tall, Cream white flowers.

Flowers that Blossom at Night

• Angel’s Trumpet – Zone 8 – 10, Full Sun, 6′ to 20′ tall, Opens fully at night, with an amazing scent when opened
• Fragrant Evening Primrose – Zone 4 – 9, Full Sun to Partial Shade, 3′ to 5′ tall and 2′ to 3′ wide, Yellow flowers that open at night.
• Moonflower – Zone 10 – 12 as Perennial, Otherwise Annual, Full Sun, 10′ to 15′ Vine, 3′ to 6′ wide, Flower White and Purple
• Night Blooming Jasmine – Zone 9 thru 11, Partial to Full Sun, 8′ to 10′ tall and 3′ wide. The small tubular flowers open at night that are very fragrant.

Most Fragrant Blossoms for Moon Garden

• Bearded Iris – Zone 3 – 9, Full Sun, 12″ to 40″ tall and spread 1′ to 2′ feet, variety of colors, White, Yellow, Pink, Blue, Purple, Orange, Red, Brown and Black
• Common Lilac Bushes – Zone 3 – 7, Full Sun, 8′ to 15′ tall and 6′ to 12′ wide, Variety of colors, White, Lilac, Lavender-Blue, Burgundy, and Deep Purple.
• Easter Lilies – Zone 5 – 8 depending on variety, and colors
• Korean Spice Viburnum – Zone 4 – 7, Full Sun to Partial Shade, 6′ Tall and Wide, White Flowers
• Peonies – Zone 2 – 9, Full Sun, unless Zone 8 & 9 use Partial Shade, 2′ to 3′ tall, Variety of colors
• Roses – Zone 4 – 9 depending on variety, Full Sun, some will grow in partial shade, Plant Roses at least 3 feet apart for good airflow, Lots of colors too chose from but too many to list. For a moon garden go with white and soft yellow colors.

Moon Garden Foliage

• Artemisia – Zone 4 – 10, depending on variety, Full Sun, 8″ to 5′ tall depending on variety, White and yellow flowers, blooms in August and September.
• Dusty Miller – Zone 8 – 10, other zones is an annual, Full Sun, 6′ to 18′ tall, Yellow flowers
• Lamb’s Ear – Zone 4 – 7, Full Sun to Partial Shade, 12″ to 18″ tall, 12′ wide, Bloom time Summer with yellow flowers
• Variegated Euonymus – Zone 6 – 9, Full Sun, 1′ to 2′ tall, and 1′ wide, Evergreen shrub
• Variegated Hosta – Zone 3 – 8, Morning and Later afternoon sun, there are many varieties, for a moon garden you would want a white or yellow in the leaves.

Happy Planting!

As you can see there are many moon garden design ideas. The plants listed are just some to get you started and thinking about what you would want to plant for your moon garden. When picking your plants, make sure you pick for each blooming part of the season; early spring, mid spring to summer, early summer to fall, so the moon garden is always with fresh flowers.

Don’t forget to add other interests to your moon garden design, like solar lights, a sitting area, or glow in the dark rocks or pots. You could add a circle type arbor or a moon gate for the moonflowers to climb on, the picture has roses but you could put any white climbing flowers for your moon garden design. Creating a moon garden, looks like a lot of fun to me.

Check out my reviews for Ordering Gardening Seeds Online or Order Live Plants Online.

Cheers!

Chris