Night Gardening
 by Amber S.


"Moss-Covered Stairs" by Michael Boys

Planting night-blooming plants in your garden will allow beautiful blooms both night and day. These flowers have a beautiful scent and will bloom at night. Plant them amongst your other plants in the garden and you will be able to enjoy your day-blooming plants during the day and your night-blooming plants after dark. Many animals such as bats and some moths are attracted to night-blooming plants. By learning which plants these animals are attracted to, you can discover a wider variety of plants to choose from.

Angel's Trumpet - angel's trumpet gives off a spicy scent at night.

Datura - Datura is poisonous, so don't keep it where there may be children or pets. Datura is bushy and will produce large white trumpets that give off a lovely nighttime scent.

Evening primrose - A beautiful aroma wafts from the giant yellow flowers. Evening primrose are closed by day and open at night to tingle the senses.

Evening-scented stock - This little purple flower exudes a light, spicy scent during the summer, though it opens only after sunset.

Four o'clocks - Like its namesake, these flowers open in late afternoon of late summer.

Moonflower - a relative of the morning glory, climbing moon flower plants produce fragrant, white, 4-6 inch flowers that unfurl after dark.

Nicotiana - A fragrant annual whose scent is more intense at night. Has pink, red or white flowers.

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Lanterns will also beautify your garden at night. Chinese lanterns are made of paper and are easy to construct if you wish to make your own. You can make tin can lanterns to hang outside and they will withstand the weather very well if you poke two holes in the bottom to allow rainwater to drain out. Chinese stone lanterns can serve as a statue during the day and a lantern at night. Use tea-lites in lanterns so they do not drip wax. These are easily changed out and will not ruin your lantern, or buy electric lanterns. There are also a variety of solar lanterns on the market that store energy all during the day and give off a soft blue or white light all night long.