Brilliant, Vivid Moonlit Gardens for Tepid Summer Nights

With the right plants, you can make your garden come to life even after the sun goes down. While we mostly think of enjoying gardens as a daytime activity, there are a variety of plants and landscape design elements that can be incorporated into gardens to make them just as vivid and awe-inspiring at night as they are in the sparkling sun. Imagine having your very own moonlit garden to enjoy while dining al fresco, hosting an elegant soiree, or simply taking a nighttime stroll.

Here are some of our favorite moonlit garden design ideas.

• White flowers and other light-colored blooms reflect light beautifully, so they gleam in the last rays of twilight, dim light, and moonlight. Flowers including geraniums, hydrangeas, tulips and roses that come in pale varieties of yellow, purple and blue flowers also reflect light well.
• Climbing plants with light blossoms like the white star-shaped flowers of Clematis ‘Sweet Autumn’ can reflect moonlight from trellises, pergolas, gazebos and exterior walls.
• Grasses with white margins like Carex ‘Ice Dance’ or Pennisetum ‘Skyrocket’ create a stunning effect as they subtly radiate  moonlight.
• Make light flowers pop even more by creating a dark backdrop of lush foliage. Leafy ground cover and other greenery can pair well with low-lying plants while dark hedges or shrubbery are perfect amidst taller plants like lilies.
• Silvery and lustrous gray plants like Lamb’s Ear ‘silver carpet’, Silver Feather, Artemisia, licorice plant or Dusty Miller will glimmer in the moonlight and are great as ground cover or in pots or hanging baskets. Other silvery white foliage of Looking Glass or Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ will also look luminous in the moonlight.
• Opt for pathways made of crushed granite or beached pebbles which will naturally illuminate and twinkle in the moonlight.
• Add to the enchantment with decorative accents like a mirrored gazing ball, paper lanterns, or string lights.

From big and beautiful heart-shaped Caladiums to ‘White Perfection’ and ‘Eternal Snow’ dahlias, there are endless flowers with icy white, ivory, pearl, cream and eggshell hues that look stunning at night under the gorgeous glow of the moon. And let’s not forget the infinite pale-colored plant varieties.

If you’re looking for a little help designing a custom moonlit garden, our passionate team of gardening and horticulture experts would love to help! Contact us online or by calling 404.231.3889 to learn more about our services and to schedule your design consultation.