A moon garden has many names. Some call it a twilight garden, an evening garden, a night garden, a moonlight garden, or even a dream garden. The general idea is that it is a type of garden designed to be enjoyed at dusk and nighttime. Flowers that open at night, fragrant flowers, and light-colored vegetation are key components. In the Southwest, we can add plants that attract night pollinators, adding sound of fluttering wings to the mix.

Enjoy the Cool of Night

Moon garden concept makes sense in the Southwest summer. Who wants to sit outside in the garden when the sun is blazing down at 110F?! The problem with this is that you need to water and care for your garden all year long, so it’s a real shame you can’t enjoy it all year long.    The solution?    Consider adding a “moon garden.” 

Moon Gardens are not a new concept. They have been grown down through the ages, around the world. Surviving poetry and art tell us of people strolling in the garden at night in ancient China, Japan, in Persia, and later in Spain, France, Britain. Mind you, most of the poetry was about romantic assignations, but that just the poetry. The outdoors is to be enjoyed at night!

When to Plant

It is lovely to sit outside and enjoy the cooler air of night time. Many years ago, in a print publication, I wrote about Moon gardening in October. There were some grumbles from the audience. “Why not tell us in summer?!”

Answer: Because summer is the worse time to plant most of the plants for the moon garden. October it is ideal time to plant the plants!

But I do listen to reader questions, so now, over a decade later, I am talking about a moon garden in Summer – so you can start planning. Plan now – and then plant in the cooler months. Plant in the autumn so your plants will have a chance to become established, and your moon garden will be ready to delight you next summer.

Simple or Fancy?

A moon garden can be fancy or simple.    The idea is to add plants to your landscape that will increase your enjoyment of the space anytime after the sun goes down, whether the moon is out or not.    You create a space to go outside, sit down, and let the cool air and slower pace of a desert night seep into your soul.    To truly appreciate it, you have to let the worries of the day fade for at least 10 minutes while your eyes adjust to the dark.    Pale colors will glimmer in the moonlight, and light-colored flowers appear to float as their darker stems fade in the dusk.    Since your sense of sight is diminished, your sense of smell becomes more acute.

Add Fragrance

There are many fragrant plants, including many of our desert natives, as well as imported plants like lavender and lemongrass. Some garden writers dismiss the idea because, they say, “you have to rub the plants to release the scent.” Not entirely accurate. You need to sit down, relax, and take some time to smell the air around you. The scents are there but they are faint. When it is not about seeing, your other senses (scent, hearing) will be more heeded by your brain.

Plants for Your Moon Garden

One plant that blooms at night is the Arizona official “State Wildflower,” the saguaro cactus.    But since planting a saguaro and waiting for it to bloom requires a lengthy time frame, let’s look at some other plants you can plant this year. I am going to start with a few this week, to introduce the topic. There will be more plants in the next post.

White Flowers

Evening primrose come in a number of species, and their blooms last well into the day. These low growing groundcovers can be tucked in all around the garden: tufted evening primrose (Oenothera caespitosa), Arizona evening primrose, (O. hookerii), and the spring primrose (O. primiveris). Fragrance is somewhat akin to jasmine.

Datura is a summer annual wildflower that fills the night with a sweet and musky fragrance that attacts the giant hummingbird moths to pollinate them.    The plants have large dusky green leaves, and they appear to survive on rainfall alone, a real plus in my book.    There are a number of species including:    Wright’s datura (Datura wrightii), desert thorn-apple (D. discolor), and oakleaf datura (D. quercifolia).  My best discription of the fragrance is musky and honey sweet. No do not eat these.  They can unalive you or your pets.  More on Pet Friendly Landscapes.

Night Flying Pollinators

Cacti of many shapes and sizes bloom at night, including the locally famous Arizona queen of the night (Peniocereus greggii). Look for the huge white blooms sometime in late May or June.    A number of night-blooming cacti also provide edible fruit, including: serpent cactus (Peniocereus serpentinus), vanilla cactus (Selenicereus grandiflorus), harrisia (Harrisia martinii), Peruvian applecactus (Cereus peruvianus) and dragonfruit (Hylocereus undatus).  Since the pollinators of these cacti are mostly bats, the fragrance is mostly musky. 

Silvery Foliage

Shrubs with silvery leaves that gleam in the moonlight, the aloysias I wrote about recently bloom honey-sweet at night, and linger into the day, attracting butterflies.    Related to lemon verbena, the vanilla scented white bush (Aloysia lycioides) and oreganillo (A. wrightii) are both native to the Southwest. Aloysia are very fragrant! 

Moon Garden – Part II focuses on silvery foliage plants.

Moon Garden is Not Just Plants

In addition to plants, one of the most important components of a moon garden is a place to sit and enjoy your garden.    Bench or chair, edge of the garden or center of it – there is no right or wrong; just make sure seating is comfortable.

Consider even adding a fire feature. This article can help get you started. 

There is no specific design for a moon garden.    You can start small, add a few night blooming plants and some relaxing seating.    As time goes by and you use your moon garden, add to it.    Create a yard you can enjoy every day of the year, and all 24 hours of the day.

Too Many Lights!

Astronomers have been warning of too much light from cities at least as far back as the 1950’s. The movement began in the Southwest, with towns like Flagstaff and Tucson raising awareness due to their nearby observatories that were being impacted by nearby city lights. Later ecologists noticed that wild animals, and most recently bird migrations, were being impacted as well. Human doctors have also started warning of the impacts of light pollution on human sleep cycles and productivity.

Many different groups worked on the light pollution problem and tried to raise public awareness. Then, in 1988, the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) officially began. To further spread the news, they started awarding certifications, recognizing first Flagstaff, then later Tucson for their efforts in outdoor lighting policy and street light retrofits, and naming them “Dark Sky Cities,” now called Urban Night Sky Places. Note that the certifications can be lost, as Pima County is about to allow to happen to the Tucson area.

Dark Sky Efforts

Over time, the IDA working with many different groups, cities, and researchers has developed best practices in the management of outdoor lighting. There are now also International Dark Sky Parks, Reserves, and Sanctuaries, as well as the Urban Night Sky Places.

One of the tenets of the IDA is, “The night sky and nocturnal environment are naturally, culturally, and historically important resources worthy of conservation.”

Similarly, the International Astronomical Union recommends that “to safeguard the right of any citizen to enjoy the vision of the starred sky, national and local governments [should] establish a suitable number of ‘Dark Sky Oases’ and protect them from excessive artificial light at night.”

Some cities are famously lit up at night. Yes, I’m talking about you Las Vegas. Sorry Las Vegas readers, your moon garden may be overshadowed. And WTF Mexico City! If you go outside at night there you have enough light to read a book. Talk about light pollution.

Enjoy the Evening

Night time is a truly magical time in our Southwestern summers.    As the blazing sun sinks below the horizon and the air begins to cool down, a number of desert plants open their flowers, drenching the night air with alluring fragrances, enticing the night-flying pollinators.    This makes sense!    Why let the searing sun evaporate your nectar when there are ample night time pollinators at your beck and call?

More in this Book

The Month By Month Guide offers tips for all of your landscape (yes even vines) in every month of the year.  I have a few copies left and am offering them to you – my loyal readers. When you buy from me you get a signed copy!

From the review:

“A great reference book is key to successful gardening in the region where you live. Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico Month-by-Month Gardening takes the guesswork out of gardening for anyone residing in the Southwest. With this book, you’ll know what to do each month to enjoy a thriving garden all year, from January to December. Chronologically organized, this guide is full of critical gardening when-to and how-to advice, along with illustrated step-by-step instructions.”

“The book’s author is Jacqueline Soule, a Tucson-based gardening expert. She knows this arid region inside and out, and she’s written several articles and books packed with her gardening advice. Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico Month-by-Month Gardening showcases Soule’s expertise in one easy-to-read guide.”

Profits from the sale of this book go to the Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.   Recent price increase, due to the US Postal Service price increase in July 2024.  It is now $30.

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