My favorite time to enjoy my gardens and yard is at dusk. Without the sun’s rays, I can really enjoy the truer colors, shapes and even smells of all that nature has to offer. I love the way certain colors start popping out that would have gone unnoticed during the sunnier parts of the day. I also enjoy being outside after dark, especially having dinner under my beloved old apple tree. (I actually have a 65 year old black and white photograph of this tree when it was already a few years old with a young girl dancing beside it in a pair of her mother’s high heels)
I am going to show some ways that I make my gardens more enjoyable for viewing during dusk and dark. This includes colors, smells, lights, objects and water. Pretty much all of my photographs were taken either at dusk or night.
a bit of nighttime sounds to set the mood (turn your volume way up)
My favorite color in the garden is green as I am more a foliage type guy but I do love white in a bloom. And white is the number one color to use for nighttime enjoyment with moon-flowers being at the top of the list.
You can almost see them opening right before your eyes
all types of white flowers will pop at night
notice how the white geraniums shine especially with the white birch branches as backup.
and it is even possible to enjoy white flowers from inside at night, like these French lilacs
that peep into my first floor windows and even the second floor too!
Their smell is intoxicating with an opened window.
There are other color choices, as well, like these various shades of grey and tan
and even some light yellows
Lights are an important element
this 1960s garden light on a spike is one of my favorite buys from the flea market. Not only does it light up the base of the tree and the hostas but also highlights the branches further up
If I am outside after dark, I turn on porch and flood lights
and candles are especially nice while eating dinner
candles in a wooden Maine crate that was originally
used to grow herb seedlings in square terracotta pots really lights up the night
I like the way that interior lights also draw the eye
someone threw some fireworks into the fire pit (do not try this at home)
it was used for not only firewood ambiance but to also grill hot dogs and marshmallows
until its bottom rusted out.
a full moon especially helps to lighten up the night
I love the reflections that water provides at night
I do have a water fountain but did not include a photo
because it’s been put up until the house painters are finished
All types of garden artwork also help from seashells to concrete balls
Use your imagination - clover shines and my rabbits love it so they leave my other plants alone
and even large puffs of pollen from cotton wood trees highlight the path to the compost pile
I go outside for a short walk around my yard just about every night throughout all four seasons
so from inside it’s a double bonus to also enjoy the lights that outline plants during the winter
and if you get a black cat, make sure he has a bit of white so you can see him,
especially going to the bathroom late at night.
I am so sorry Kenny Jose. It hurts for you to look at me like that.
I hope I’ve provided a little bit of food for thought to make your nighttime shadows come alive!
There are many sites that have recommendations for moon gardens.
Pinterest has 1,000 ideas about night gardens
I live in Connecticut so our summer season is shorter than most parts of the country plus I work full time. So the main thing is being able to extend my outside enjoyment for as long as possible into the evenings and night.
so how does your garden glow?