With our busy schedules, we don't always have time to enjoy the fruits of our gardening labors during the daylight hours. So why not plant a garden that shines at night? Night-scented plants are often pollinated by moths and are usually white or pale in color. You can plant a night-blooming garden in a large container or in the ground. As always with container gardening, choose a pot with a drainage hole and use fresh, sterilized potting mix. Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) (figure A), a form of morning glory, is a tender perennial climber grown as an annual. Moonflowers provide quick cover for a trellis, an awning or a fence. The silky flowers are pure white, fragrant and as much as 6" across. They open in late afternoon but may open earlier on dark or overcast days. Seeds must be soaked or otherwise scarified before planting. Don't plant four o'clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) (figure B) if you don't want them forever. These perennials thrive in full sun, in any moderately fertile soil. Flowers are fragrant and come in red, pink, yellow and white--with several colors often present on the same plant. Four o'clocks bloom in late afternoon. Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) (figure C), a biennial or annual, can be quite invasive. Its yellow blooms open in the evening. Plants require full sun. The genus Nicotiana, or tobacco, includes ornamental species such as N. alata and N. sylvestris as well as various hybrids. The ornamental varieties are annuals or short-lived perennials grown as annuals. Contact with foliage may irritate skin. The genus Brugmansia (angels' trumpets) (figure D) includes five species of showy tender evergreen shrubs and trees often grown in pots in cold-winter climates. All parts of angels' trumpets are poisonous if ingested, so plants must be kept out of the reach of children and pets. Grow in full sun, and prune in early spring. The cuttings are easy to root in damp sand or water. Fertilize during the growing period for maximum flower production. The blooms of B. x candida are very fragrant at night. Plants with silver foliage, such as Dusty miller (Senecio cineraria), make good additions to moon gardens because their light-colored foliage shows up so well. The following plants are also good candidates for moon gardens: - Dame's rocket (Hesperis matronalis), an old-fashioned biennial, has a beautiful fragrance and self-sows readily.
- Night-scented stock (Matthiola bicornis), a hardy annual, grows to 12" high and has lavender and white flowers. Its exquisite scent is released at night.
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