Night-blooming garden

[Antau LJn]

Has anyone ever had a night-blooming garden? It is something I have thought much about. If you have done this will you share your experiences? What were your challenges? What was "no problem" to do?

I visualize a very small pond in the center, almost birdbath size, with the plants around it, and a small meandering path leading through them to the pond. I'm thinking that visiting the garden during a full or half moon would be very, very awesome!

The night-blooming plants I've seen seem to have white blossoms. Are there other colors, do you know?

I understand that ultra-violet light shows patterns that sunlight does not show. What I don't know is if the light at night does the same thing.

 

[taskeinc]

Create your own moonlit, Night Blooming Garden with the following plants:

1. Cleome hassleriana ‘White Queen’
2. Athyrium ‘Ghost’ - painted fern
3. Thunbergia alata ‘White-Eyed Susie’ (black-eyed-Susan vine)
4. Centaurea cineraria ‘Colchester White’ (dusty miller)
5. Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Silver Queen’ (snake-plant)
6. Angelonia angustifolia ‘Cart White’
7. Arundo donax ‘Variegata’ (striped giant reed)
8. Salvia argentea (silver sage)
9. Nassella tenuissima (white tussock)
10. Cleome hassleriana ‘White Queen’

Source: aliveplants.blogspot.com

 

[Antau LJn]

Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm saving that list - and I'm going to check out that website, too.

Have you had experience with night-blooming gardens?

 

[taskeinc]

Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm saving that list - and I'm going to check out that website, too.

Have you had experience with night-blooming gardens?

Not really, I've never actually tried it ... when you asked the initial question, I did some research, then I added my findings to my blog about plants .. aliveplants.blogspot.com, and posted my research to my blog and then to this forum. I've seen the effects of plants - indoor and outdoor - blooming at night because I'll go to bed when a plant has not bloomed, wake up the next morning and it has bloomed overnight, I suppose that's the same thing, but I'm not familiar with plants that only bloom at night.

There is a blooming cacti or cactus, in the desert that blooms at night, specifically for coned-nosed bats to help bats that migrate over a long, vast, desert, to survive their trip.. saw this on the documentary called, "Planet Earth" ..

 

[zigs]

Evening Primrose.

 

[happyflowerlady]

One of the plants that I just love is the Moonflower Vine. It is easy to grow, and the fragrance is totally awesome ! They have a stunning white flower that almost looks like it is made of silk, and they open in the late afternoon. They actually remind me of a Morning Glory,as far as size and shape of the flower, and the leaves look like green hearts. You can save the seeds and start them every year.
I plant them anywhere that there is a fence or trellis they can climb on, and they will spread very fast along the fence with beautiful, luminous white blossoms.

 

[taskeinc]

The Moonflower Vine is definitely a gorgeous plant. It's what would be recognized as an award-winning plant, especially if you can keep it diseased free and looking as healthy as that one looks. Spring is here and it's time to get the gardens going, and this would be a prized possession in any garden.

 

[graythumb]

How about a night blooming jasmine?

 

[taskeinc]

Night-blooming jasmines bloom in warm weather and at night. It's not a real pretty plant but it's known for its fragrance. I've read where they are a good addition to a butterfly garden because the fragrance attracts butterflies. I've had butterfly gardens before, the flowers are colorful and lovely, but not only do they attract butterflies, but you're going to have your share of bees as well. One of the many things that capture my attention is the fact that, all the different insects that benefit from this type of garden, including the amazing, fascinating humming bird, they all seem to get along with each other.

 

[Antau LJn]

Plants for night-blooming gardens:


Cleome hassleriana ‘White Queen’
Athyrium ‘Ghost’ - painted fern
Thunbergia alata ‘White-Eyed Susie’ (black-eyed-Susan vine)
Centaurea cineraria ‘Colchester White’ (dusty miller)
Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Silver Queen’ (snake-plant)
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Cart White’
Arundo donax ‘Variegata’ (striped giant reed)
Salvia argentea (silver sage)
Nassella tenuissima (white tussock)
Cleome hassleriana ‘White Queen’
Evening Primrose
Moonflower Vine
Night-blooming Jasmine

Did I get them all thus far?

 

[taskeinc]

Plants for night-blooming gardens:


Cleome hassleriana ‘White Queen’
Athyrium ‘Ghost’ - painted fern
Thunbergia alata ‘White-Eyed Susie’ (black-eyed-Susan vine)
Centaurea cineraria ‘Colchester White’ (dusty miller)
Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Silver Queen’ (snake-plant)
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Cart White’
Arundo donax ‘Variegata’ (striped giant reed)
Salvia argentea (silver sage)
Nassella tenuissima (white tussock)
Cleome hassleriana ‘White Queen’
Evening Primrose
Moonflower Vine
Night-blooming Jasmine

Did I get them all thus far?

You got the one's that have been mentioned. With the diversity of plants and flowers, even night-blooming ones, it's far too many, we've probably not even scratched the surface. One of the things I love about horticulture and gardening, is the diversity. I've not tried combining outdoor plants but many of my indoor plants I've created hybrids by combining 3 or more plants in the same pot. One such plant is about 7 years old, most are vine-like plants, about 5 feet in length (I prune the plant to keep it about an inch from the floor, which helps it to grow thicker), and I have combined 5 different types of plants in one large pot. I'm hoping that, as the plant gets older, one or two of the plants will combine to create a new plant species. The plant grows extremely fast and the next time I re-pot her, I will use a large plastic container with rollers on the bottom (a plastic trash container). When I need to water the plant, I can just roll it to my front porch, water it, allow the water to drain, then roll it back inside. There are so many variations of philodendrons, so many variations of orchids, and so many more plant species, I think it's very possible that one day I'll see a totally different type of growth, a new species. I'll then give it a name, and market it to the local gardeners.

OK, maybe I'm getting a little farfetched, maybe taking this too far, I just woke up from a nap.. LOL

 

[happyflowerlady]

It is not really just a night blooming plant, but the honeysuckle is blooming on my back porch right now, and the smell is just incredible, anytime, night or day. I think if you wanted a plant by a deck or somewhere that you would be close to it at night, that honeysuckle should definitely be on your list of sweet smelling flowers. I love mine so well, that I am going to see if I can get a start of it, and put it outside my bedroom window, so I can smell it when the weather is nice and I have that windows open.

 

[taskeinc]

I love mine so well, that I am going to see if I can get a start of it, and put it outside my bedroom window, so I can smell it when the weather is nice and I have that windows open.

That's a great idea "HappyFlowerLady", I just might have to borrow that particular idea because I have 3 windows in my bedroom. I can place those pots with the moss-like bottom, outside my windows and have gorgeous, hanging honeysuckle plants. Like the image below, minus the chickens.. (of course, if I were given the chickens I would not turn them down because in a short period of time, each one would end up golden-brown, served up with fries and coleslaw) .. LOL..

 

[fruitedplain]

Evening Primrose.

Growing up, my neighbor had a huge garden with many Evening Primrose plants. In the summer, her husband would ring an old dinner bell around 8:45 and half the neighborhood would come over and watch them bloom. What can I say, apparently we were easily amused in the 70s

 

[Antau LJn]

It is not really just a night blooming plant, but the honeysuckle is blooming on my back porch right now, and the smell is just incredible, anytime, night or day. I think if you wanted a plant by a deck or somewhere that you would be close to it at night, that honeysuckle should definitely be on your list of sweet smelling flowers. I love mine so well, that I am going to see if I can get a start of it, and put it outside my bedroom window, so I can smell it when the weather is nice and I have that windows open.

I LOVE the smell of honeysuckle. It and lilacs are my favorite smell in a flower.