An Evening Garden

This article was originally published on May 10, 2012 and expired on June 30, 2012. It is provided here for archival purposes and may contain dated information.

Gardens are often best enjoyed in the evening as a calming refuge after a day of work.

"Why not plan and plant for this time of day?" said University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Martha Smith. "Choose a garden site that is easily viewed from a comfortable spot, such as your favorite chair on your deck or a rocker on a porch."

Colors are important for an evening garden. Select plants that will give the best show from 6 p.m. until nightfall and beyond. Dark, cool colors such as purple and deep blue will be lost at dusk, but light colors will take on a luminescent quality.

White, cream, or yellow will pop out. Pale pinks and blues also work but should be placed adjacent to lighter colors or against white fencing to accent the contrast.

Perennials will come in and out of bloom according to the season. Smith suggests choosing spring, summer, and fall bloomers to ensure a continuous flow of color.

"For white flowers, consider tall garden phlox, oriental lily, Shasta daisy, spring anemone, baby's breath, Euphorbia corollata, boltonia, tulip, daffodil, bleeding heart, or gas plant," she said. "Soft yellows or creams can be found in 'Moonbeam' coreopsis, 'Creme Brulee' coreopsis, daylily, hollyhock, fall mums, or columbine."

Annuals will bloom all season and fill those in-between times when the perennials are not at their peak. Alyssum, impatiens, petunias, geraniums, verbena, cosmos, or spider plant offer light colors that will shine in the low evening light.

Don't forget foliage color, Smith added.

"Stay away from burgundy foliage as well as plain dark green," she said. "Introduce silver foliage with artemesia, dusty miller, lambs ear, or yarrow. Yellow foliage will really shine with plants such as hosta, barberry, veronica, caryopteris, or coleus."

Chartreuse foliage is also popular. Look for more introductions boasting this lime color, such as the 'Marguerita' sweet potato vine. Foliage with variegations of white or gold also works well.

One last feature to think about for an evening garden is fragrance.

"Spring-blooming hyacinth, night-blooming stock, sweet pea, carnation, peony, or nicotiana all will add a delicate scent to your garden," Smith said. "Herbs are also great for fragrance."

Creeping thyme underfoot or a rosemary plant within reach to pinch for a fresh jolt of fragrance are great additions to the evening garden. For added entertainment, moon vine (Ipomoea alba) has large, fragrant white flowers that open in the evening and attract night pollinators.

Source: Martha A. Smith, Extension Educator, Horticulture, smithma@illinois.edu

Pull date: June 30, 2012