By Leslie Watkins

“It is the very error of the moon. She comes more near the earth than she was wont. And makes men mad.”— William Shakespeare, Othello

Extreme eccentricity, intermittent insanity related to phases of the moon, and an un-soundness of mind sufficient to incapacitate one for civil transactions, are descriptions of some gardeners (you know who you are). And sometimes it is this kind of behavior that drives gardeners away from civilization into the natural world to commune peacefully with plants. There is something to be said for wandering about the garden by moonlight. It helps us to see the grand design better. The dim light causes color and superfluous details to disappear into shadows and brings form and spatial presence to the fore.

Night Blooming Cereus, by Leslie Watkins © 2017

Moon gardens are created to be experienced especially at night. Many white-flowered and silver-foliaged plants appear to glow in the early evening and provide a wonderful escape for those returning home after a long day away. Lining pathways with pale plants can help to guide the way through the garden. Less visibility can heighten other senses such as scent, sound and touch. Some flowers release their fragrance at night to attract moths for pollination.

The bat-pollinated Night Blooming Cereus, also called Queen of the Night, (Selenicereus grandiflorus) opens its magnificent flowers just once a year and only for a few hours in darkness. Its blossoming event is the perfect excuse for night owls and friends to gather in the solarium and celebrate this extravagant botanical wonder. One blossom’s intoxicating fragrance is sufficient to scent an entire house. Another nighttime fragrant and spectacular plant is Brugmansia ‘”Cypress Gardens”, or Angel’s Trumpet. Grow Brugmansia in containers and overwinter while dormant in the basement, with minimal watering.

Moonflowers (Ipomoea alba) are tender twining plants in the morning glory family native to the tropics. The flowers are fragrant, white or pink, and four to six inches in diameter. They open in the evening and last throughout the night until sunrise. Sow night-scented stock (Matthiola longipetala) at three week intervals in late spring/early summer for a longer bloom period. Plants flower for about three weeks before they go to seed, and seed to flower is usually about six to eight weeks.

Planting by the phases of the moon is a technique ton which many people agree. Tests conducted in the 1950s indicated a strong lunar influence on planting times, something the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians believed and practiced. Plants store water in the fruit and crop times differently through the lunar cycle. That would be no surprise given the effects of the pull of the moon on tides. Police departments, prisons, asylums, and hospital wards all prepare for changes in activity as the moon cycles around planet earth. The moon was thought to affect human behavior because of its influence on the water content of the brain, but there is no scientific evidence to support this.

There are three main moon planting methods. The Synodic, or waxing and waning cycle, is a simple method that divides the lunar cycle into quarters. Basically, root crops are planted as the moon wanes and energy moves towards the earth’s core as in low oceanic tides. As the moon waxes, outwardly expanding leafy crops filled with moisture are planted just as the tides rise.

Rudolf Steiner’s Biodynamic cycle was developed in 1924. It is a method of planting using the 12 signs of the Zodiac as the moon passes through them. It also takes the pull of planets into account, particularly Venus and Saturn. The third method, the Sidereal cycle is similar to the Biodynamic cycle except it tracks the moon’s orbit around the earth to define the best times to sow and harvest.

Consider a taking a moonlight ramble to investigate the mysterious goings on, unusual sensations and slightly lunatic thoughts that only Luna can reveal.

Night Garden Plants

Mock Orange, Philadelphus coronarius
Buddleia Buddleja davidii ‘White Profusion’
Caryopteris x clandonensis
Eryngium giganteum ‘Silver Ghost’
Evening primrose, Oenothera sp.
Flowering tobacco, Nicotiana alata
Petunias
Verbena bonariensis
‘Casa Blanca’ Oriental lily
Lonicera ‘Graham Thomas’