Special Feature — The Classic White Garden
Evening Gardens: Creating by Heather Prince
As we seek accessible escapes in our own back-
yards, evening or moon gardens have become increasingly popular. They are also a unique way to offer clients relaxing spaces that are easy to upsell with furniture, lighting, water features, and accents. As you consider adding evening gardens to your portfolio, think about going beyond white-flowering plants to provide a private, immersive experience. Steeped in garden history, one of the earliest moon gardens was the Mehtab Bagh, built in 1652 as a moonlit pleasure garden across the river from the Taj Mahal in India. Modern evening or white gardens first reached U.S. shores with Benjamin Poore’s 1833 white garden in Massachusetts. It featured 700-foot-long borders that were 14 feet deep and filled with all sorts of white flowers. The most storied white garden, however, is likely Sissinghurst Castle in England where writer Vita Sackville-West created an intimate garden of white and silver in the 1950s. Examples are scattered throughout public and private gardens today, and as the farmhouse trend continues, have become once again popular. As client needs evolve, outdoor spaces are often increasingly smaller. Evening gardens can take nearly any form. From a deck or patio to the garden bed that greets you when you step out of the car to a container on the porch, styles may be formal or informal, depending on client tastes. Mix in white stone, pale concrete, or light decking to create easy wayfinding or focal points once the sun sets. A white bench set off with hydrangeas and white-blooming annuals can become an evening destination. An eclectic corner of lanterns may be dressed up with a white and silver combination in a pale grey urn. Evening gardens can be wonderful ways to explore creativity with a more limited plant palette.
Elements of an Evening Garden Light
As the sun goes down, the subtle light of dusk takes the stage. Capture the moonlight with reflective surfaces, water, and elements that almost glow in the dark. In a rural or suburban setting where dark skies are accessible, embrace the light from moon and stars. In urban settings in more built environments, small moments of light can set the scene. If the setting can’t experience moonlight, strategic lighting can create the feel of a romantic escape. The goal of an evening garden is serenity, so consider low mood lighting, outdoor candles, lan-
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terns, and solar powered accents instead of bright party lights. Mirrored elements, bird baths, and still ponds reflect twinkles of light. Plant choices could include silver foliage, white bark, and white flowers.
Texture
With limited light, the other senses heighten. Look for textures to help set the mood. Soft fabrics, curtains, and pillows can be romantic and cozy. Velvety foliage that is brushed or easily reached not only reflects light, but encourages you to reach out and experience the plants. Plus, many fuzzy leaves are also fragrant when lightly bruised.
Fragrance
Layer in richness with fragrant plants. Many night-blooming plants are also fragrant and can perfume the garden. There are many flowers that bring fragrance from day into night and solve design issues in tight spaces. Fragrant plants can be annuals, herbs, perennials, shrubs or trees. You can tuck them into containers or use them as a destination. Some plants will bloom all season like jasmine, and some will offer a short time of sensational fragrance like fragrant viburnum. Place scented flowers strategically so that their perfume may be enjoyed up close or be caught on a breeze.
Sound
If our goal with an evening garden is to take away the stresses of the day and create a private respite, sometimes sound can be an important element. Ornamental grasses whisper on the wind. A wind chime can anchor an experience. Outdoor speakers can bring music to the space. Also consider your materials choices. Pea gravel, crushed stone, or decomposed granite bring their own element to the soundscape when walked upon.
Water
Water also may add a sound element with the splashing of a fountain or the music of a waterfall. Moving water can be a creative sound screen for a busy road or close neighbors and transport us to a peaceful oasis. Water also reflects, allowing those Italian lights or candles extra brilliance. There’s something inherently calming about the sound of water, even if it’s a tabletop bubbler.
The Landscape Contractor May 2021
