Night Life: Lighting & Plant Ideas for Evenings in Your Garden

Most of us think about our gardens and outdoor spaces with a keen eye toward how they look during the day. This year, we’ve been thinking of more ways to make our gardens shine in the evening hours.

The first item to think about is outdoor lighting for your plants, and we’ve got several ideas for you to choose. Then there are the plants themselves to consider, and we have a list of those too. We refer to them as Moon Garden plants, and have chosen them specifically because they are gorgeous during the day, and have an enchanting glow at night.

Outdoor Lighting Ideas

Radiant Solar Globe Lanterns

Radiant Solar Globe Lantern - large, copper
These lights resemble traditional paper lanterns seen in Asian gardens, but are handmade of Tyvek™ with stainless steel hardware, making them durable and weather resistant. Hang them above larger stature plants and enjoy the show.

Tea House Lanterns

Tea House Lantern
Sleek, classic, and modern all at once, these handsome, sturdy lanterns are made of black galvanized steel and Mango wood. Bring them outdoors for garden strolls and evening meals al fresco.

Cretan Candle Lanterns

Cretan Candle Lantern
Each ceramic lantern is thrown by hand by artisans on the Greek island of Crete. It is made in 2 pieces: the bottom half holds a candle, and the top half functions as a dome. Both pieces are carefully detailed with round holes just under ½” in diameter that emit light. Use these to light up shorter plants.

 

Plants to Light Up Your Garden at Night

Hydrangea arborescens Incrediball®

Hydrangea arborescens Incrediball®
This incredibly hardy variety boasts amazing blooms (up to 12″ across) held on thick, sturdy stems that dont flop. Flowers progress from lime green to white and back to green. Gorgeous when lit from above with one of our hanging lanterns.

Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’

Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky'
From July to September, this old-time favorite for summer gardens becomes a living bouquet of huge (4″) daisies that stand 3–4′ tall. Even at this height, staking isn’t required, and its long, strong stems are excellent for cutting. The bright white flowers shine in the evening hours.

Rose Iceberg

Rose Iceberg
The double white flowers on this Floribunda are 3″ across and lightly fragrant, appearing in profusion in mid-June and then repeating steadily. Perfect for hedges or plant just one under a lamppost where you can enjoy their bright white flowers at night.

Reblooming Iris ‘Immortality’

Reblooming Iris 'Immortality'
If you’ve never grown a Reblooming Iris or have had mixed results with other varieties, we suggest you try ‘Immortality,’ for it rarely disappoints. After mounting a good show in June, this sweetly fragrant beauty produces a second crop of pristine white flowers in late summer almost every year and in almost every climate (it even reblooms in Zone 4). ‘Immortality’ is a feature of our Moon Garden at the nursery.