A moonlit garden brightens shortening days
It is a little disheartening to watch the sun set earlier each evening as we say goodbye to summer, don't you agree? So brighten the dusk (and your mood) by including more plants with white flowers or silver foliage. They light up the garden in moonlight.
Sweet autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata) is a vigorously growing vine for the walls of your moonlit garden. It displays small pure white flowers from late August into October, almost completely covering the shiny green leaves. It grows up to 20 feet tall so make sure it has plenty of room and a strong support. Unlike most other types of clematis, sweet autumn clematis will bloom beautifully in gardens with part shade conditions.
Evergreens provide a dark backdrop for moonlit flowers. Choose arborvitaes for sunny gardens, yews for shady spots.
Shrubs with white and green variegated foliage also capture moon rays. Ivory Halo tatarian dogwood (Cornus alba Ivory Halo) grows quickly to 6 feet tall and shows off its dark green leaves edged in white until they turn reddish-purple later in fall. It is adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions.
Flowers in an evening garden shine like stars in the night sky. Japanese anemones flaunt their yellow-centered, open-faced flowers beginning in late summer. Honorine Jobert parades pure white petals. It grows 3 feet tall and thrives in a lightly shaded garden.
If your garden is sunny, let Snowbank, or Boltonia asteroids, sparkle toward the back of the border. It grows 4 to 5 feet tall and its fine-textured foliage is blanketed with lacy, white daisylike flowers from late summer to early fall.
Silver-foliaged perennials provide a soft glow in evening light. English lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia) and Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) may be nearing the end of their bloom time, but their silvery foliage is illuminated by moonlight. English lavender offers a number of lovely cultivars, but Phenomenal is, well, phenomenal. It grows up to 32 inches tall and wide and is an exceptional performer in a sunny, well-drained garden. Russian sage prefers the same growing conditions. Its gray-green leaves grow on 4-foot, silver stems.
The genus Artemesia gives us plenty of silvery varieties. Give them average, well-drained soil in a spot with full sun. Powis Castle is a fine-textured, bushy plant that grows 2 to 3 feet tall and spreads slowly by rhizomes. Valerie Finnis is a bit smaller, growing 18 to 24 inches tall, and features narrow leaves. Silver Mound is smaller still — just a foot tall and twice as wide — with soft, very fine foliage. Both are clump-forming and stay where they are planted.
Silvery foliage can provide a moonlit glow in shady gardens, too. Japanese painted ferns (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum) boast silvery-green arching fronds washed with burgundy. Plants grow 18 inches tall and slightly wider. Athyrium Ghost grows a bit larger and its silvery-gray fronds are stiffly upright.
Brunnera Jack Frost flashes silver leaves highlighted with green margins and veining. Its charming, blue, spring flowers are long gone, but the foliage remains to brighten the front of a shady border.
Grow lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) at the front of a sunny border. It is often chosen for its velvety soft, silvery leaves. Plant a cultivar like Helen von Stein, which spreads more politely than similar species that can become a garden thug. Plants grow 18 inches tall and perform best in well-drained soil in full sun to light shade.
Fill any remaining open spaces with white-blooming annuals. Alyssum has tiny white flowers that offer the sweetest perfume. Pansies and mums are available with white blooms. The leaves of dusty miller add a touch of silver. Tuck some into containers sporting the latest fall colors to catch some moonbeams on your deck or patio, too.
• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist, garden writer and speaker. She blogs at gardenwithdiana.com.