glow in the dark

with the oppressive humidity of august behind us, i have been set on spending some time outside. our backyard is a work in progress and recently i was thinking about an article that i saw in real simple a while back about gardens that look great after sunset. i'm feeling inspired...in case you are too, here are some tips from the article:

How to Plant an Evening Garden
Location: Before you pick a spot, observe the moon’s path for several nights and note where it is least obstructed by trees and casts the fewest shadows. Peacefulness is paramount, so be sure to keep a safe distance from neighbors.

What to plant: To ensure the greatest nocturnal visibility, settle on a palette of pale petals and foliage that really stands out at night. Try cleome, fragrant nicotiana (flowering tobacco), ‘White Wave’ petunias, angels’ trumpets, and sweet alyssum.

The layout: Plant the front edge of the garden bed with low ground covers. In the middle, use plants that stand between 12 and 24 inches tall. Anchor the back of the garden with plants that are at least two feet high. (Read plant tags to check their height specs.) Make sure soil and light are adequate: To do their job in the evening hours, these plants need good growing conditions during the day.

Location: If you would rather use pots or other containers for your evening garden, you can arrange them anywhere.

What to plant: Most nighttime plants, especially annuals, are suited to container gardening. Be sparing in your use of aromatic blooms (a little fragrance goes a long way), and put some distance between them. Try cleome (spider flower), green-and-white caladium, chartreuse bacopa, white cosmos, and vanilla-scented white heliotrope.

The layout: As with a standard evening garden, you’ll want to vary the heights of the plants to create visual interest. Settle on a mix of attractive containers in different shapes, sizes, and materials. Black and dark-colored pots accentuate plant colors at night and make the blooms look as if they’re floating.

(words + photos via)