Introduction -Moon gardens are gardens with white flowers and silver shrubs that glow in the moonlight. Some blossoms open only at night while other blossoms are highly fragrant. If planned correctly, you can have a year-round Moon Garden, even in winter! It can be small or elaborate, with a trellis for climbing vines, small pathways, and seating areas. The main point is that it is your garden so pick flowers that you like. Don’t let a contractor or designer pick your plants.
Spring
Alyssum Snow Princess is a colder and heat-tolerant annual variety that can start blooming in spring and blooms all summer.
Aquilegia vulgatis Munstead White needs part shade and is a perennial in zones 3-9. It can grow 32″ high.
Crocus chryanthus Blue Pearl is a very light blue bulb that is hardy in zones 3-8. It needs sun or part sun and grows 4-6″
Dicentra spectabilis Alba is a delicate shade perennial that is hardy in zones 3-9. It can grow to 30″.
Datura wrightii is sometimes called the moonflower because it blooms at dusk and early morning. It is a perennial in zones 7-10 and grows 3 ‘x 3’.
Gardenia Swan Queen blooms in spring and re-blooms in summer. It is hardy in zones 6-11. Finally, a gardenia for the North!
Heuchera Stainless Steel is an evergreen perennial that has amazing silver leaves and white flowers in May. It is hardy in zones 4-9 and grows 12″ x 16″.
Hyacinths orientalis are bulbs that are hardy in zones 4-8, need sun, and are very fragrant.
Iris germanica Kick Start is a pure white flower that can grow to 3′. It blooms in spring and re-blooms in late summer.
Ipomoea Alba, or the white morning glory, is also considered to be the original moonflower. It is perennial in zones 8-10 and an annual in colder zones. This vine can grow 10′ and cover a trellis easily.
Narcissus trumpet Mount Hood, or white daffodils have large 5″ trumpet-shaped flowers that need sun and grow in zones 4-9.
Paeonia lactiflora Festiva Maxima has enormous blooms 5-6″ across. This bulb is hardy in zones 4-8 and is very fragrant.
Prunus x Snofozam is a dwarf white cherry tree growing to 15′ x 8′ in zones 5-8 and needs full sun.
Syringa vulgaris Nature’s Hills Choice is a dwarf 5′ x 5′ lilac tree that amazingly fragrant white blooms in spring
Tulip Ice Princess or Mount Hood. There are many varieties of white tulips that can range in different sizes. Most are hardy bulbs in zones 3-8.
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Summer
There are plenty of white-flowing plants in summer to choose from. I’m only listing the most popular varieties.
Astilbe Diamond has frothy white flower blooms in June and July and can grow 3′ in zones 4-8, It needs shade.
Artemisia ludoviciana is a bushy gray-leaved perennial growing in zones 4-9. It needs full sun, dry soil, and can grow 3′ x 3′.
Cerastium Silver Cloud is sometimes called snow in summer and is an evergreen ground cover growing 1′ x 1′. It does best in zones 3-7 with cool summers and has tiny white flowers covering the plant in May and June.
Delphiniums are large perennial plants with white flower stalks growing 4′ x 1′. They need fertile moist soil and sun.
Geraniums sanquineum album are hardy geraniums growing in zones 3-9 in sun. They bloom all summer.
Hydrangea arborenscens Annabelle is a deciduous shrub growing 3-5′ and has enormous 10″ blooms in zones 3-9.
Incrediball is a new variety with 12″blooms that don’t flop.
Jasmine officinale is a cold hardy jasmine that actually needs cold weather to bloom. It can grow as far north as zone 6. It is a vine growing to 25′ and blooms all summer through fall in full sun.
Jacobinia maritima or Senecio cineraria is commonly called dusty miller and is another gray shrub hardy in zones 8-10 or grown as an annual in cold climates.
Leucanthemum x superbum or Shasta daisy, flowers all summer to fall in zones 5-9, growing 3′ x 2′.
Lilium oriental Casa Blanca blooms midsummer in zones 3-8, growing 4′ tall and is very fragrant.
Nicotiana sylvestris Only The Lonely is an amazing annual growing 4′ to 6′ tall and has 2′ wide scented tubular white flowers.
Oenothera pallida is also known as the evening primrose as satiny fragrant flowers open in the evening and close in the morning. Some varieties bloom in spring while others bloom in summer. Perfect for a Moon Garden!
Phlox paniculata David blooms all summer in zones 3-9 and is a 3′ tall perennial that grows in sun.
Polianthes tuberosa The Pearl is a bulb that is hardy in zones 3-10. The 3′ tall blooms have a fragrance similar to honeysuckle and gardenia.
Rosa Iceberg. No Moon Garden would be complete without white honey-scented roses that bloom from summer to fall, in rich soil, this shrub variety will grow 4′ tall and wide. There is also a climbing variety with few thorns for trellises.
Stachys byzantina is also called lamb’s ears and has fuzzy gray leaves. It can grow as a ground cover in dry shade in zones 4-8. It only grows 4-6″ high but can spread 30″ wide.
Zantedeschia aethiopica Green Goddess is a stunning 3′ tall Calla Lilly growing in zones 8-10. In cold climates, it makes a great indoor plant.
Fall
There are several showy fall bloomers for a Moon Garden.
Aster symphyotrichum Bridal Veil. This shrub has arching branches with blooming white flowers from late summer to frost in zones 5-8. It can grow 2′ tall and spread 4′.
Anemone x hybrida Honerine Jobert is a great fall perennial growing 42″ x 24″ in zones 4-8. It has white blooms with a yellow eye.
Boltania asteroides Snowbank is a large perennial growing 4-5′ x 3′ in zones 3-8, and has daisy-like blooms. It needs full sun.
Camellia sasanqua Autumn Moon is a very popular evergreen shrub that grows slowly to 6′ in Zones 6-9. It blooms from October to November.
Chrysanthemum grandiflorum Odysseus is a common perennial fall-blooming plant that can grow 2′ in zones 5-9.
Clematis terniflora or sweet autumn clematis is a large vine growing 20 -30′ x 6′ in zones 5-9.
Sedum album or Autumn Blush stone crop has pinkish-white flowers in fall and can grow 20″ in rich soil in zones 5-10.
Winter
In winter, the evergreen backbone of the garden shines. Variegated shrubs, such as hollies, boxwood, and euonymus take center stage. There are some winter bloomers that can steal the spotlight.
Abeliophyllum distichum is often called white forsythia and has fragrant white blooms in February in zones 5-8 and can grow 5′ x 5′ in sun.
Camellia x williamsii China Clay blooms in late winter to early spring and is hardy in zones 7-9. It can grow 10′ high but needs shade.
Calluna vulgaris Lady in White or Heather blooms late summer through late winter in zones 5-8. This plant makes a great evergreen ground cover 1′ high x 2′ wide in full sun
Daphne odora or winter Daphne grows slowly to 5′ tall in zones 6-9. The fragrance of this shrub is legendary. Flowers may be light pink or white.
Erica x darleyensis or winter Heath blooms from December to April in zones 6-8 and needs sandy acidic soil and sun.
Gaultheria procumbens has variegated leaves that turn pink in winter. This small evergreen ground cover is sometimes called teaberry or boxberry and makes a great ground cover in zones 3-9. Each 10″ high plant can spread 4-6′.
Helleborus niger is often called the Christmas rose and blooms in December or sometimes New Year. This evergreen perennial can bloom in the snow! Growing 1′ high x 2′ wide in the shade, amaze your friends with this treasure. Zones 4-8.
Juniper squamata Blue Star. For some reason, blue foliage plants have been ignored in Moon Gardens. Blue junipers pair very well with white flowers during the day and take on a silvery glow in the moonlight. Blue star juniper grows 3′ x 4′ in zones 4-8 in full sun.
Picea pungens globosa is another very blue evergreen shrub that looks amazing in the moonlight. This shrub grows 4′ x 4′ in zones 3-7.
Rhododendron Christmas Cheer blooms from December to March with soft light pink flowers and slowly grows to 6′ in zones 7-9.
Conclusion
So, it is possible to have a year-round Moon Garden. Enjoy!