Imagine enjoying a starry and fragrant night in the garden of shadow and moonlight. As daylight pollinators are settling down to rest, night pollinators appear for a feeding fest. Night pollinators are drawn by the eerie charm of pale flowers blooming at night. Many people only think of gardens as something to enjoy during the daylight, but moon gardens can be enjoyed during the night and attract night pollinators such as nectar feeding bats and moths. Night pollinators are attracted to the lighter colored and heavily fragrant flowers of night blooming plants like evening primrose and cacti, such as the saguaro. Moon gardens can also attract insects that will invite insect feeding bats.
Sadly moonflower as a type of morning glory has a lot of distaste amongst the community as an invasive plant, else I would recommend that as one option with making a moon garden. Jasmine flowers are similarly beautiful though being traditionally associated with the full-moon’s light, and my bias towards gardenia as it is such a beautiful and potent spiritual plant.
Do you grow jasmine or gardenia? I’d have my nose in those flowers every day!
Buttonbush and rattlesnake master both have spherical white flower clusters that look moonlike. Elderberry too having huge white clustered blooms. Mountain mint is another favorite of mine with fragrant, silvery leaves and white flowers.
