Planting for a scent-sational night garden
Many of us spend the daytime in our garden, enjoying the blooms and wildlife during the sunny months. But have you considered what happens in the garden once the sun goes down?
Your outdoor space goes on an entirely different journey with night-scented plants changing your entire experience of the garden. Night scented plants enhance the sensory pleasure of your garden, with the blooms glistening under the stars, bringing it to life and allowing you to connect with nature in an entirely different way.
Some plants are also pollinated by night time insects like moths, who are attracted by the scent, and the flowers providing them with nectar rich food. A scented night garden can be grown in a small pot to sit on an outdoor table, or in larger containers or borders to bring sweet perfume to an evening patio.
We take a look at some of the best aromatic plants, how to position them so they really elevate your both your night garden and your senses.
Fill with fragrance
Dianthus
Dianthus, also known pinks, is a lovely fragrant perennial which can be used as a low floral addition at front of the border or in containers. They come in pink, white and red flowers and provide an enriching and spicy scent that pollinators love. As they are compact plants, they can be the perfect addition to pots due to their small size so can be accommodated in even the tiniest plot.
Evening Primrose
As the name suggests, this little flower comes to life at the end of the day. The bright yellow flowers unfurl open at dusk to make this sweet-smelling perennial a showstopping addition to your night garden. It can also be found in in shades of white and pink. The strong perfume and large flowers of the evening primrose attract moths that then carry pollen between plants.
Hesperis
Hesperis or sweet rocket, has stunning purple or pink starlike flowers and enchants with violet-like fragrance in the evening. A cottage garden favourite, it is popular with the bees and is ideal in mixed borders or containers. The elegant spikes for blooms can be 30+cm tall, so will stand majestic in your display and act as a focal point in your night garden.
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is a scented plant during the day but also attracts pollinating moths to its sweet scent at night. Its intoxicating perfume is best enjoyed in a container with the plant used to soften a trellis, fence or pergola so its scent wafts in the wind. Coming in warm colours of dark pink or golden white, honeysuckle s a vigorous semi-evergreen climber that gives your night garden structure and visual interest.
Nicotiana
The night-scented tobacco plant is a fragrant garden gem and a long-flowering annual. Majestic and mysterious, its large clusters of tubular flowers are night performers sending forth a wonderful lily-like fragrance in the evening, through the night until the sun begins to rise again. Its strongly scented flowers come in pink, red, lilac, mauve creating colourful spires of magnificent blooms during the day.
Phlox
Night phlox is a compact alpine that produce masses of pretty little snowflake like flowers that open fully in the evening, emitting a sweet heady fragrance. Ideal for a pathway or container, plant in a social spot where you and your guests can take in the aroma. The fragrance builds up as the day goes on and reaches a high at dusk making it great for evening barbecues or light night drinks.
Stocks
Night stocks produce a delightful evening fragrance from deliciously scented, lilac flowers which open in the evening. A favourite of cottage gardeners, its clove-like fragrance adds a new dimension to your garden and comes in a wide variety of colours and heights to suit any setting from borders to containers.
Trachelospermum
There is no aroma more intoxicating than from a trachelospermum, more commonly known as Jasmine. It’s delicate and sweet with gorgeous star shaped flowers that can add a touch of colour to the garden when nothing else is flowering. Great climbers, they can be used to cover up a shed or fence, or placed on a trellis by your back door so its heady fragrance can be experienced from your home.
Creating the perfect garden spot
Our range of stylish planters, luxurious furniture and soft warm glow lighting will make a night garden that comes alive under starlight.
Bring the scent closer to you, by planting in troughs, pots and containers that can be moved around your garden or yard to bring the plants closer to your senses. Containers are a good idea because you can position them near doors and windows and enjoy the delightful scents as they waft indoors. Boasting a beautiful appearance to compliment your night plants, our range of luxury planters can be perfectly placed into any garden, whilst their high-quality plants omit their sweet perfume under the night sky.
The fragrance will linger in sheltered spots so think about creating a seating area for guests in an intimate nook of your garden so they can take in the aroma. Our Paxton Rattan Garden Corner Sofa Set With Cushions can be placed up against a wall, and is perfect place to relax with a drink or snuggle up with a loved one to admire the perfume.
For social evening gatherings, our Paxton 4 Piece Rattan Garden Furniture Set with Cushions creates a welcoming and comfortable dining area to relax with family and friends and the perfect setting for late night cocktails as your garden comes to life after dark.
Or make the most of the night life in your backyard with the Repton Eucalyptus Garden Bistro Set, ideal for enjoying al fresco dining and enjoying a heady floral smell that transports us away from everyday life.
Trip the light fantastic
When it comes to climbers – a jasmine covered wall, honeysuckle pergola or even a rose archway– choose plants for scent and flowering time. Pair with our Solar Edison String Lights 2 Lumens to create a sensual place in your night garden.
Solar stake lights such as our Edison Led Solar Pathway Light 12 Lumens in the garden are a great option because they’re flexible. You can move them around with ease, and they’re incredibly easy to set up and use, creating a delicate light in specific areas, making your small garden feel intimate.
For plants that really shine in the evening, highlight with our LED Solar Spotlights Warm White 6 Lumens to create stunning effects and shadows, whilst our LED Solar Hurricane Lantern with its intricate illumination, will give you a great overview of the landscape in your night garden.
View our full Gardenesque range of planters, furniture and lighting to conjure an enchanting and magical night, complete with aromatic plants and lighting that evokes the senses.
