In the night garden: Create a moon garden
July 29, 2010
There is something mystical and romantic about walking through a garden on a summer evening.
The moonlight casts a spotlight of shadows capturing and emphasizing moody white flowers and shimmery plants amongst the greenery. The sounds are quietly eerie. Day lilies are closed up tight and sleeping.
Nightfall brings entirely new and intoxicating fragrances that awaken the senses to a unique garden experience.
What is a night garden?
A night garden incorporates plantings whose, color, texture, sound, and scent can be appreciated in the evening. Sometimes night gardens are called "moon gardens".
Are night gardens new?
According to this Lifescript article, night gardens have been around for a long time: "A night garden is not new to the contemporary world. Moonlight gardens were planted in medieval Japan using white or pale-colored rocks and sand. Pools of water caught the shine of the moon and white chrysanthemums cast a ghostly profile. In the 1600s India's mogul emperor planted a stunning night blooming garden using fragrant and beautiful flowers like jasmine, narcissus, and lilies all in white."
Why plant a night garden?
People who work all day and have busy schedules that keep them away from home until the evening get to enjoy the beauty of the garden. For those who want to unplug and unwind in the evening to the sounds of nature, a night garden is the perfect place to relax.
Where to plant a night garden?
Plant it in a place where you will enjoy it most. Small container night gardens are perfect for those with limited space.
What plants to plant in a night garden?
These plants listed on the DoItYourself site are night bloomers and aromatic, making them perfect for night gardens:
- moonflower
- white sand verbena
- fragrant plantain lily
- evening campion
- yucca
- night-flowering catchfly
- thornapple
- scarlet gaura
- citron daylily
- lemon lily
- evening iris
- evening star
- gumbo lily
- soapwort
- vesper iris
- evening primrose
- night-blooming tropical waterlilies
- four o' clock
- desert lily
- white gaura
- evening stock
Do you have a night garden? Add some plants that you enjoy in the evening hours to the list above.
Ronnie Citron-Fink is a writer and educator. Ronnie regularly writes about sustainable living for online sites and magazines. Along with being the creator of www.econesting.com, Ronnie has contributed to numerous books about green home design, DIY, children, and humor. Ronnie lives the Hudson Valley of New York with her family.
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In the night garden: Create a moon garden
July 29, 2010
There is something mystical and romantic about walking through a garden on a summer evening.
The moonlight casts a spotlight of shadows capturing and emphasizing moody white flowers and shimmery plants amongst the greenery. The sounds are quietly eerie. Day lilies are closed up tight and sleeping.
Nightfall brings entirely new and intoxicating fragrances that awaken the senses to a unique garden experience.
What is a night garden?
A night garden incorporates plantings whose, color, texture, sound, and scent can be appreciated in the evening. Sometimes night gardens are called "moon gardens".
Are night gardens new?
According to this Lifescript article, night gardens have been around for a long time: "A night garden is not new to the contemporary world. Moonlight gardens were planted in medieval Japan using white or pale-colored rocks and sand. Pools of water caught the shine of the moon and white chrysanthemums cast a ghostly profile. In the 1600s India's mogul emperor planted a stunning night blooming garden using fragrant and beautiful flowers like jasmine, narcissus, and lilies all in white."
Why plant a night garden?
People who work all day and have busy schedules that keep them away from home until the evening get to enjoy the beauty of the garden. For those who want to unplug and unwind in the evening to the sounds of nature, a night garden is the perfect place to relax.
Where to plant a night garden?
Plant it in a place where you will enjoy it most. Small container night gardens are perfect for those with limited space.
What plants to plant in a night garden?
These plants listed on the DoItYourself site are night bloomers and aromatic, making them perfect for night gardens:
- moonflower
- white sand verbena
- fragrant plantain lily
- evening campion
- yucca
- night-flowering catchfly
- thornapple
- scarlet gaura
- citron daylily
- lemon lily
- evening iris
- evening star
- gumbo lily
- soapwort
- vesper iris
- evening primrose
- night-blooming tropical waterlilies
- four o' clock
- desert lily
- white gaura
- evening stock
Do you have a night garden? Add some plants that you enjoy in the evening hours to the list above.
Ronnie Citron-Fink is a writer and educator. Ronnie regularly writes about sustainable living for online sites and magazines. Along with being the creator of www.econesting.com, Ronnie has contributed to numerous books about green home design, DIY, children, and humor. Ronnie lives the Hudson Valley of New York with her family.
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Eco-friendly tips to insulate your home
July 28, 2010
(Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by moosicorn)
It is hot out there! We know that insulation helps us run that air conditioner a bit less, but what you might not know is that there are lots of different insulation options, and certain types are much more environmentally sound than others. Insulators like spray foam contain harsh chemicals and even emit greenhouse gases.
Here are some insulation options that get it right:
Blue jeans
In 2008, Levi's recycled over 200,000 pairs of discarded jeans into insulation for the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, and you can find recycled denim insulation for the home, too. Not only is denim insulation easier on the environment, you're keeping all of that discarded material out of the landfill!
For folks looking to score denim insulation for the home, Bonded Logic makes home insulation using post-consumer cotton and denim.
Sand
Sand is a renewable resource, and EcoBatt has sorted out a way to turn that into home insulation. They combine sand with post-consumer recycled glass to create natural insulation that's Greenguard certified. They even have a handy locator tool to help folks find it by state.Straw bale construction
Straw bale is a totally natural insulator that's easy to source locally in many areas. It's a great addition to a natural building project, because it's easy to work with. A great insulator, straw is a renewable resource and contains none of the harsh chemicals you'd associate with conventional insulators.
A great way to learn more about natural materials like straw bale is to hunt down sustainable building courses in your area. The more you know how to do yourself, the more money you can save on construction costs.
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