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Design & Materials garDenDesign
a programmable system for the
main entrance when you are away.
The joy of lighting the garden
is that it extends the amount
of time the garden can be used
throughout the seasons. With
spring and autumn evenings,
lighting in combination with
fire pits prolongs the use of the
garden, giving light, warmth
and the potential to enjoy the
sensation of ‘breaking’ the natural
cycle of the season. Wrapped
up outside with blankets, with
impromptu fire pit cooking, the
garden reveals a different quality
as shadows fall and it becomes
a secret den for watching the
stars appear. With the addition
of weatherproof speakers or even
a decent bluetooth device, soft
music can give the sensation of
being somewhere else; an exotic
escape of night wildlife calls and
relaxed music.
When winter comes, the other,
often overlooked, advantage with
designed lighting is the ability to
still enjoy the changing landscape,
especially as dense foliage
canopies are reduced to stark and
dramatic silhouettes. Interesting
ribbed or peeling bark can also
be appreciated. Winter weather
can also be enjoyed at dusk and
evening with lighting: frost and the
twinkling prisms of light through
crystallised flakes gives the garden
an amazing iridescent feeling,
while illuminating snow gives it
the quality of a thick down duvet.
The most tempting part of this
winter night-time story is with
lighting that can all be appreciated
from the warmth of a sitting room
without the need to venture out.Night-time scents
The night garden is as seductive
as any day-time space. The senses
are heightened by the reducedvisibility and the atmosphere is
changed considerably. For many
of us it comes as a surprise that
there are a huge number of plants
which are pollinated at night by
moths; in the UK we have many
more moths than butterflies
and a good number of these
are suffering reduced numbers.
The answer is both simple and
rewarding. Most of our naturally
white flowers are pollinated at
night, so one step is to plant more
white-flowered plants.
The second step is introducing
special plants which only release
perfume after dusk, which can be
appreciated by both wildlife and
homeowners. Evening Primrose
(Oenothera) is one such plant
and comes in a range of colours
from yellow to dusky pink
and white. The variety ‘Sunset
Boulevard’ is among the most
subtle and charming of the named
varieties available.
A sometimes overlooked plant
which is easy to raise from seed
and adds a lot of drama and
night-time scent to the garden is
tobacco, Nicotiana sylvestnis. The
plant can reach seven to eight feet
and has long tubular white flowers
which once sniffed reveal their
use in a lot of high-end room oils
and perfumes; sweet yet exotic.
Other plants such as meadow rue
release a wonderful fragrance that
suggests coconut sun-tan oil and
many plants which release their
scent after dusk have rich exotic
perfumes that feel other-worldly.
So my advice would be to
extend the use and the seasons
within your garden, with lighting
and planting that is an integral
part of the design process.neXTMonTH:MakingTHe
MosT of your fronT garDen1.lightingabove
andaroundan
outdoortablecan
extendalfresco
diningwellinto
theevening.(The
alfrescofestoon
lightCanopy
shownis from
http://www.lights4fun.
co.uk.)2.Plantmore
white-flowered
plantsto
encouragenight
moths—doingso
willhelptoboost
theirdwindling
numbers.3.Choose
outdoorfeature
lightingwhich
complementsthe
architectureof
thehouse.(Thest
ivesshipslights
arefromgarden
Trading:www.
gardentrading.
co.uk.)4.Chooseplants
thatreleasea
headymixof
perfumeafter
dusk,suchas
eveningPrimrose
(right),which
comesina wide
varietyofcolours.5.relax outdoors
after dusk
wrapped up with
blankets and
seated around
the fire pit, gazing
up and waiting
for the stars to
appear in the
nightscape.5 ToP TiPsforsuCCess