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nancyk
January 03, 2020
By Suzanne LaBrecque- Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Charla Borchers Leon
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER SUZANNE LABRECQUE
The Tuberose has tall flower spikes with numerous, heavily scented tubular blooms. A low bloomer, its scent is rich and even called "seductive" -- sometimes used in producing perfume. A perennial bulb native to Mexico, it grows best in full sun in cool to tropical regions and requires care from frosty conditions.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER PAT PLOWMAN
Brugmansia (also known as Angel Trumpet) is a woody shrub or tree native to Central and South America and long prized for its outstanding, huge and fragrant pendant flowers with no spine. In the Nightshade family, it is a standout in any garden setting and with its white blooms, a perfect selection for a moon garden that exists in sun with shade. The Brugmansia can be grown in the ground or in containers in this area. It is not winter hardy and requires precaution from cold.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER BRENDA HEINOLD
As its name implies, the flowers of the Moonflower Vine open at twilight and bloom into the night under the moon. Grown from seed, this vine can climb as high as 10 feet on a support structure. It prefers a sunny location and with large, heart-shaped leaves, it will thrive all summer long. It is not invasive; it just grows and blooms prolifically in its preferred setting.
Where: Dr. Pattie Dodson Health Center
When: First Monday, January - March
Time: Noon – 1:00 p.m.
First Three 2020 Sessions
• January 13: “What’s This? – Vol. V”
Matt Bochat, Victoria County Extension Agent, Ag/NR
• February 10: “Ease of Gardening Using Raised Beds”
Mike Martignoni, Victoria County Master Gardener
• March 9: “The Benefits of Backyard Vegetable Gardening”
Gerald Bludau, Victoria County Master Gardener
Saturday Seminars
• January 18: Sustainable Treescapes
• February 8: Spring Vegetable Garden
• February 29: Lawn Care
Spring Plant Sale
• March 28, VEG Pavilion
283 Bachelor Drive
Victoria Regional Airport
Summer Kids’ Camp
• June, exact dates to be announced
Check vcmga.org for more information
More information on Victoria County Master Gardeners
Go to: vcmga.org
Facebook: Visit Victoria Educational Gardens FB page for photos of our garden
PHOTO COURTESTY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Nicotiana, the ornamental flowering tobacco plant, prefers partial to full sun and can be several feet tall. Some of the older species begin to open early evening and are placed near garden pathways for their fragrance. Often used as border plants, these shrubs come in white, lavender and pink tones. They are selected for size, color and easy care, and do well in white in a moon garden.
Last spring, my sister-in-law, Valeria, gave me a tour of their wonderful Connecticut yard and pointed to an area outlined with rocks. She said, “This is where John (my brother) is planting his moon garden.” My response was, “What’s a moon garden?” Valeria casually said, “It’s a garden of all white-blooming plants.”
When I returned home, I kept thinking about John’s moon garden and wondered why anyone would really want a monochromatic garden. So I called John and asked him why he was planting a garden with only white blooms.
John noted that gardens come alive as twilight begins. The sound of night-time pollinators like bats, moths and tree frogs is captivating. He added that the fragrances of various white blooms can be intoxicating. John finds sitting on the deck, listening to his nighttime “friends” and seeing the moon and stars shine on his plants is very relaxing and rejuvenating.
History
Gardeners in every culture have used the light of the moon to decide when and what to plant. Gardens with white, silver and gray plants and naturally pale stones, reflect the moon’s luminous glow, especially around the time of the full moon.
In the 1950s, two exceptional moon gardens were planted that still exist. In England, Vita Stackville West added an all-white garden to her acclaimed Sissinghurst Castle estate gardens. In Connecticut, the founders of White Flower Farm planted an all-white garden for themselves. Both long-lasting gardens were developed by creative gardeners who valued night-blooming, fragrant gardens.
Planning, designing a moon garden
Select the site and determine the garden size you can best manage. Most plants, shrubs and trees grow best in well-draining soil. Before you select plants, take time to have a soil test. This preliminary homework will save you time, energy and money.
Be sure to note if the site is in full sun, sun/partial shade or shade. This fact will help you select the plants that will do best in your yard.
Apply general principles of design in your plan. The number and sizes of plants should fit the site and be climate appropriate.
Another consideration for planning a moon garden is to include both and annuals and perennials. The annuals can be changed seasonally and keep your moon garden inviting all year.
After the plan is developed, the kind and number of plants must be decided. A general rule is the smaller the plant, the more plants you need. So the border of alyssum will need more plants than a filler of tuberoses. A vine like moon flower, will grow gracefully on a trellis and one plant will do.
Small trees, like a Mexican olive, start small but over time become shade trees. Eventually, sun-loving plants may need to be transplanted and replaced with shade plants.
Moon garden plants for Victoria
Last summer, I found a nursery online that sold a few dozen plants for a moon garden. However, the plant selection was not appropriate for South Texas.
This preplanned moon garden did prompt me to find white blooming plants that thrive in the Crossroads.
My master gardener friend Pat Plowman helped me develop a chart of moon garden flowers, shrubs, vines and small trees.
The list below includes their common names, botanical names and light needs.
All are beautiful, fragrant, white blooming and will do well in this part of Texas. A few gray accent plants that glimmer in moonlight are included in the list published alongside this column.
Moon garden plants for Victoria
Low bloomers
Vines
Shrubs
Small Trees
If your landscape doesn’t have room for a moon garden, consider adding some white blooming plants to your patio containers or on a trellis. Then you can know the magic of the nighttime garden.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk