Your "Moon Garden" will be so beautiful!
I shall come back to your article when I am thinking of a "white" featuring garden.

Great article Sharon and I remember my cousin telling me that white should be used more in gardens as it makes other colors pop! Her gardens are beautiful!

Your photo's are LOVELY and I can't wait to see your garden when it's done.

I have some of those "patchwork" areas myself

What is the name of the bloom where there are 3 across, the first is datura, the next is a daylily, and then ???? It's stunning!

Caroline, I hope it will be the way I can see in my mind. Sometimes my plans are bigger than my ability.

Vic, that image is the early stages of a moonflower bush bloom (datura). It starts blooming at about 4 or 5 in the afternoon and slowly opens at dark, so the bloom takes maybe 4 hours to open. That picture was taken maybe about halfway through. It is from the same bush that appears as the first picture in the same row before the lily (not a daylily). I think if you scroll over the images you'll see a description.

This big plan of mine seems to be moving right along, if only I didn't keep changing my mind about the plants. And when things start blooming again in the spring, you know very well I'll still be rearranging.

White phlox, David, would also be nice there. I'll be watching to see how your new plan comes together.

I was thinking about white garden phlox, too, Mary, but I'm wondering if it won't need more sun than the area gets.

Sharon I found so much joy in walking with you and listening to you talk on your phone.
I can almost see the Moon Garden in completed form, in my mind. Oh how lovely it will be.

I love that you are leaving the bench blue, I agree that painting it white would distract. The blue will compliment and some what disappear at night.

I can't wait to see photos next year.

Sharon, your moon garden does sound lovely, I can easily imagine sitting on the bench and enjoying the wonderful scents from the plants that you are selecting for your new garden.

Another plant you may consider adding is scented night/evening stocks.

Ha! Lynn, about my phone and me. I don't dare let anybody else listen to those conversations. I do tend to lose punctuation when chattering. And the blue bench will remain blue.

Margaret, stocks just don't seem to like the months long 110* temps during summer. I love the evening stocks, love the scent, but I think our soil is simply too hot to grow the plant. And it likes sun. So in order for it to get sun, it also will get the hot dirt it grows in. I've tried them, and if I time it just right they will bloom about the time the first frost hits in November or even later. One time I planted them with pansies in October. They bloomed lightly until about January. The pansies lasted longer, but even pansies don't make it very well in our summers. So the timing would be a little bit off for them, but if I could figure out a way I would love to have them in this garden. I've tried mulching and it's always the same story, not a happy ending. Thanks for reminding me about them, maybe I can experiment a little more with them.

What an awesome project! May I suggest planting white wave petunias directly in the ground. They will sprawl and peak out in between the other plants. Dreams petunias are a small plant, big flowers and if planted in 3's will make a nice clump.
Some unusuals that will give a little later white flower are Venidium (Zulu Prince- easy from seed), It will close at night/cloudy days so maybe not the best choice for a Moon Garden
Abyssinian Glad (Acidantherea) aka Peacock Glad, which I like to plant in a clump of 10 corms. Very fragrant and Costco sells a huge bag in the spring for excellent $$
And if you have enough sun, a giant white dinnerplate Dahlia

Great ideas, Joanne, I love all the ideas that are coming in the comments.

If I bring the garden all the way across the front to the center, which is where the brick arches begin, I'll have about 15'x35' to work with. So I'm accumulating plants on my list. I had white petunias this past summer and they were delightful. I'll use them again for sure. The others might work, but I'm afraid there won't be enough sun for the dahlia unless I add it near the side where the sun might hit it, but then it would face in the other direction.

Lots to think about though. Thank you so much!

It's a wonderful idea, Sharon and will surely be beautiful, too.

Isn't that Moonflower bush you pictured really a Datura, though? The real Moonflowers down here are white flowered vining/twining plants in the morning glory family. Just wanted to caution you if it is a Datura that all parts of the plant are poisonous, so be careful to guard it from any child or unsuspecting pet ingesting any part of it. In Utah where we used to live, they grow wild by the roadsides, and nary a summer goes by you don't hear of some dumb teenager getting high on the seeds and dying from the side effects. Down here, I grow its close relative, Brugmansia, but only inside my 6ft. fence where I can keep an eye on who goes near them.

Hi Elaine,

It is a datura, AKA Jimson weed, and in the article it's linked to our database where you'll see it's also called a Moonflower bush, as opposed to the moonflower vine you mention. I have both of them growing here. Here's the link again:

Jimson Weed (Datura innoxia)

I do know about its toxicity, but have never seen animals venture near it; no children or teens around here either. But thank you so much for reminding us about it. There are many toxic plants in our gardens, we just have to always be so careful.

I'm still in mourning over those red salvias that were banned.

What an interesting concept! I think it sounds beautiful and hope everything turns out the way you imagined. I never thought too much of white flowers either until the last couple of years. I found that they really make the other colors pop.

I love the blue bench just the way it is

The blue bench is now growing blue/green fungus. Interesting texture, but it will remain as it is.

Thanks Vickie. I've been thinking I need a few blue blooms in with the white. Pale lavender maybe.

Sharon, I think blue or pale lavender would be lovely in with the white.

It's going to need something because the more I think about it, the more I don't think I'll enjoy all white. But pale blues and lavenders will pick up the tone that I want. The moon garden will lead to the front, and this azalea is center front, and blue and white columbines continue across the front to the drive where there are tall bearded deep purple irises. So I think I'll incorporate more pale blues into the Moon Garden. Still in the thinking stages. I knew all your comments would help!

There is a poetic article in National Geographic March 2013 issue called Night Gardens by Cathy Newman. Beautiful photo as well

I'll have to check it out! Thanks, Joanne.

Good going on your "white" moon Garden.
Keep us posted as it evolves and please take pictures?