Creating a Moon Garden

Some of us love to sit by or in a flower garden during the day. We watch the bees gather nectar, the butterflies swish around the petals and the sun shinning down creating a beautiful site. But what about a garden for the evening and night time? The nights are longer in the summer and often we find comfort in the evening breeze after the sun has gone down. As Winter approaches we'll have time to plan for next years gardens and outdoor landscaping. You may want to consider giving yourself a Moon Garden.

You can create an enchanting place to honor the moon, relax, meditate and possibly create an outside alter as well. There are many plants that bloom in the evening and provide relaxing fragrances to relax and calm us. Below is my idea for the moon garden we would like to build someday.

Pick an area where you can see the moon rise. Create a large enough sphere (circle) to sit in, place a bench inside or what ever else ales your personal needs. To create the 'perfect circle', use a stake in the ground with a string attached that is half of the approx. length you want your moon garden to be. Use landscaping chalk (can be purchased at any home & garden center) at the end of the string to mark your circle. You'll want to dig down approx. 2 to 4 inches to remove all top soil/grass. Gather medium to large stones to create a border. I suggest visiting farms and fields, creeks and rivers to find stones that are between the size of your head and hand. These are perfect size!Do not under any circumstances go out and buy your rocks from a commercial place. Thee manner they were taken from the earth is not proper. You must be the one to pick your stones and ask the earth for them. Make sure you give thanks when taking your stones home. You will also bring the residual energy from where the stone was before you took it. Stones that lay near water work well as the moon is highly connected to the rising tides. Under any circumstances should you use lava rocks!

My Moon Garden will be exactly 8 foot in circumference so I will need a 4 foot string( add a couple inches for tying a not around the center pole and chalk at the end). When you have your garden primed as it mentions above, decide what plants will work best for you. Here is a sample and some of the items I will include in mine and why:

Lavender: It's relaxing, can be harvested and used in so many ways, smells wonderful and has hundreds of benefits.
Lambs Ear: The beautiful and soft leaves shine like silver in the reflection of the moon.
Four O'clocks: a brilliant and bold collection of colors that only bloom in the later evening hours
Citronella: Bright green leafy plant that stays that way till frost. A natural bug repellent with a citrus scent. Water to allow fragrance to achieve highest ability when sitting outside to avoid unwanted bugs.
Trees: Trees come back every year and wouldn't it be perfect for a small tree to be in the center. You'll want want that offers little shade and doesn't get very big so your flowers still receive ample sun light.
Moonflower (of course!) - Related to morning glory, this annual may climb to 10 feet. Tightly closed by day, its white flowers unfurl at dusk to release a lemony aroma.
And many many more! You get the idea of the style of plants you'll want to use.

Make sure you have a nice seating are in or right beside the garden. Keep in mind the moon rises in the East and sets in the West. Have your seating are facing the East. Same goes for any alters you may create in the center. I highly encourage you to have an area where you can place candles as this will add to the overall moon experience.

There you have it, it's pretty simple. I didn't mention things like adding extra top soil or where to place your plants. This is stuff you should be able to figure out yourself. As with all things please keep your garden organic and free of any pesticides or harmful chemicals. Buy heirloom plant if possible to ensure the proper nutrition of any creatures that need or use the benefits of the plant.

Good luck with your Moon Garden! Send or post some pictures of your project or share your ideas about the Moon Garden you wish to create!

Namaste,
Rainbow Tree