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In midsummer , our gardens are gloriously illuminated by the long day of sunlight . However , the black of nighttime also offer an opportunity for creating garden drama and casting our landscape painting in a whole young position .

As eventide moves into Nox , and the moon rises , some plant become more salient while others evaporate . Plants that amount attired in silver or lily-white are wearing the perfect garb for a cocktail - hour garden , creating a wild-eyed gathering place for dusk celebration .

“ The cocktail 60 minutes garden is a landscape that reminds us to put our distraction aside and be in the present moment . It ’s an environment that , like a hard sea current , pull out us determinedly into the natural world and invites us to relax and good synchronise our rhythms to the plant life and fauna around us , ” tell horticultural consultant C.L. Fornari , in her new bookThe Cocktail Hour Garden .

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Here are her tips for making your garden shine , both day and night :

append play with silverEven without extra lighting , industrial plant with silver foliage are visible after non-white and attractive in beds and containers . flatware - foliaged plants also incline to be more drouth and heat tolerant than their unripe - riff counterparts , says Fornari , because the all right white hair that comprehend the leaf supporter reflect the sun and retain water system . They also wo n’t be nibbled by lapin and deer that stroll through your cocktail - 60 minutes gatherings . Fornari recommends using these stylish ash gray to fill your garden with texture and contrast .

snip it up in whiteThe design of a cocktail - hour garden normally include plants that are more detectable at night and think over the Moon . For this purpose , you ca n’t go wrong with whitened flush . Here are some white - flowering plants that Fornai say will stand out after iniquity .

Dusty Miller, Salvia
St. Lynn’s Press
Pittsburgh, PA

illume the stage“Since contrive a garden has many parallels to planning a stage set , it ’s only innate that ignition should be part of the plan . And just as it is in the theater , lights that raise the cocktail - hr garden are take for a combination of utter single-valued function and spectacular effect , ” says Fornari .

Functional lighting includes lights on buildings , down nerve tract , and along stairs , which shed light on for the purpose of make spaces secure and visible . When the subject of illumination is a plant life , tree , or garden ornament , artificial light can also be used for dramatic essence .

Fornari suggests set up spotlights at the base of trees and lighting the pools of fountains . you could also hide out-of-door lights among rocks , along pool edges , or prepare onto sculptures to create an ambiance of whodunit .

Dusty Miller, Salvia
St. Lynn’s Press
Pittsburgh, PA

Excerpt and photo reissue with license fromTHE COCKTAIL HOUR GARDENby C.L. Fornari , copyright © 2016 , published by St. Lynn ’s Press .

Dusty Miller, Salvia
St. Lynn’s Press
Pittsburgh, PA

Dusty Miller, Salvia
St. Lynn’s Press
Pittsburgh, PA

Dusty Miller, Salvia
St. Lynn’s Press
Pittsburgh, PA

Artemisia Plant, Night Garden Plants
St. Lynn’s Press
Pittsburgh, PA