Night Visions in the Garden

Night visions in the garden at Hallauer House take center stage when the sun sets in the western sky.

When the orange and yellow hues flow
Softly over the garden lots
Jealous of the flowers brilliant colors planted in early plots.
Dusk light could not fade
The brilliant shine of the gardens glade,
Over the shutters and by the doors the setting sun
Passes western shores.

The poem, Night Visions, was written by innkeeper Joe Woodward who writes poems on demand!

Flowers of the night!

Have you ever wondered what a garden does as night time descends upon it? A great article on the Mother Nature Network opened my eyes to the wonders of nocturnal gardens. While some plants close up their flowers as night approaches others open up to enjoy the night and show off their amazing fragrance. One of these,

the evening primrose. opens in the evening and gives us the primrose oil which is used in treating some health ailments. Then there is one of my favorite, the moonflower with its large white flowers that open at nightfall and stay open until sunrise. Sometimes I feel sad that so few people sit out at night and miss this gorgeous flower! Then another favorite of mine is the four o’clock which can have from one to five colors on one flower. Unfortunately in our zone 5 these are just planted as annuals. If  you want to get a more in depth lesson check out this link about thirteen flowers that bloom at night.

Creatures of the night!

But what would a night garden be like without the sounds of the nocturnal critters! They wake up when it’s time to play and smell the fragrance of the night time flowers. When we sit in our back pavilion at night we can hear and watch the toads and frogs jumping in and out of our little pond. Its great to relax in the hot tub and enjoy the light show put on by the busy fireflies. And we love to listen to the crickets and the spring time peepers.

But my favorite is the little green tree frog! We will find them hiding in the umbrella, sitting on the pool ladder, lounging on the table and moon bathing on top of the hot tub cover. One even tried to hitchhike on our car mirror! They are so very cute!

 

 

 

 

 

And I swear they sound just like a little dinosaur! Listen!

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So fall is almost here and winter is not far behind. The flowers will take their leave, the critters and insects will die off or hibernate and the chairs will be put away. But there is still time to come and enjoy the pavilion, the garden, the plants, and the misfit junk! The nighttime is calling you to relax and enjoy the sounds of nature and the shadows of the landscape lights. There is even a little fire pit for a small fire to add to the ambiance! In the meantime enjoy the night vision garden pictures. And to see the garden as it appears in the day time just visit our “Come! Come to the Garden” Blog article!

 

 

 

 

 

If we don’t see you in the garden this fall then we hope to see you next spring or summer!