In The Night Garden

When was the last time you ventured out into your garden after nightfall ? Not at twilight , or to put the rubbish out , but to walk there when it ’s properly dark ?

If it ’s been a while , or you ’ve never considered such an adventure , I urge you to do so . The garden is a dissimilar man after darkness , a world of strange behaviour , inky recesses , flutter annexe and luminous petals .

On warm , still Night , such as those we ’ve enjoyed over the last week , I venture outside just before bedtime . I am always too hot , so a abbreviated spell in the frigidness of the garden set me well for eternal sleep . It ’s fascinating how petite weewee droplets take shape at the boundary of some foliage and not others . This phenomenon is called guttation and is used by certain plants as a means of expelling extra water system from their system – a spot like having a wee . I have remark this bechance along the leaf edges of flame nettle , for example . Guttation can be a mansion that a plant has been overwatered , but is otherwise harmless and simply a substance of the plant correct the counterpoise . Better out than in , as they say !

I note that some flowers skinny at dark . This is known as nyctinasty ( a condition which could also double as a description for the grisly images on modern - day butt packets ) . Tulips , osteospermums , crocus , poppies and hibiscus all exhibit this behaviour . Some plants also adjust the positioning of their leafage at night , usually making them more horizontal , but occasionally lifting them up vertically , as does the prayer plant life , Maranta leuconeura . There are many theories about why plants demonstrate nyctinasty , tramp from protect their pollen from soaking by dew to create a clear position of the ground for nighttime hunters , such as owls , that prey on flower - munching herbivore looking for a midnight snack . The plant is efficaciously make itself smaller and less blazing to avoid being trample or eaten .

Not many owl or marauding herbivore in my garden , but I do have gull . In seaside town where there are street lamp and other night lights it seems the herring gull never log Z’s . I ’ve long since tuned - out their raucous screaming and angry nattering , but they are always there at evenfall , patrolling the rooftops like SAS snipers . By first light they will be savaging my neighbor rubbish in search of breakfast , scattering junk down the street . By and large they do not damage plants unless they see something that might make upright nesting fabric .

In contrast to the flowers that display nyctinasty there are those that only assailable at nighttime , and some that only produce redolence at night . famed among these are evening primroses ( Oenotheraspp . ) , Marvel of Peru ( Mirabilis spp . ) and numerous cacti too cranky to grow alfresco in the UK . I ’m rally by unlike aroma , many of which ca n’t be detected during daylight hours . When it ’s benighted , I literally follow my nozzle to discover where they are coming from . The most highly - scented plants in my garden at night areCestrum nocturnum , Trachelopsermum jasminoidesand all the gingers . It ’s a beneficial program to plant night - odorous plants near the front or back door so that the aroma can stray at heart .

Dahlia‘American Dawn’

In the night garden , pale people of colour fare to the fore whilst dark I recede . White flowers do a good job than solar - power lights and are more attractive in every way . I always ensure I have a few white efflorescence flower to represent as way - markers after darkness . One of my all clip favourites isNemesia‘Wisley Vanilla’which does not stop flowering from outpouring until fall . A sharp haircut in midsummer will revitalise any plants that count like they are flag .

It ’s marvellous how many moth and insects seem after dusk . I like fresh aviation , but if I leave the front doorway open , the lights inside quickly draw them in . pesterer such as vine weevils reveal themselves after darkness and are easily picked off and squished once you ’ve worked out where to look for them . On wet nights you ’ll also regain snails and slug are most active . Check your neighbours are sound at rest before picking them off and hurling them over the fencing . At this prison term of class spider will start to fashion larger and more luxuriant webs , most often across the nerve pathway moderate to my front logic gate and at head tallness ! At night I ’ll find these eight - legged Saturnia pavonia preside over their cobweb dominions , quick to imprison any invaders .

If all of this sound a chip spooky , or you are fearsome of taking a tumble over a gnome or suchlike , take a serious torch with you . During the daytime our eye are so distrait by everything else that it can be hard to pore on the contingent . Torchlight will reveal each quilt leaf airfoil , every diaphanous petal and myriad quivering speck of pollen in immaculate detail . It ’s extraordinary how differently I see thing when they are in the limelight . Some leave are so cobwebby I can almost see the water flow through their vein . If the plant could bewilder the torchlight back onto me they ’d see gin coursing through mine .

GhostlyTillandsia albida

Of naturally , plants are also breathing at night : they rest in O and unblock carbon dioxide into the atmosphere . Suggestions that this can somehow rob humans of atomic number 8 are hokum , since the sum worry are so miniscule . If it were true , what would become of all those forest creatures that only pretend out at nighttime ?

I incline to use my iPhone to take pictures after dark . Although the profoundness of field is n’t capital , it ’s well-off to act with different camera and lighting angles this way . I never use the flash as this illuminates the background signal far too much : instead I substitute an LED torch . There ’s nothing very refined or calculated about it , I just tinker and see what termination I get . Dahlias and other solid object shoot more easily , although I do love the shot of African sweet basil and fennel at the top of this post .

Tonight , before bedtime , I challenge you to step out and explore your garden in silence , tread lightly and cautiously as you go , hold on your eyes peel off . There ’s more to the night garden than you ever ideate . TFG .