You probably know by now that I am all about growing herbs and food that we can use to sustain us! But, growing a garden is so much more than that in my opinion. It’s also about creating spaces of beauty to feast our senses with; marinating our eyeballs in colour after months and months of winter white, and letting a scent from a flower activate part of your brain, just as an example.

To grow a garden is to yes, feed ourselves on the physical level, but for me it’s also to connect with our spirit and the world that lives within us. Gardens feed the WHOLE person.

The night awakens our inner landscape, and a whole world of plants and allies who play in this realm. Some that help us sleep, some that help us dream, and some that just amplify the beauty of the night. If you’re looking through those seeds catalogues now, maybe you’ll want to order some of these.

1. Night blooming jasmine tobacco – Stops me dead in my tracks with its feminine scent as it floats through the garden on warm nights. It is a self seeding annual that produces thousands of seeds and beautiful flowers.
2. Datura – Poisonous but strikingly beautiful. Plant cautiously if you have small children or pets in the garden.
3. Mugwort – The classic dreaming herb. Its culinary, medicinal and magical properties have been talked about through the ages! It can become invasive, but it’s a super complex herb with a thousand uses. 
4. Valerian – The roots are often used to treat insomnia, anxiety and restlessness. The flowers have a scent that you either love or hate; usually a good indication if it’s the right medicine for you. 
5. Evening Primerose- One of the first out in the spring! The yellow flowers are lemony scented and bloom in the evening and close by noon! 
6. Hops – They have a chemical called methylbutenol which helps induce sleep! They are a        hearty perennial vine that you can also make beer out of.
7. Moonflower – An annual vine in my neck of the woods (zone 3) but it produces beautiful large white flowers that can grow up to 10 feet tall!

White flowers in general always show up nicely against the dark soil and night sky. I’ll often plant white blooming flowers along pathways in the garden to help illuminate it. There is something truly magical that isn’t available to us during the heat of the day.