Image courtesy of mr.fothergills.co.uk.

The colors of day are bold, bright and vibrant while the colors of night are subdued, shaded and wrapped in mystery. That however, does not make them any less beautiful. Savvy gardeners are beginning to embrace the evening, and to dedicate a part of their yards to the darker hours with blooming flowers and plants that reveal their best faces after sundown. There is romance afoot in the sweet fragrances of the night and there are wonderful choices to fill your evenings with a touch of drama. These five plants are some of the best the night has to offer, though there are many others that will make a marvelous addition. Check your growing zones to ensure you have the right midnight blooms for your location.

Night Phlox (pictured in the featured image.)

With an extraordinary perfumed scent, Night Phlox is an essential element in your midnight garden. The smell is sweet and the flowers bloom in shades of white and purple. The petals form a delicate pinwheel pattern that has earned it the name Midnight Candy. Night Phlox is an annual flower that requires sunlight during the day.

Evening Primrose (pictured above, image courtesy of hazebrouck-hoflandt-nature.com.)

This hardy and elegant little flower is found virtually all over the United States and Canada. It opens after sundown and the yellow flowers emit a refreshing lemony fragrance. It is a biennial plant, meaning that it needs to be replanted every two years. There are many medicinal uses for Evening Primrose and virtually all parts of the plant are edible. As an extra plus, the seeds and fragrance are said to attract Golden Finches and other wild canaries. This plant also likes full sun during the daylight hours.

Night Blooming Jasmine (pictured above, image courtesy of Dinesh Valke.)

The star of any midnight garden, Night Blooming Jasmine has a rather ordinary appearance during the day, but this elegant plant blossoms in the twilight with star-shape blooms that give off the most heavenly aroma. Many describe its aroma as having the ability to take away stress and help you relax before heading off to bed. This perennial plant does better in tropical locations but in northern climates can be kept potted and brought inside during the winter months. Full sun is also a must-have for this fragrant plant.

Moonflower (pictured above, image courtesy of VampWriterGRRL.)

If Night Blooming Jasmine is the star of your night garden, Moonflower sets the scene. With showy white blossoms that seem to glow in the silvery light of the moon, this vined flower has a sweet fragrance you can enjoy from late afternoon to the wee hours of the morning. Although tropical, the Moonflower vine can be grown as an annual in northern climates with full sun during the day. It has a pretty heart-shaped leaf on its vine that is attractive during the day and is a favorite of hummingbirds.

Cultivating a midnight garden is a rewarding experience, it also makes a great place for romance. Celebrate an anniversary or any special occasion by dining al fresco and wrapped in the fragrance of the night blooms. The ambiance of the garden is the perfect place to present your partner with a gift that speaks of both the night and romance. A pendant necklace or bracelet from Moonglow memorializes the day with the phase of the moon and is a keepsake of not only the event but the beautiful summer beauty of your moon-kissed blooms.