Almost 20 years ago, on a visit to England, my sister and I went to the county of Kent to visit Sissinghurst Castle's famous gardens The gardens were created by Vita Sackville-West in 1950. I admired all the various sections, but my lasting memory is of the White Garden, which is said to be spectacular in the moonlight.

     In Napa Valley we can create our own “moon garden,” a white garden that can create an oasis of calm after a long day at work or a busy day at home. To sit on your porch or patio surrounded by the beauty that you have created can be very restorative.

     Choose an area where you will be able to see and smell the white flowering plants and the shrubs with silvery foliage, grasses, and trees that will accentuate the silver and white theme of the garden.

     If you choose a small area, such as the one around an entry way or a patio, start with sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima). Besides being readily available, it is easy to grow, has a lovely fragrance and is ideal for our climate. Sweet alyssum likes full sun but can also tolerate part shade.

     If the area is shady, you can plant impatiens with the sweet alyssum. Another low-growing possibility for shade is lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina). Nicotania sylvestris, which reaches five feet tall, could be a backdrop. Nicotania has fragrant tubular flowers and would be a great addition to your lunar garden.

   If you have limited space but have room for containers, buy an attractive pot—in  ceramic, clay or even plastic. Some plastic pots look exactly like the heavier clay ones but are easier to move around. Make sure that the container has drainage holes. Fill it  with potting soil, flush the soil with water to remove excess salts, and then choose plants to create a miniature “white garden.”

     For a container that gets full sun, start with million bells (Calibracoa hybrid). These petunia look-alikes are covered in flowers that are one to one and a half inches across and will mound six to eight inches high. Add verbena and African daisy (Osteospermum), which look great together. English ivy( Hedera helix) would add contrast to the white flowers in the pot. Substituting sweet alyssum for the verbena would provide fragrance.

     If your container is in a shady area, try impatiens, sweet alyssum, bacopa (Sutera cordata) and hosta. Valued for their foliage, hostas come in many different shades of green, some with variegation. They need protection from slugs and snails.

    For a garden that gets full sun, nurseries offer many white-flowering possibilities. Consider dianthus, candy tuft, Shasta daisies, zinnias, petunias and vinca. These smaller plants should be placed at the front of the garden beds. For backdrop shrubs, choices include white oleander, white Plumbago and snowball Viburnum. Another lovely tall bush is Philadelphus (mock orange), which has dainty white flowers and the most beautiful fragrance.

     Plants with variegated or silver leaves add dimension to the garden. Artemisia is a silver-gray perennial which can spread to three feet wide and three feet tall. It makes a striking contrast to the greener leaves on other plants. 

     There are many lovely white roses. 'Iceberg' is a great favorite among landscape designers and can be seen all around Napa County. Similarly,  the 'White Flower Carpet' rose grows easily and blooms prolifically. Local nurseries can guide you to white roses that do well in this area. Select fragrant roses if you plan to enjoy your garden mostly in the evening.

    Once your moon garden starts growing, add solar lights to enhance the effect. A water feature would also contribute to a feeling of peace and relaxation.