Night-scented plants – the 10 best to grow in an entertainment garden

Night-scented plants help create a backyard with the perfect atmosphere for evening entertaining. And night blooming and light-reflecting plants can also help to set the scene as can large plants that add leafy structure around an entertaining space and bring drama when up lit.

Some intensely fragrant plants bloom only at night, and the scent of many other plants is intensified after sundown with their fragrance wafting on the gentle evening breeze to create a magical ambience. 

In planning flower bed be aware that scented plants like warm sheltered areas of the garden such as courtyards and patios, and they also add a welcoming touch if you plant them along paths and near entrances. You can also choose scented climbing plants to cover pergolas so you can enjoy them as you sit below. 

Prioritize fragrance when selecting planting for an outdoor living room, and if it’s a space often used for evening entertaining, put night-scented plants at the top of your list. Think about choosing plants with light-reflecting qualities so they glow in the moonlight, too, and to enclose an entertaining space try using large verdant leaves like fatsia japonica in layered planting to create a luxuriant sense of enclosure. 

These are our favorite night-scented plants along with those that will enhance your outdoor entertaining space. 

By Sarah Wilson