The Essential Werewolf’s Garden

When it comes to creatures of the night, vampires seem to get all the press, but I’ve always had a soft spot for werewolves. (Go Team Jacob!)  That’s why I was thrilled to be asked to participate in a day of werewolf themed blogging in honor of the young adult novel Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson, arriving in stores today.   As a designer, I pride myself on my ability to work with a broad range of clients, though so far they’ve all been human (more or less).  But this book has me wondering, what if I had a werewolf for a client?  

To ensure I’m ready, I’ve put together a list of ‘must have’ elements guaranteed to transform any wolfman’s garden into a cozy retreat from the nightly grind that the rest of the pack will be certain to envy.

Moonlight

Since the full moon is a werewolf's cue to transform, choosing plants that look beautiful when softly bathed in moonlight is key to creating a garden that any werewolf would be proud to call his own.  One of my favorite plants for this is Salvia apiana,  often called Moonlight Sage for the way its lovely silver foliage reflects the light of the moon. The chartreuse leaves of Helichrysum petiolare ‘Limelight’ also glow softly, whether the light comes from the gentle kiss of silvery moonbeams, or a more prosaic source, such as a strategically placed downlight.

Scent
Of course we all know werewolves have heightened senses, so plants that perfume the air in the evening are crucial! Night Blooming Jessamine waits until the sun goes down to begin filling the garden with sweet scent, making it the perfect choice to create just the right ambiance in this nighttime garden.  I’m also quite fond of Angel’s Trumpet, whose fragrant flowers can perfume an entire  garden on a still night – plus, its oversized, flashy blooms have the ruggedness to stand up to my client’s superhuman size and strength.

l

Balance

If you’re worried my garden design is leaning too far towards the romantic, don’t worry!  I haven’t forgotten werewolves are the original bad boys.  A lively container garden filled with carnivorous selections like Venus Fly Trap will not only provide some much needed masculine balance, but watching these naughty plants devour their prey is a lovely way to invite nature into the garden  - not to mention providing an integrated pest management solution that allows us to avoid harmful pesticides.

And finally, the best part about designing for a werewolf? No gopher worries!  After all, what host wouldn’t appreciate a plentiful source of snacks should guests drop by unexpectedly?

l

A whole range of blogs are joining in on this werewolf inspired no-book book tour,so check out what they have to say - I’m going to Cake Wrecks first in hopes of seeing some super scary cakes!  You can see the complete list here.

Photo credits

Salvia apiana

Helichrysum 'Limelight'

Night Blooming Jessamine

Venus Fly Trap

Comments

[Jean Ann Van Krevelen]

I always knew you were an amazing designer...and here I am trying to keep the darn things OUT of my garden :)

Your post was hilarious! But I'm bummed you discourage gardening in a diaphanous night gown and six inch heels, because that's a gardening look I really think I could rock!

[Katie]

I love the part about gophers! LOL! Never thought about it that way. . .

Seriously, that WOULD absolutely be the best part!

[michelle]

Werewolves as gopher control :) LOL They can stop by any time if they want a snack. Fun post!

I think I may be single handedly responsible for increasing the street cred of werewolves among gopher-hating gardeners.

[Christine Johnson]

Gophers! GOPHERS! I just snorted into my coffee. Thanks for the fab post!

You are welcome Christine! Taking part in a little blog-a-thon to promote your book has been a blast!

[Rebecca Sweet]

Girl - you just proved you can design a garden for ANY situation! I wish you the best of luck in attracting the most hunky of werewolves to your garden...except for one thing - I heard a little rumor that werewolves are actually all female! (yep, it's true!)....

Hey, it's MY garden design fantasy, and therefore, hunky werewolves are the name of the game! And frankly, anyone who thinks her chickens are bright enough to outwit a werewolf isn't really in a position to judge.

[DaffodilPlanter]

LOL! Proof positive that you are a versatile designer, ready to think deeply about your client's needs. Whole new meaning for outdoor dining too. Brill!

What can I say? It's a tough economy. I'll take whatever business I can get.

[wayne]

moonlight makes me think of the candytufts in our front yard...

also werewolves could feed on deer, no?

Good idea. Instead of a dog run, maybe include a deer run in the garden.

[VW]

I was going to ask you how you came up with this title, but your post explained. I rolled my eyes over the Twilight books but read them all anyway. I haven't given much thought to a garden for such creatures, though. My father-in-law would love to have help with his gophers - if you ever meet any werewolves in person, drop me a line and I'll give him directions to a tasty buffet.

I have a feeling a werewolf-for-hire business that specialized in gophers could make a killing (no pun intended)

[Szventh]

I love your versitility on being able to design for ANY client. Great blog!
Thanks!

[rob (OurFrenchGarden)]

What about garlic? Or is that something for Vampires.

I love the Venus fly trap.

I'm laughing at your response to DP's comment. Show me the money.

Exactly my point. I write about werewolves, but first thing that comes to mind are vampires. Werewolves are the ugly stepsisters in undead society. I feel positively virtuous that I've helped them gain some of the respect they deserve ;-)

[Irrigation Systems]

That was a very entertaining post and you are certainly a versatile gardener. I don't know how serious you were being about keeping a venus flytrap but do you have any tips on how to grow them? They are very tricky in my experience.