IN THE NOCTURNAL NARRATIVE OF A GARDEN AT NIGHT...THE MOON, WHICH ILLUMINATES THIS STAGE, BORROWS ITS LIGHT FR

OM THE SUN. ITS ASHEN LIGHT, THE GREEK PHILOSOPHERS KNEW. IS REFLECTIVE. A NIGHT GARDEN INVITES REFECTION. UNLIKE THE SUN, THE MOON WELCOMES OUR GAZE. COLOR IS ALMOST IRRELEVANT IN A NIGHT GARDEN. BECAUSE OF HOW OUR EYES SEE EVEN THE MOST INCENDIARY REDS AND ORANE TURN INTO MONOCHROME OF SILVER AND GRAYS UNDER A WANIG MOON. THE RETNIA, THE SENSATIVE LINING OF THE EYE'S INTERIOR, IS LAYERED WITH PHOTORECEPTIVE CELLS CALLED RODS AND CONES. RODS, WHICH DETECTS INTENSITY OF LIGHT, CAN SENSE LOW LEVELS OF ILLUMINATION. BUT CONES, WHICH DISTINGUISH COLOR, REQUIRES A THRESHOLD OF LIGHT HIGHER THAN PROVIDED BY THE FADING MOON.IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT THREASHOLD, COLOR WASHES AWAY.

THE PERFUME OF FLOWERS AT NIGHT IS NOTHING BUT RUSE. GRDENS AT NIGHT ARE MORE FRAGRANT THEN GARDENS AT DAY BECAUSE MOST MOCTURNAL POLLINATORS HAVE POOR EYIGHT SO MUST RELY ON THEIR SENSE OF SMELL TO FIND FLOWERS. THE WORLD OF NIGHT BLOOMERS AND THEIR POLLINATORS IS AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE FINELY HORNED THROUGH EONS OF EVELUTIONARY SELECTIONS. DAY TIME POLLINATORS LIKE BUTTERFLIES, BIRDS AND BEES AND MOTH DEPEND ON FRAGRANCE, THELUMINESCENCE OF WHITE PETELS, OR-AS IN THE ECHOLOCATION OF BATS-THE FAINT OUT LINE OF SHAPE.

THE WORD 'PARADISE' , ELIZABETH MOYNIHAN, AND ARCHITECTURAL HOSTORIAN, SAY CAN BE TRACED TO A TRANSLITERTION OF THE OLD PERSIAN WORD, PAIRIDAEZA, A WALLED GARDEN. "THE PARADISE PROMISED IN THE LORAN CONSISTS OF SEEVERAL TERRACES OF GARDEN, EACH MORE SPLENDID THAN THE AST," SHE WRITES.THE OPENED-AIR PALACE OF AN ISLAMIC GARDEN WAS LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY PARADISE ON EARTH, A PLACE TO DRINK WINE IN SILVER PITCHERS, EAT KABUL MELONS AND LISTEN TO POETRY.

IF A GARDNE IS A REACH TO RECLAIM EDEN, THEN PERHAPS OUR LONGING IS BEST REWARDED AT NIGHT. THE MOON FORGIVES THE BLIGHT LAID BARE BY SUN. THE CRAKERED FLOWERS, THE DESICCATED LEAF, THE ROTTEN BRANCH ARE SWALLOED BY SHADOWS, LEAVING ONLY THE ILLUSION OF PERFECTION, SILVERED BY STARLIGHT, GILDED BY MOON LIGHT. (SMILE)