Garden night light

Saturday, July 07, 2012

There’s an almost naughty thrill about being in the garden after dark, says Kya deLongchamps

With the exception of Stalag 17 bulkhead luminaries, lights evoke a dynamic magic within the stir of growing things and their attendant shadows. Ensure safe passage by night and put a gilded edge on your garden’s inherent aesthetics strengths and features.

Bright ideas:

A creative ramble around with a powerful torch allows you to pick out likely areas and features to celebrate. Focus your beam from different angles on everything from entertaining patios to pathways and groups of planting. Keep in mind that the view from the home will be the principle one.

Think of the entire garden rather than huddling lighting shyly around the house. A light at the end of the lawn will draw the eye, making the whole place feel rangy and you don’t have to have it on all the time. Pools of shadow contrasting with points of light add more fascination than an over-lit GAA pitch.

The mains event:

Low voltage mains fed lighting (12V) can go anywhere a cable and suitable transformer will support them. A DIY scheme is within the grasp of most weekend warriors. Be prepared to do some shallow digging to hide wiring, and budget for a RECI qualified electrician to wire in more complex light fittings. Add up the wattage of each individual unit, select the correct transformer with a higher wattage than that total, and connect them by cable finishing with a residual current device (RCD) to your power point. B&Q offer a flexible halogen lighting system (Select-a-Light) mixing and matching within the range from spots to spikes. Each light simply clips into the dedicated 15m-35m cable and 60W or 150W transformer and through a residual current device (RCD) to your power point.

Where you need a well lit stage over a wide area, floodlights set at least 6m off the ground with a friendly low wattage to reduce glare, will open up larger areas of the garden for entertaining. Keep in mind that low level light fixtures set in borders will rarely be spotted in an established garden, so when it comes to finish save your money for more obvious positions where materials like glass and stainless steel will be on show in pillars, bollards, posts and high wall lights.

Task meets decorative:

Politely glowing rather than stark, low voltage recessed LED lighting can be set into decks and walling for a touch of illumination without the determined focus of low voltage CFLs or Halogen bulbs. Recessed deck or path lighting set in walls, steps and boards, have a sleek urban edge and mains fed is a reliable permanent source of flattering task light. Inset deck lights are not only atmospheric, but add valuable illumination for climbing steps. Combine larger spots softened by a frosted lens for the steps and smaller points of LED light for the risers. Alternatively wash the steps and decking with spots set in planting to the side of the surfaces to open up the place with a soft relaxing wash. Glare guards direct the light out of your eyes, especially important when guiding over steps and deck ways. You can diffuse lights through shrubs to reduce glare, but ensure high wattage does not burn leaves. Try some modest theatrics, while retaining mystery with plenty of shadow play. Train lights onto garden statuary, rake a brick wall from below for vivid texture. Point spots up from the base of trees lapping light onto branches and leaves to define their sculptural beauty and gentle movement. Alternatively point lights down from the tree to ‘moonlight’ its shadows on the ground or light it directly from behind the trunk in a showy silhouette. Place mains light around the edges of a pool to perform as a mesmerising reflector, or back light a water fall in colour.

Wire Free:

Diminutive LED solar powered lights can be used for fun and function, but don’t expect more than a splash of decorative light from anything set up on a high prong or set deep into busy borders. Solar powered ground spikes are economical and can be pulled up and repositioned where you fancy without the hassle of wires and power points. Dual function models that light white for everyday use and can be switched to colour changers for high days and family BBQs are twice the price of electing for one function. Argos offer an eight pack of stainless steel spikes with dual performance for €40.49, still a deal at just over a five a spike.

Wind/ Solar Power

Wind energy has joined the sustainable family of garden lights, but the technology is new and therefore somewhat pricey. IKEA’s Solvinden solar and wind powered pendant in white or candy stripes polyamide skirts, revolve in the slightest breeze charging in just 9-12 hours to deliver 12 hours of light. Hang the lamps in a group low along a table for an elegant evening meal with zero energy costs or worry about an open flame in a traditional lantern. From €30.49. The solar fuelled range in Solvinden includes light chains, flocks of clip-birds to perch through trees and table bowls, half-globes and a lovely enclosed white ‘light bag’. Prices start at just €8.12.

Garden Lighting

Put a glint and glimmer into even the smallest garden with these instant effects.

* Don’t reserve the solar chains just for Christmas. Tangle them up through trees, over arbours and trim out the fencing with glowing flora and fauna. When using mains chains, ensure they are plugged through a residual-current device and bring them indoors when you’re finished especially the fabric varieties which will wilt in rain.

* If your door is flanked by ornamental trees such as bay topiaries, poke some wireless solar LEDs, flashing or stable, back into the leaves for extra glam. Let them glow in a softly lit area.

* Still disguising the housing, dress borders with resin ‘rock’ lights, great for sitting undetected snuggled up against some large authentic boulders in hard landscaping, and great value at €13-€30 for a pack of three, depending on their size.

* Finally, don’t forget the enduring appeal of candlelight. Cheap, flattering to the face and always mesmeric with romance, votives in singles and groups are ideal and relatively safe, if burned on a heat resistant stable surface, and perfect for nestling into a range of supports, including heat resistant lawn bags, and shrubby glass candelabra. We love Meadows & Byrnes classy Leaf Cut Moroccan style lanterns. €7.99 each and Carraig Donn’s stunning pink, green or blue glass tumblers with a handy curly crystal drop spoon to place your light, strewn with butterflies and blossoms. €3.99. Smack away infant fingers. Home