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Gardens > Trip the light fantasticWe’re women – we like our lighting to multi-task for us. Lights aren’t just about being able to see – they’re increasingly, in terms of garden lights, just as much about being seen – the dilemma for the discerning diva though, is which one to choose? Candles for example, are all well and good. They create ambience, and yes, they can look great. But on the downside, you have to find them, site them, light them, keep them alight, beware the wax and clear them away when you’re done! Okay, so you can get non-drip candles. You can even get trick candles that won’t blow out (although you may feel slightly odd about using cake decorations as a lighting source!). But on the whole, candles are better for immediate lighting – good for checking the contents of yours and your woman’s wine glass but you might not necessarily want them all over your (flammable) garden space. Furthermore if you do happen to get carried away with a little wine-induced wanton-ness and you ‘forget’ to bring in the wax-sticks, chances are the sun will beat you up in the morning and you’ll rise to a series of sticky wax pools dotted around your yard – yuck. The next best thing – tea lights. There are loads of groovy little tea light holders to be found these days. They  have the bonus of (usually) protecting the flame against the probable (rather than possible) British breeziness. They can be more safely sited around your garden and then look fantastic when they’re lit. They do require, of course, frequent replacement and the effort of manually lighting them but hey, that can add to the sense of Sapphic occasion (and will hopefully lead to the aforementioned wine-induced wanton-ness!). But once sited the holders can usually be left in situ throughout the summer months. On the opposite end of the scale – there is the all singing, all dancing, cables laid, dimmer switched, zoned, timed, colour co-ordinated options that offer the spectacular light shows reminiscent of country estates and designer landscapes. Lighting kits are in abundance and are readily available for use in domestic settings but cost implications aside, don’t forget that it is now a legal requirement that domestic electrical installations are installed or altered and certified by a ‘competent person’ (i.e. an electrician registered with a government approved body such as the NICEIC). If all this siting, lighting and costliness sounds like too much though – invest in some solar powered lights. They’re quick and easy to install – no need for digging up your garden to put in cables. And no need for competent people and certification – you simply site them where you want them and hey presto, the sun does the rest for you. Solar powered lights are getting better looking by the day so you don’t have to compromise on aesthetics and most importantly they are powered by a renewable energy source, so you get to do at least a little bit for the environment. You can finally relax and enjoy that wine-induced wanton-ness without worrying that you didn’t blow out, clear up or switch-off your garden lights. Shedding further light on the topic: For a list of approved electricians click here. Check this out for further information about solar power and available solar-powered lights for your garden. |
"Solar powered lights are getting better looking by the day so you don’t have to compromise on aesthetics and most importantly they are powered by a renewable energy source..."
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