Garden Lighting

@Clare G, foot level lighting sounds really lovely: subtle and romantic. Enjoyed your link to St Catherine's College too.

@pete, think you and I must have similar neighbours!

 

I've never been one for garden lighting, seeing it as pollution and particularly now that I've moved to a rural area. But it's a point I have to consider because I have a long drive, and even with our car lights at night it's difficult to distinguish between drive and lawns when coming in. I was thinking on a few low solar lights dotted along both sides of the drive, just enough to be a guide, but reading the posts above it would seem they are not reliable. I'll have to re-think.

 

I'm sure there is an oxymoron of sorts there @Sheal

 

One alternative quite widely used round here are largish stones or boulders painted white. They define a driveway without causing light pollution.....Mind you, not much use under a foot of snow

 

They would be ... if taller than a foot

 

Nice idea Noisette but not practical with snow on the ground as you say.

Now there's an idea "M" ! Standing stones along the edges perhaps with white tips. Nahhh, to much hassle getting them planted. Snow poles would work!

 

Pound stores here sell cheapie reflectors on long skinny rods to push in the ground at the edges of the driveway. No light pollution just very visible.

Maybe they have them there as well?

 

Maybe reflectors would suit your situation Sheal, or reflector tape attached to poles along the driveway


Red Round Rear Reflector Pack of 10 for Trailers Fence Gate Posts TR072
by A B Tools
£8.99
14
5% off purchase of 2 items See Details
Product Description
... marking fence posts, gate posts etc... Centre mounting hole ...

 

@shiney its exactly the same here.

Part of the reason I started this thread was as I mentioned somewhere else, I am planning to add some lighting soon, and wanted input. To go through some of the points mentioned.

I'd never really thought about how much it affected neighbours. One of mine would probably object, but on the other hand, with a 4 metre tall conifer hedge in between our properties, he would not see anything anyway. I did talk to the only other one that would be affected a while ago. He welcomes the idea for reasons I do not want to go into on an open forum.

As regards light pollution. That will be difficult to do anything about, but I dont think that it is impossible. In the barbie and relaxing area, the lighting will only be on when that area is used. So light pollution will only occur on those occasions, and then only for a short time. We have long days here when the temperature is suitable to be outside.

To the front of the house. A good friend has given me an idea which I am looking into. If its possible - and I think it is - then doing it carefully should keep things down to a minimum, but also help to keep animals, such as wild boar out of the garden.

Keep the input coming!

 

Not had any problems with wild boar, so my lighting is obviously working.

 

Mine isn't when it comes to boar ...but the electric fence, cheap perfume and chilli powder are doing a grand job

 

Mine too, @pete ​

 

Thanks, reflectors are a good idea Lori and Tetters but they wouldn't help someone on foot and to be honest, being fussy, they would look so 'motorway' on my drive. Sorry!

I think it has to be some sort of low key lighting.