Garden lights.

We own a nice terraced house with small courtyard garden. We are in the process of making this our summer entertaining area. We have ivy covering one wall and two large bamboo plants in pots, we also have a small barrel and pump type water feature which is slightly elevated. We have an arched enterance to the garden which currently has a clematis montana rubens sneaking up the frame. What we need now are lights. What we want is for them to shine upwards. We have seen a pack of four spiked spot lights at B&Q priced including transformer for £49, alternatly we could use solar spot lights which are cheaper, which should we go for???? I hear these solar lights are not much good for light shining upwards. All advice welcome.

Dennis and Brenda

 

It`s just to shine upwards from the base of the bamboo `s and the ivy. I have seen the effects it has when light shines up. Thanks for the reply.

Denn

 

Solar lights being solar rely on the sun to shine and there by charge the batteries. So if its an overcast day, you are going to have no light.

Even when a solar light battery is fully charged they lights do not stay on for that long anyway so will be of little use.

Stick with a mains / transformer supplied light, it comes on when you want it to, it stays on for as long as you like, it will work if it has been an overcast day.

I have nothing against solar lights its just that they are not yet of much use.

 

You can get solar lights that have a spotlight effect - I think we got one in Wilkinson's. You could use a couple of them to highlight the bamboo etc, but as Water-Garden says their light life each night is limited. Ours go off by the middle of the night (2 or 3am).

 

Must be lots of sunshine then, most only last 3-4 hours at best. And of course when do you need light the most? winter when is there least amount of sunshine? Winter

 

Midwinter we're lucky if they come on at all!