Energy considerations aside big displays like this can be great. The funny thing here as that places with lavish or spectacular seasonal light displays often have otherwise nothing landscaping, with little planting or seasonal flower color.

Really lights up the car like daylight. The photos are almost like a car advertisement.

Speaking of lights, I succumbed to the packaging promise of less energy use and bought two strings of "white" LED lights, intending to take back my garden from the darkness of night, which seems sooooo dreadfully loooooooong this time of year. So look out the back windows and what do we have but ICE BLUE lights adorning the giant bird of paradise. Just didn't WORK. (!!!) Maybe if it were a pale expanse of lumpy white snow-covered bushes, MAYBE that would have been attractive. But in a lush green winter garden, lemons hanging on the trees, I much prefer the warmer-looking little gold lights, so promptly removed the ice cold blue LEDs back to their too-small boxes and the store that originally tempted me. So is this a color wheel problem again? Blue versus gold? Complementary colors? I am so bedazzled I cannot think...

So let's all post photos of our light displays, eh? Stay tuned, right now it's much too cold outside to go take photos, especially barefoot...

Catkim...

Until they fix that "blue" color on the LED lights...I'm going to stick to my old-fashioned incandescents. I'm too cranky to get pics tonight...MAYBE tomorrow night.

Don't get excited...my display is pretty paltry!

I don't do much exterior decorating any more, simple wreathes on the doors is about it. But I love what others do even if it's over the top. A friend and I went to "Bentleyville" to see that display for the first time the other night. Perhaps "magical" is overused when it comes to the holidays, but 4 acres of a local businessman's 14 acre property with several million lights and a couple of feet of snow on the ground... well, even the jaded are a little dazzled. The only admission fee is a food item for the local food shelves.

For years, because of dh's schdule, I put up the exterior lights. Which meant that they were no higher than a 5'5" person standing on a step stool. I prefer baking to decorating. This year, he did it. I am afraid I enjoyed his frustration too much. For all the shrubs and trees in our (ok, MY) landscaping there is not really anything that is perfect to light. A design flaw. (Have any of you professionals thought of holiday lighting when you are designing?) It did not help that I am out there screeching watch the buds on the rhodie, don't put the ladder there, you will hurt the new viburnum, etc. And now the old strands of light have one by one quit working.

Am I the only scrooge who really does not care for outdoor Christmas lights? No offense, lawnmasters, but it just doesn't do it for me. My idea of a nicely decorated house is one that has an interior tree with nice lights (preferably white, but I'll accept colored) that you can see from the road - through a front window usually. A wreath on the door and perhaps a swag on the railing.

I guess I am a grinch.

Bah humbug!

The loveliest decoration around here every year, to my eye, is the solitary poplar - the tall narrow kind that looks like a cypress - at the top of the hill, a single strand of white lights wound up it so that at night you see a freestanding magical spiral.

Here's a link to a fellow who's thought hard about the effect his lights have on the big picture.

Here is a link that might be useful: carbon neutral lights

That effect with the poplar sounds great. I've tried to spiral them up a snow gum here but couldn't reach high enough and didn't have enough lights.

Don't exactly know why I'm pushing this thread onward. Was lurking through some of the forums on That Home Site and the question came up "How Much Decorating Do You Do?" There was the string of obvious excited replies; then one simple post where foreclosure would preclude any decorating (and Christmas as well). And this post was rolled over by the Bomag of Other Advancing Agendas. Not one kind word from the normally effusive and huggy participants. I'll go back and step out of lurkdom...

To hell with it duluth let's light it up this is part of our tradition so let's celebrate. Call it tacky if you want but let's light it up; design a Christmas and show it here.

duluth, I think I can relate.......I was watching the news this morning, reporting on the aftermath of a rather devastating storm we had here this week that left many homeless because of major flooding. It was difficult to think of what their Christmas may be like, as they didn't even have places to live anymore, let alone something to string some lights on. Some folks barely escaped with their lives, the water rose so fast. Seeing that kind of devastation and the amazing attitudes these folks have mucking out what's left of their belongings kind of puts things into a proper perspective. It was the woman who just barely managed to escape with her 13 year old son and his friend but lost her 4 dogs that really got me, soppy animal lover that I am. She got them all out of the house and into the car in time, but the car became swamped and the dogs were too panicked to leave it when they had to abandon it and scamper to higher ground.

As to the other forum and the apparent lack of sensitivity to the plights of others in dire circumstances, I think a lot of it's avoidance - the "there but for the grace of God" syndrome. It is easier to ignore than it is to deal with or offer support as dealing with it tends to personalize it and brings the situation so much closer.

I love Christmas as much as the next, but sometimes the whole concept turns me off. Christmas shopping in particular. I met my brother for lunch yesterday at a restaurant close to a large mall and it was almost overwhelming. Too many people spending too much money on totally unnecessary stuff. It's hard to reconcile that against those - like the folks in this morning's news - that have virtually nothing.

My own decorations run to the very minimal - a wreath of greens I make at a work, a few lights and lots of candles. Doesn't seem important to have a tree just for me and when I spend the day with family that does have one. But I do enjoy driving around at night and admiring other's decorating handiwork :-))

Gosh, this entire reply sounds a bit of a downer! Didn't mean it to be so, just thought a touch of reality might be appropriate.

I don't know. Your thoughts and Duluth's fit well with the season. I have trouble capturing the magic of Christmas, when I fail to deal with its realities.

Whatever our personal beliefs, the people at the first Christmas were dealing with pain and hardship. Joseph was struggling with his questions about how Mary got herself pregnant. Mary was doing what teenage girls did back then--marrying an older man. They have to travel on foot, when Mary's about to give birth, because of an oppressive world power occupying their country. When they get there, nobody cares, and they take shelter in a cave converted for use by animals.

Look for an "alternative Christmas" program in your area. They support things like providing portable stoves to refugees in Darfur, Heiffer International, Habitat For Humanity, etc. Or maybe take a boatload of cash and a cup of coffee to one of the Salvation Army's "ringers". Or see if you can get on the schedule to help serve food at a homeless shelter and take along a few wrapped toys for the kids you'll meet there.

Times are tougher this year, as I know through my work, and the light of Christmas is more than what happens when you put a plug in a socket.

Yes: The less fortunate I think about in the midst of all the seasonal extravagance here are the millions who couldn't even consider participating in such at any time due to tiny annual incomes. No flood required. And I also think about the over-spending on credit that has become widespread, the continuing loss of jobs that pay enough for the high-consumption lifestyle. When is the bubble going to burst?

Has anyone else noticed the inverse proportion ratio? Oftentimes the great gardeners don't participate in the kilowatt competition. On the other hand, all of the Griswalds usually maintain a horticultural blank slate.

IronBelly

What are Griswalds and Bomags?

I meant Lombardi poplars, above.

Christmas lights make me think about polar bears - their endangerment as a species due to global warming due to our overconsumption of energy. That's what's happening in the true north, as opposed to the Santa Claus north.

"Griswald" is a reference to the 1989 classic Chevy Chase movie, "Christmas Vacation". The main character's (Chevy) last name was Griswald. Part of the story focused on his obsession to have more Christmas lights on his house than anyone else.

"Bomag" is a reference to equipment like featured below. A synonyms could be "steam rolled", "flattened" or "smashed".

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IronBelly

BOMAG is the world market leader in compaction technology and the manufacturing of machines for the compaction of soils, asphalt and refuse. We always referred to the large drum roller machines as "Bomags".

As for the Griswalds... (National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movie) stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswald who wants the family to follow elaborate Christmas traditions. Hilarity ensues.

Okay thanks!

You see, I'm not a Scrooge at all!! Christmas Vacation is one of my alltime favorite movies and far and away the best Christmas movie ever. Who needs It's a Wonderful Life when you have the Griswalds? The cat and the Christmas tree cords is a classic....:-))

This is probably a first on the LD forum, Spike is twisting in his leotard as we speak. We start with an advertisment we then segue into a question about "how Mary got herself pregnant" and then out again into a movie recommendation and another ad. But as always it is a question of taste. We don't like Christmas lights but we love Chevy Chase. Go figue (not a spelling mistake).

It's all part of the "landscaping" of our lives. Think of It's a Wondefful Life and Miracle on 34th. St. as the stately corner Arborvitae with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story (remember little Ralphie and his much desired Red Ryder BB gun?) as the fill in shrubs. For dots of interest here and there, throw in all the Claymation Crap featuring the voice of Burl Ives to show just how far off the color wheel you can spin. And, voila, you've got design for the holidays all wrapped up.

And Spike's leotards are twisting somewhere other than on the GardenWeb, from what I gather. No?

"Figue". Is this a term of reproach; an insult by thrusting the thumb between two fingers?

Well I'm going to be shallow and post photos of lights. This holiday season is a challenge for me cheer-wise, so putting up my little six strings of lights is just a way of fighting off some of the literal and figurative darkness. If this is too distressing for you, hit your 'Back' button.

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Very lovely, Catkim. I find white lights so cheery!

They look like pearls! Beautiful. (and "challenges" always seem worse at the holidays.)
Nancy

Fig? Go fig? Trying to say fugue? This thread is a crazy fugue in a way.

But if it's not misspelled for sure, I'm lost.

Maro

This was a hard one to pin down - thought because a French spin was put on it. (Figue = fig = prickley pear) But did find the one Shakespearean allusion to it as being a reproach or insult as described above. Unless there's an otherwise explanation, think the thread was figuratively shot the bird or somesuch. Prove me wrong, somebody.

Hi! How are you all?
I've seen that the subject is about lighting ...
Could you check if you like these beautiful lights?
http://www.decomundi.com/view_all_products/1/latest/297/m/
Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Decomundi Lighting

...and the circle is now complete.

I feel the same as bonsai audge says... the circle is now complete! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Home Decoration

While we're talking about the Griswald's display, let's not forget the beautiful window display of the leg lamp.

WOW! I didn't expect to stir anything up just posting some christmas lights! To the tree huggers, Just so you know, I don't promote this elaborate display to others, its just something that a customer wanted, (you know, the customer is always right), he had a $500.00 light bill for december last year, and we added 10k lights this year so he'll probably have a doozie this year. At any rate, I just thought it was impressive, kind of like going to Opryland in Nashville. Now there's some fossil burning. For the time it took to hang these things, I wouldn't want to do any more.
Merry Christmas,
Greg Pierce, CTP

I hate the term "treehugger." Such a blatant pejorative, and it shows that the user has already closed his mind to different ways of doing things.

So you were "just following orders" were you? Where have I heard that before?
:)
Thanks for responding Greg.