I'm not sure I've ever understood the reason for lighting the garden at night. I certainly can understand lighting a walkway from the house to the where cars are parked for safety reasons. Ideally on both a timer and a motion sensor at each end of the path.

But why would anyone walk around their garden in the dark anyway. I'm sure it might be interesting to do once. Night is for sleeping. Lighting close to the house around a patio too is understandable.

Summer would be the time to be out in the garden at night, but where I live it doesn't get dark till 10pm at high solstice and when the sun goes down it gets chilly quick, regardless of the day's temperature. Any entertaining has either wound down by then and people going home, or we all go in the house.

I have some solar lights out in the garden and the soft glow they give is pretty- like fairy lights. That they don't last the whole night is fine- 3 am who's out in the garden? Anything lasting all night would be wasteful of electricity.

If I ran electric low voltage lights, I would certainly put them on a timer. I also would do the same if I did some dramatic up lighting of trees or shrubs. I see photos of this stuff and think it's quite effective, however, I don't look at the garden even in the daytime out the windows, nighttime either- when I'm in I do inside stuff and if I want to enjoy the outside I don't look out the window longingly, I dress appropriately and get out!!

My thoughts are a bit rambly on this as just yesterday, I was out with gardening friends looking for lighting for one's condo- inside. But we saw all the outdoor and garden options and waxed rapturously about the possibilities in each other's gardens. I got some brochures and websites to look at....and it's a rainy sunday here and can't work in the soil.

In the end, I think I'll dream, but settle for the solar fairy lights I already have.

It's just the opposite here. During the summer the heat will keep you inside, so outdoor dinners or parties happen after the sun goes down and even then, its not uncommon for the temperatures to be in the 90's at 10:00 at night.

We are fortunate to live in a climate where our patio is used year round, and our vision is to create an outdoor room, sort of an extension of the house actually. I do enjoy my night blooming flowers and the aesthetics of soft lighting. :-) I've got my eye on a chimenea, as well.

Marilyn

I respectfully disagree with giardinierven. I love to be in the garden at night. There's nothing so pleasing as sitting outside on a warm summer night and smelling jasmine mixed with night blooming nicotiana, drinking a nice glass of wine. Lighting only adds to the enjoyment. Landscape lighting is cheap, easy and can be very environmentally friendly. Timers are the key.

Cousin Marilyn,
As someone who is frequently up at all hours of the night and who enjoys sitting in the peaceful garden at that time and who does look longingly out at the garden, every chance I get, (and who also has repeatedly dressed inappropriately to go out in same garden in nightclothes or ill fitting coats and footware belonging to other family members)I have to agree with Steven's comments.

As to lights bothering plants at night, my current home has an annoying but necessary security light which illuminates most of the property. Several friends also have these lights. We all have gardens and to my knowlegde none of us has noticed any negative effect from the lights.

The chimenea would be WONDERFUL!!!

PattiOh

Steven beat me to it. I second(or is that third?) exactly what he said.
I LOVE being out in the garden after dark. Either walking around or sitting on a bench enjoying the sights, sounds and smells. I installed low voltage lighting in the front two years ago. Lit up the front walk and did some up lighting on a couple trees. I think it looks great and am really happy with it. I plan on adding lighting to the south garden this spring. I'll put some lights around the patio, and probably accent a few trees. Everthing is on timers.
As far as I can tell there have been no ill effects on the surrounding plants from the lighting.
I have the advantage of working with lighting contractors for my companies installations. I've learned what works and what doesn't.
Lighting is something that a lot of people are interested in, but few know how to do right. I see so many yards with lights just randomly strewn about. A light needs to serve a purpose. Line a walk or pathway; brighten a patio; accent a tree. No plastic, either!

Cousin Patti,

"and who also has repeatedly dressed inappropriately to go out in same garden in nightclothes or ill fitting coats and footware belonging to other family members". That describes me perfectly! :-) I've walked around my garden in some very creative outfits before. lol I'm glad to hear that your garden has not been effected by night lighting and that I'm not alone when it comes to creative garden wear!

Steven,

I tried Nicotiana for the first time last year, and fell in love with it. Your description of enjoying a glass of wine and the beauty of a warm summer night perfectly describes my vision, and if you have never experienced the scent of honeysuckle at night, well..I heartily recommend it.

Mr. Morton,

I totally agree with you about the placement of lighting. I am researching the topic right now, and am finding there is really an art to doing it correctly and effectively. I love what you have done, and what you are planning on doing. I hope my plan comes out even half as nice as yours!

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Marilyn

Do you mean to tell me pajamas, night robe and slippers are not an appropriate early morning stroll outfit? Not what fashionable gardeners wear all the time? I'm shocked, truly shocked, LOL!

Marilyn, I love to be in the garden anytime, so evening /night is no exception. Like you, we also have a patio that is mostly welcome at nights in hot weather and where we have a table for meals and chairs. I absolutely *love* the idea of an outside chimney/fireplace. Have you seen the slide show on outdoor fireplaces on the bhg website? That might give you some ideas as well. I have seen some cute free standing chimneys for sale here as well. They look a bit like a UFO and some are finished in either a black or verdigris finish, which is very stylish, IMO.

As for lighting, we don't have lighting specifically for the garden, but we have wrought iron traditional lanterns all around the house (including the patio) and also on the inside of the perimeter walls of the plot. As we have such a tiny garden this is usually enough and I like the coordinated traditional look of it, which is in keeping with the house. None of these lights are automatic or on timers, they are simply on demand - we just press the switch when we need light.

Exceptions to this rule are one lantern on the front wall of the house, which is activated and deactivated by the alarm system in the house. It turns on at a certain time and then turns off again. This provides light for security reasons to the front of the house. We also have a motion detection sensor above the porch which turns on the lights on the front steps all the way to the front door. Again, for security reasons, works very well and is efficient, since it only operates if anyone comes near the gate.

We do not have any atmospheric lighting (other than at Christmas time :-)), which sounds very nice as per MrMorton description. Very dramatic, I bet. Would love to see pics. We don't have solar lights either. I have been eyeing those for a while and thinking I would like a few. Hum, now you got me thinking...

Eduarda

I have solar lights in my garden and I love to go out very early in the morning before the sun is up, to start my day with a glass of tea, while I listen to the world coming to life. I have mine placed throughout the garden to accents certain areas or certain plants. I'd like to get another uplight to place down in front of the fountain. Nothing more relaxing that watching the fountain at night while the lighting highlights the spray of water. I spend a lot of time in my garden during nighttime hours simply because it gets too hot during the day for most of the summer. I've never noticed lighting having any impact on the plants either.

MeMo

Yes, it adversely impacts Chrysanthemums and Pointsettias...the two most famous plants known to have flowering triggered by day length.

Although plenty of catalogs tout their particular Sunflowers varieties as being "daylength neutral", as it turns out, a new study announced all Sunflowers are daylength neutral. (according to the Univ of Kansas)

Lime

It is a thing of beauty to be in our garden on a full moon night! We have a stream and waterfall and two bridges in our garden, with lights under the bridge and behind the waterfall. The lighting is very subtle (and for safety to not walk into the stream).

As for other lights, we use solar candle votives that glow yellow. These are only along our flagstone paths and at steps. These do not seem bright enough to impact the plants and I've not seen any problems.

Hey Marilyn, I'll take an evening stroll in your gardens any time! : ) And count me in as one who loves being outside at night. There are so many interesting sights and sounds that you won't see or hear during the brighter hours of the day. One of my favs - the pair of great horned owls calling sweetly to each other from the old native oaks.

I have heard that artificial light can affect plants such as morning glories, but that is when they are located near a bright porch light. I don't think I'd worry much about it unless you planned on having the lights on all night long and quite a few of them, at that. But then your neighbors would probably let you know of their displeasure before the plants would be affected. ; )

"I don't look at the garden even in the daytime out the windows, nighttime either- when I'm in I do inside stuff and if I want to enjoy the outside I don't look out the window longingly, I dress appropriately and get out!!"

Well, I'm just the opposite. I find I do some of my best garden planning while gazing out the windows. But then I have a ton of windows in my home so it would be almost impossible NOT to look out the windows, day or night. Of course, it does help to have nice gardens to look at. And some of us have views that, er, sort of "invite" a bit of gazing. ; )
{{gwi:638483}}

I say light up those gardens and take a stroll! You can sleep when you RIP. lol!

Diana

Edna has not responded to this post but I am sure that night time you will find her with her sling shot taking care of those nasty snails. . .LOL! In all seriousness snail hunting is one afterdark garden activity.

Marilyn, I too use solar lights. Right now, it's not wise for me to invest in powered lights, even though they give off more light. I enjoy, like you said, the candle-like light they put off.

I don't believe they give off enough light for it to interfere with the plants photosynthesis process in any way. I've had mine going for three years now and all of the plants are doing fine.

Tracy

I have had both solar and low voltage lighting in my gardens and couldn't live w/o them. I agree wholeheartedly with what Steve said - nothing like enjoying the garden at night with a glass of wine. The smells of many garden plants are stronger at night - nicotiana, datura, moonflower, even petunias to name a few. My husband and I do our best talking and planning 1-2am sitting out and just enjoying in the garden and night sounds. Every single night that temps allow we are out there 11:00pm and later. January was great with the unusually warm temps and the daphne odorata smelled so good and still does late at night. The solar lights just added to the ambience......

Lynne

I appreciate all of you sharing your experiences with lighting. There is something very magical about being in a garden at night, and you all expressed it far better than I ever could. :-)

Thank you all!
Marilyn

I'm envious of Steven; he may be only 30 minutes away from my home in the Oakland hills, but our temps are so much cooler that for us to be in the garden at night almost necessitates sleeping bags! We bundle up in heavy coats, lined pants, hats, and old blankets.

We would like to run electrical but it would mean installing a subpanel, a very costly upgrade. So we run solar, using both post lamps and the small accent lamps. My husband prefers the amber shades, because he likes that warm golden glow instead of the cooler harsh white LED types. When it's a full moon it's truly beautiful -- if cold -- in our garden during nighttime.

Patti and Marilyn, when were you at my house? These two "widder women" do the same thing. Diane doesn't own a housecoat that isn't mud stained and I have 5 or 6 pairs of shoes out there.
The problem we have encountered with the solar lights is that the dogs knock them over. I guess we need to put a large rock or two around them.

I live in a reasonably nice neighborhood but I will NOT be putting in solar lights unless they are set in concrete (sort of ruining the moveable effect). My neighbors had 14 of their 19 solar lights stolen out of their yard on two separate nights last summer. Seriously. They have a corner lot people just came right into the yard in the middle of the night and stole 10 of them. I guess the theives decided they needed a few more so they came back the next week and took 4 more.

I am so bad to fall asleep in my secret hammock in the woodsy area of my garden. I just realized I use my dog to guide me home in the dark for bathroom breaks. She is trained for this becuase my vision is horrible without my contacts and my night vision is way worse. A few solar light would probably help me huh? duh. I like the idea of solar becuase I am frugal.That usualy amazes people becuase I am only 30. I guess that is supposed to come with age? I inherited it honestly.
Our patio has beds between the stuco walls and patio floors i think I will put some solar light in them at least one per bed. Thanks for the idea.
I to get some pretty dorky outfits at nite in the garden. Can't wait until my privacy planting mature more.lol

Kathy, It's nice to see that I'm not the only one with a gardening nightgown! lol

Bindersbee, I have all my solar lights in the backyard but as far as I can tell, neighbors who have them in the front have not had their lighting disturbed by vandals. It always amazes me how people can walk right up to a house and take things- plants, birdbaths, solar lights etc. I have a friend who woke up one morning to find someone had dug out a large rose bush from her side garden!

Amazon, I really love my solar lights and encourage you to give them a try. For very little money, it's a nice effect at night. My solars look like votive candles when lit and I always enjoy the soft, glowing effect it gives off at night.

Marilyn

bump

Not go into the garden at night?????? I'll frequently start gardening after dinner and just keep going until 10 or even 11 PM. No nightgowns, though. Just the same dirty shorts and Tee I started with earlier. Right now I use the outside lights and floods on my house to see by.

However, I'm also considering solar lights, mostly for accent so I can see into my backyard from the wall-sized bank of windows in my family room. I'm leary of poor quality based on past reports and looking for a good, reliable brand.

Giardinierven,

I agree with you for the most part on garden lighting. It does not get cold here at night, however, and I do have seasonal outside entertainment

We Americans love our cookouts and backyard get-togethers. It's a tradition that began in the early days of this country when everyone got together to help one another build a house, or a barn, or a church, or dig a well. They got together to plant their crops and later to help one another harvest them. The women worked hard cooking the food to feed everyone while the men worked hard with the community project. It continued on through the pioneers days and on into the early 20th century. It still occurs in farming communities and some religious communities today. Afterwards they celebrated what they had accomplished together. They had a lot of fun at these gatherings. So it has become traditional to Americans to gather together with good food and good fun outdoors in our back yards and gardens.

I have solar lamps out by my fish pond too, to light up the paths. If I need to go out at night I carry a flashlight (torch). On moonlit nights, the garden is well-lit and I do enjoy strolling through my fragrant gardens by moonlight.
If I am entertaining outside at night, I have a patio light and for low-cost lighting that adds a bit of romance and sparkle, I string up white Christmas lights. They look pretty on small potted trees too.

To conserve our electrical usage, we disconnected our outside power pole backyard light provided by our power company. It burned day and night and was so wasteful. We only turn on lights that we are using. We don't leave any lights on to burned continuously. I use the energy saver light bulbs everywhere, even in my greenhouse.
Of course, I live a more humble lifestyle than probably do many of you, based on what I have seen through the posted photos of your homes and gardens, so this is suffice for me.
Outdoor garden lighting is very dramatic and lovely and can add to the beauty of gardens for the more elegant homes.

I do think however, that we Americans need to change some of our grand ways and greatly cut our extravagant uses of water and power or we won't have a planet home or gardens. I am sure there are solar-powered lighting systems out there you can find to use rather than those that use precious electricity generated by the fossil fuels of oil and coal.

Good hunting for the right system.
~Annie
Earth Day Every Day

If I put lights in my garden, I think the deer would say, "How thoughtful of these nice gardeners to mark this fine dining destination with such beautiful mood lighting." As it is, we have one hideous orangey-colored solar light out back. A "test", as my husband calls it. It serves no purpose and sits askew, day in and day out. I have no idea what he has learned from it, if anything. We also have a 3-light white light solar set out front. It gets moved around a lot, mainly because it is always in the way and the wires are always tangled. They were another "test" -- to see how well they would light up our rock walls. (Not so well, in case you're wondering.) And then there is my more expensive set of matching, brushed nickel solars. They, too, have moved around numerous times. They are currently at the ends of my Stargazer Lily patches beside my front "walkway". In all locations, the plants have seemed to do just fine, but then again, we live in the land of cloudy days.

I am almost constantly gazing out my windows. My mother says I have always been that way. Even as baby she would set my bassinet by the window and I was happy and content looking out the window. :)
I love being out in my gardens. I love sitting out there day or night - cold or hot.
I love sitting out at night gazing up at the night sky. Getting rid of our yard light improved my night sky watching. The meteor showers in August are indiscribable.
Except for moonless nights, I don't need any outside garden lighting.
I love listening to the night sounds - the singing of crickets; the courting of frogs and toads and the not-so-far-off cries of the prairie coyotes; the barking of a dog somewhere in the distance and the hooting of owls down in Owl's Canyon...and all the things that add their songs to the night world!
I love sitting out during a gentle spring shower, and am thrilled by the lightening shows and booms of thunder in a summer thunderstorm with the fresh smell of wet dirt in the air. I do alot of sunset gazing and sunrise watching on the steps while I sip my first cup of coffee early in the morning. I am still thrilled by the flickering lights of lightening bugs on warm Southern summer nights. There is so much to enjoy outside in the garden - the sights, the sounds, the smells, the peace and quiet - day or night.
~ Annie