Energy efficient ways to light up your garden

Posted On Tuesday, 21 February 2017 16:58 Published by
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The sun might be setting a little earlier than it did at the beginning of the year.

Solar_Lights

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t spend the last of those summer evenings outdoors relaxing with family and friends,” says Tony Clarke, Managing Director of the Rawson Property Group.

“We all want to do our best to save electricity and develop wise habits to ensure that it’s used sparingly, in fact, with a little bit of planning and some smart investments,this liability could soon be a thing of the past especially if you consider using these cost-effective and sustainable lighting options.”

Solar-powered lights

Solar-powered lights actually beat electricity because they use the sun to power them up after dark – not only making them extremely affordable but also very sustainable on our environment. “These nifty little lights are by far the best invention since electricity plus you don’t need to worry about getting a handy-man to install them as there are no wires or cables. It’s also important to keep in mind, which areas around the garden you would like to place these lights as they work best in a sunny location where they can receive enough daily sunlight to get a full charge so that it can power up and beautifully light up your garden for those summer evenings,” says Clarke.  Solar-powered lights are available from most DIY, outdoor gardening, and lighting stores around South Africa and prices starts from R80 per light.”

Jar lights

“We all know that candles and the great outdoors can be a risky combo however, with the help and protection of glass jars you can actually light up your entire back garden with candles,  without worrying that anything could burn down,” says Clarke.  You can use jars of different shapes and sizes,  jam jars, mayonnaise jars and pickle jars are just some of the examples, cover them in translucent glass paint (or leave as is) and secure a strong chord around the tops of each jar to create a string of DIY fairy lights that you can hang over your veranda.

Glow-in-the-dark pots

“This idea is great for those who have children, enjoy being creative and/or have a small garden to light up,” says Clarke.

All you need are a few outdoor pot plants and a couple of bottles of glow-in-the-dark spray paint from your nearest DIY store: cover your pots with a few coats of the spray paint, let it soak up the day light and watch it light up when the sun goes down. The glow-in-the-dark spray paint can create a yellow colour film over the pots; avoid it by using terracotta coloured pots to paint over.

Battery-powered LED Lights

“This is a great alternative for those who might not have full access to the sun, to fire up solar-powered lights,” says Clarke.  

“LED lights are durable against any weather condition and also has a great life span, which means that you won't have to constantly replace them after a few uses. Plus, with the availability of rechargeable batteries, you’ll save even more.”

LED lights are readily available at local DIY stores, outdoors and gardening, and lighting stores.

If you love to spend your summer nights outdoor with family and friends choosing a minimal lighting setup is perhaps the best option for using less energy overall. Remember, the key is to strategically light only what’s necessary.

Last modified on Tuesday, 21 February 2017 17:24

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