String up party lights for garden fun and ambience
Once again I find that the Germinatrix and I are on the same wavelength. It must be the Texas connection. Ivette, whose agave fascination is more fully realized than mine, just posted about stringing party lights in her garden as a permanent fixture. Some of her more tasteful (pretentious?) friends discouraged her, saying party lights are “downscale.” Thinking of beergartens and of fiesta nights in her former hometown of San Antonio, she put them up anyway, creating liveliness and mood in her garden.
As coincidence would have it, last weekend I strung party lights as a permanent fixture in my garden. (OK, actually I just directed my talented husband in the stringing of more party lights; we already had one string up.) We were preparing to have a number of guests over, and knowing that our small rooms couldn’t comfortably accommodate everyone indoors, we set about making the back-yard garden as welcoming as possible. Aside from a well-stocked bar and some food, that meant lights, and plenty of them.
Up went 50-foot lengths of commercial-style string lights, the same ones used to festively illuminate popular restaurant patios in Austin. After much searching and finally asking a local electrician, we found them at The Lightbulb Shop on Burnet Road in Austin — the place with the can’t-miss-it light-bulb-man sign. We learned that commercial-quality light strings don’t come cheap, but they are built to last.
The strings are heavy, so we used plastic ties to clip them to flexible wire cable that we strung from eave to tree to eave and then along the side of the garage to the greenhouse/shed.
The bulbs, also from the Lightbulb Shop, are only 11 watts, each one not much brighter than a nightlight, and the result is a pleasant glow. We certainly didn’t want a prison-yard effect that comes from using overhead bulbs that are too bright. We wired a plug to the end of the strand, plugged it into an outdoor receptacle on our porch eave (an electrician installed one for us), and voila. Let there be light!
As you can see, the strings are visible but unobtrusive in the daytime. Anyway, I enjoy the roof-like feeling they provide in an outdoor seating area. Not only do they make our garden inviting and fun for a party, they also entice the kids to play in the back yard after the sun goes down. Austin is embarking on several months of lovely outdoor weather, so even though the days are shorter it’s nice to be out in the garden after dark, especially with the firepit.
In the front garden, after years of getting by with two inadequate front-porch lights, we finally installed low-voltage path lights and uplights last spring. It made a huge difference. They come on with a timer, so now we can get the paper before sunrise without a flashlight. Guests can see the path clearly, and they also get glimpses of the garden’s architecture. The nighttime garden has a little drama now, with two uplights on trees playing up their structure.
So after years of procrastinating about garden lighting, I’m totally sold on it. It adds a whole new dimension to the enjoyment of my garden. And if, like me, you sometimes find yourself weeding or planting after dark, lighting allows you to drop that flashlight and get both hands dirty.
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Lighting is one of the (many) things I still want to tackle in my garden. I love your party lights…they’re very tasteful and understated, and I can definitely imagine that they bathe the garden in a very pretty glow.
There are so many lighting choices available that I found it hard to decide what to use. Making the decision is the hardest part, I think. But once they’re in, you realize how much lights add. Good luck with your future lighting project, Colleen. —Pam
I think your lights very tasteful not a bit down scale. Any time you do something that makes your garden more inviting it is and upscale. Just think of all those chirstmas lights that you put up inside the house. They make your inside more feastive. I always hate to take down the lights after the holidays. Some I leave up until the days start to become longer.
Your light job looks very professional. Husband did a good job. Of course it had to be a good job he had your supervision. 🙂
Thanks, Lisa. Speaking of Christmas lights, I use a few of those too, wrapped around the roof of my greenhouse/shed. But they’re not really made for long-term use outside. They do add a festive feel though. —Pam
That is nice. I have some wires strung on cables in that way between trees, although they are used to power floodlights that we rarely turn on. The only problem is that you have to watch them. They tend to pull out of the trees after a while and the wires begin to sag.
How did you attach yours to your trees, Bill? We have one strand that wraps in a U-shape around the trunk of the cedar elm, which we protected with a length of cut garden hose. One side did sag a bit after a while, but it was easy to tighten up. —Pam
I really like the style of the bulb/sockets. Very cool!
We only found the one style at the Light Bulb Shop, but I was happy with the look as well. —Pam
I can’t tell you how timely this post is for me. I live in Allandale and have been wanting those exact lights for my yard, but didn’t know where to find them. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hello, Elizabeth in Allandale, and welcome to Digging. I am happy to help you out with the patio lights. We looked and looked for them, too, before our electrician clued us in on the Light Bulb Shop. And how convenient that it’s in your neighborhood, right? —Pam
pam, yet again you are a do-it-yourself inspiration. my garden has just suffered a very bad blow thanks to a construction project next door. while i’m sad that many of my plants have been trampled on by brutish construction workers, I’m also upbeat because it’s a chance to redesign and try some new stuff. Lighting will have to be part of that. It’ll be great to have a light source other than a flashlight or a blinding motion detector light. I can feel the ambience already. And as you have shown, it’s easy to get good results all on your own.
Irena
As I mentioned in an earlier comment, the hardest part is just the decision making. Once you know what to use, you’re nearly home free. I bet you can put uplighting to good use against that new wall in your garden. —Pam
As always, when you do something in the garden, Pam – you do it the right way! When we first moved here we strung mini lights over shepherd hooks to define the patio area, but after a couple of years didn’t feel safe using them anymore. I liked the effect for our pleasant evenings and would take your advice on popping for the commercial grade if we did it now.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Thanks, Annie. Actually, I’ve taken plenty of short-sighted shortcuts in my time, but I don’t tend to document those on my blog. You know how selective editing goes . . . I also like Xmas lights, but as you say, they don’t hold up long term, and I really like the convenience of having these party lights on a switch. —Pam
Pam, I love your permanent lighting and I think it’s a great idea to brighten up the patio area after dark. I’m a big fan of garden lighting and always notice those houses who have it when I’m walking in the evening. Those who think it’s downscale need to lighten up!
Oh, I was thinking about lighting today, too, but Christmas lighting! The weather is perfect for putting it up, and no need to turn it on till after Thanksgiving, when suddenly everything is Christmas. I hate trying to do that in the freezing cold. So that’s my project for tomorrow.
Good pun about “lightening up,” Lost Roses. 🙂 —Pam
We did not install the one’s on our property – they were already there when we moved in. They are attached to the trees in the same way that you attached yours to your house – with an eyebolt. Ours are along a couple of paths through the woods. I think the cables stretched, and also the trees move.
One suggestion I would make. Instead of fastening the electrical line to the cable with cable ties you might consider wrapping the line around the cable. That’s how the electrical company brings out the power if you have an overhead service line. But it might make it difficult to get all the lightbulbs to hang straight.
Pam: I love those lights! The backyard looks so inviting and I’ll bet it is even warm enough to sit out there at this time of year. I find that I don’t even light the candles in the garden very often because the days are so long in the summer and when the sun goes down, the bugs are biting and by the time the days shorten it is pretty cold. I’ll bet your are having wine on the patio right now!
Hi, Layanee. I didn’t relax on the patio tonight, but I sure could have. It was in the mid-70s today and is still warm tonight. You make me wish I had! —Pam
I have this type of lighting over my bricked patio area. I just bought the cheaper lights at Target (called “cafe lights”) but they have held up well. I love the look it gives.
Me too. I’ve found that no one wants to go into the garden at night if it’s not lighted. Overhead strings can really do the trick. —Pam
Hey Pam! I’ve still been keeping up with your blog as I continue to work on my own modest garden. I’m still too embarassed for a reveal 😉 Your lighting looks great. As always I’m amazed and inspired by your garden!
Hi, Chandra. I’m glad to hear from you again, and to learn that you’re still digging in your garden. Don’t worry about a “reveal.” Your visitors will admire what you’ve accomplished long before you do. Just have fun! —Pam
PAM!!! Are we birds of a feather or WHAT??? We even got the same commercial lights! Don’t you love the teardrop shape of the bulbs? The only difference is I got mine in amber, which gives off a slightly eerie orange glow (I’m all about orange). I am proud to be in such great company – your posting has confirmed the suspicion I had that my “tasteful” friends are just plain NO FUN!
I love the way the lights create instant mood of friendliness – the image of the lights illuminating your stone patio and weathered adirondack is so inviting, I want to come over and have a drink.
Thanks for letting me know that I was on the right track, after all!
ps – I think it is the Texan thing…
Hi, Germi. Yes—wouldn’t it be fun if you could come over to my patio, or I could come to yours, and we could enjoy a glass of wine under the patio lights? Cheers! —Pam
The lights look really great- what a fantastic addition and just in time for the nice weather.
Thanks, Bonnie. —Pam