We just have basic motion-sensor lights near the doors and the garage door so we can see to get keys in the locks, and one round the back in case I'm a bit late fetching the washing in. One is mains (there was already the wiring in place) and the rest are fairly cheap solar ones, similar to this (but I don't know where OH bought ours). They've lasted two years and counting, and they get enough light to charge them even in winter. They rarely come on spuriously, and don't pick up low-level motion like the neighbour's cat wandering around, and they go off a few seconds after the movement stops. Just enough light, for long enough, to see what we're doing.
That's obviously all you need.
I installed ours when my wife first developed MS which affects her mobility. So it meant the garden was more attractive for her to sit in, on nice summer evenings.
As I said, we don't use ours much now. This is because her mobility has since been greatly reduced. We do put just the fountain on sometimes during the day as it is a quite attractive feature seen from her chair in the lounge.
I changed the functions around when I bought the fountain three years ago. As the switches in the lounge are connected to sockets on a board in the garage, so they'll turn on whatever is plugged into them.The fountain has it's own dedicated switch.
But I like to turn all the lights on now and again for a few seconds, just to make sure they all work.
Same with any elrectrical equipment I have. But that's just me.
Whilst it may look attractive to light up the odd tree in your garden, it is not natural in any sense - once the sun goes down, it becomes dark - presumably for a reason ? The light from buildings, street lights and WHY inevitably alters the natural system. You only need to look at Earth over 24 hours to see that. Good idea to have a light outside your front/back door to save breaking your neck when you need to venture out but lighting up a natural space when it would naturally be dark seems a bit pointless. However keen someone is to promote various projects, best not to encourage new gardeners to go against Nature - rarely works in the long run
Whilst it may look attractive to light up the odd tree in your garden, it is not natural in any sense - once the sun goes down, it becomes dark - presumably for a reason ? The light from buildings, street lights and WHY inevitably alters the natural system. You only need to look at Earth over 24 hours to see that. Good idea to have a light outside your front/back door to save breaking your neck when you need to venture out but lighting up a natural space when it would naturally be dark seems a bit pointless. However keen someone is to promote various projects, best not to encourage new gardeners to go against Nature - rarely works in the long run
i don't disagree in principle, but we need a bit of perspective here.
Yes, we should consider the birds in areas of high housing densities, like ours.
But the street lights that have been here since the houses were built and recently have been increased in their luminosity, (you can thank 'elf n' safety for that). They are far brighter than any garden lighting if turned on.
But at least they give the hedgehogs more of a chance of being spotted and not run over when they often cross the road.
Agree with you about the street lighting but the extra un neccessary lighting from gardens can't help ? Just adds to to it. It's not just birds you need to think about ( Tawny owl just shouting now ) but the other nightlife. As for the hedgehogs, street lights don't seem to have made a difference - a squished one out here this morning more or less under the street light -a village street but crap drivers.
Agree with you about the street lighting but the extra un neccessary lighting from gardens can't help ? Just adds to to it. It's not just birds you need to think about ( Tawny owl just shouting now ) but the other nightlife. As for the hedgehogs, street lights don't seem to have made a difference - a squished one out here this morning more or less under the street light -a village street but crap drivers.
The local wildlife have lived with the lighting all their lives in "suburbia."
We get sparrows, dunnocks, robins, bluetits, blackbirds, wagtails, collared doves, wood pigeons, starlings, occasionally a jay and a sparrowhawk.
Whatever is the lighting, they aren't bothered as they know no different. There's always a "glow" from the lights on the motorway, about a mile away.
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The light from buildings, street lights and WHY inevitably alters the natural system. You only need to look at Earth over 24 hours to see that.
Good idea to have a light outside your front/back door to save breaking your neck when you need to venture out but lighting up a natural space when it would naturally be dark seems a bit pointless.
However keen someone is to promote various projects, best not to encourage new gardeners to go against Nature - rarely works in the long run
i don't disagree in principle, but we need a bit of perspective here.
It's not just birds you need to think about ( Tawny owl just shouting now ) but the other nightlife.
As for the hedgehogs, street lights don't seem to have made a difference - a squished one out here this morning more or less under the street light -a village street but crap drivers.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.