Light up your garden
If you love to spend your summer nights outdoor with family and friends choosing a minimal lighting setup is the best option for using less energy.
THE sun might be setting a little earlier than it did at the beginning of the year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spend the last of those summer evenings outdoors, relaxing with family and friends.
“We all want to do our best to save electricity and develop wise habits to ensure that it’s used sparingly. 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,” said Tony Clarke, managing director of the Rawson Property Group.
Solar-powered lights
Solar-powered lights are not only extremely affordable, but are also better for the environment. These lights work best in a sunny location where they can get a full charge. Solar-powered lights are available from most DIY, outdoor gardening and lighting stores.
Jar lights
You can use jars of all different shapes and sizes. Cover them in translucent glass paint – or leave as is – and secure a strong cord around the tops of each jar to create a string of DIY fairy lights that you can hang over your verandah.
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. All you need are a few outdoor pot plants and a couple of cans of glow-in-the-dark spray paint. Cover your pots with a few coats of the spray paint, let it soak up the sunshine and watch it light up when the sun goes down. The glow-in-the-dark spray paint can create a yellow film over the pots. Avoid this by using terra-cotta-coloured pots.
Battery-powered LED Lights
LED lights are readily available at local DIY stores, outdoors and gardening stores and lighting stores. Choosing a minimal lighting set-up is perhaps the best option for using less energy overall. Remember, the key is to strategically light up only what’s necessary.
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