OK, I couldn’t stop buying annuals this year. I kept seeing holes in color all over the place and felt the undeniable urge to fill them. Fortunately, my front yard was beyond beautiful in many spots that lacked the WOW factor in prior years. I didn’t care if colors clashed. The brighter, the better.
However, I think I need to seek medical attention for my addiction to have the most colorful front yard in the neighborhood…
If you are curious about using solar energy, but don’t want to invest the necessary time or money to convert your entire home to solar energy, then you might be glad to know that installing outdoor solar accent lighting is an easy project to take on.
Before you make a purchase, consider where you’d most enjoy accent lighting. Solar accent lights are relatively inexpensive and convenient to install, but if you’re not sure about your budget, hanging string lights are the simplest and least expensive way to add charm to your outdoor living space. They’re not permanent, so you can try them out to see whether you enjoy them and where you prefer to put them.
Planning where to hang them is fairly simple. Decide where you’d like to put them, then… Continue reading the rest of this article...
If you live in a rental property or would like to decorate a vacation home, solar accent lights are great way to go green and save money. Just about any outdoor lighting fixture that you might think of is now available in a solar powered model. You can find tier lights to illuminate a walkway, pole lamps to light an outdoor living area, or hanging lights to drape over deck rails for a warm, festive ambiance.
When planning outdoor accent lighting, you can combine form with function. Start by evaluating how you use your outdoor space. If you spend a lot of time on your deck or patio, consider hanging solar string lights (also known as “fairy” lights because of the whimsical touch they bring) for instant charm. They’re quick and… Continue reading the rest of this article...
Outdoor solar lighting uses the same technology to generate power as solar roof panels. It does this by using photovoltaic (PV) cells, which collect solar energy and transform it to electricity. These PV cells use semiconductors to absorb sunlight, which reacts with silicon and other elements to produce electricity. This electricity travels through wires that provide power to the battery, which then provides power to the light fixture. While this is an oversimplification of the process, it should give you general sense of how solar lights work. Solar cells are only able to make electricity when exposed to direct sunlight; this is why solar lighting must have a battery in order to provide illumination at night.
A solar light fixture needs to be in an area that receives full, direct sunshine… Continue reading the rest of this article...
Are you considering adding some charisma to your garden with solar lighting? If so, it’s a good idea to do some planning to make sure that you combine the ambiance of garden lighting with practical function. Here are some of the kinds of solar lights available, and some ideas for how to use them to best effect in your garden.
Solar path lights are simple and easy to install. They can be inlaid into the ground to light walkways, gravel paths, or flower bed edges. These lights typically have a built-in photo cell, which causes the light to come on automatically when it gets dark, along with a built-in battery compartment and solar panel. It’s best to place these in areas where they will receive direct sunlight to ensure that the… Continue reading the rest of this article...
An interesting late winter/early spring left me with many flowers that didn’t do well this year. Still, June is THE best month for flowers overall. Was able to capture some of the month’s jewels.