Plant Gardens 101

Solar powered lights for home gardens have come along way. They used to be unreliable because they broke down easily and only turned on for a few hours before needing to recharge. But in the past few years, the technology behind solar powered lights has improved greatly and solar powered lights has become one of the best way to decorate the exterior of homes. Great thing is they also save money at the same time. There is nothing more mesmerizing than colorful display of lights on a house in the dark of night.

Still, when in the market for solar powered garden lights, it is best to first understand how they work. First of all, they are not like the familiar electric lights we use in our kitchen. Solar power lights do not use electricity or battery. So they attract many homeowners who want to be decorative and, at the same time, save money. But, one thing to keep in mind is that they rely on optimum placement in the garden to work properly.

Solar powered outdoor lights use solar panels to absorb sunlight in the daytime. The panels are connected to solar cells that turn the sunlight into energy which is then stored in a battery. At night, the battery powers the bulb until energy is used up. The cycle repeats the next day so that light is available at night. The great advantage of a solar powered garden light is that it never needs any electricity.

Using solar powered lighting is simple, but there are a few small pointers to understand. For example, in order to receive full performance, there must enough exposure to direct sunlight in order to charge the battery. Now, some solar powered garden lights can recharge using any daylight including during cloudy days. But having direct sunlight is the best source. This means that in most places of the world, a solar powered garden light will perform better during summer than in the winter. And that’s just normal.

Also, by it’s nature, a solar power bulb is not as powerful as a typical 60 watt bulb. So lighting may seem dim when compared to traditional light. But it’s enough for some purpose, such as pathway or driveway lighting and evening garden decor. It is best to use as many solar lights as possible since these do not use electricity. The more lights, the better. Additionally, a solar powered LED light might be a better pick than non-LED light because it is brighter.

To summarize, solar powered lights are fantastic for low light duties such as pathway lighting, accenting garden floral arrangements, or mood lighting. They don’t use electricity and can save money in the long term. If the need for light is for reading or other activities requiring brightness, then it’s better to use the traditional light bulbs.

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Plant lights, or grow lights are artificial light sources that replace the sun’s natural light. They are designed to support growing plants, and to be used indoors. Artificial planting lighting is a necessity if you want to produce healthy seedlings indoors because most homes, even those with abundant Southern exposure, cannot capture enough sunlight in the early spring to grow strong seedlings.

Plant lights use special types of light bulbs, usually fluorescent, halide, high pressure sodium, or LED, which are different from incandescent or compact fluorescent light bulbs. Grow lights are also known as grow lamps. Grow lamp bulbs emit either cool or warm light. Cool light, which is primarily in the blue spectrum, is good for promoting foliage growth; whereas warm light, primarily in the orange spectrum, is good for producing flowers and fruit. Plants do not actually use the entire spectrum of the sun’s light, only the red/orange and blue ranges are necessary. (more…)

Solar lights are really easy to install in your garden. All you have to do is to decide on the site you want to lit and stick the fixture in the ground. Best of all they don’t need electricity. Some will come with a small built in solar panel on the top; other will have a removable panel that you can place at a sunny and convenient location.

During the day the solar panel linked to an electronic circuit, charges the batteries. When night begins to falls a photocell detects the changes in luminosity and switch on the light. At sunrise the light switches off and the charging cycle starts again.

Assuming the batteries are fully charged, good quality solar lights will provide illumination all night long without any problem. NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) or NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Batteries are often used in solar lighting applications. They will last 2 or 3 years and are easily replaceable (more…)

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Go green, add solar lights. I think we all need to do something to help save our resources, and solar lights are an easy way to start. They are very simple to install and they require no up keep. They highlight your special places in your garden. Add a animal greeter that lights up at night to welcome your guests. String some solar lights through your trees or highlight your bench or fire pit and welcome your guest to your paradise. Maybe a solar run garden fountain with color changing solar balls is your thing, who knows what ideas you can come up with, get creative and spend more time enjoying the yard you have worked so hard for. In these trying economic times you will be home more you might as well make it enjoyable. Take your time in the comfort of your own home to browse around our solar store and invest in your home and garden.    (more…)

British Standards British gardens are beautiful for the vast majority of the year, when landscape gardeners and UK garden lighting experts come together, the end result is surprising. British Standard’s most complete range of garden and outdoor lights including deck lighting, spotlights, underwater lighting, recessed up lights and a large selection of exterior lighting for path, step, patio and driveway. British use the light in the water to focus on a fountain or feature is also possible and helps to keep the light fitting concealed in water.

Most British fittings are made of solid brass which guarantees a longer life span for light fitting than any other available raw material. Raw brass also provides a superior base for the application of wide range of metal finishes ensuring that the overall difference in quality can be seen as well as felt. (more…)

Spotlighting is used to project a beam of light to the interesting objects such as statuaries, trees, buildings or shrubberies. Spotlights are an effective way of turning an entrance way, statue or walkway into the focal point of your home. The effect is particularly compelling if used to highlight features that have natural movement, such as fountains. This technique uses focused and typically more intense light sources.

Spotlighting is perfect for seed starting, cuttings, transplants or helping for special houseplants in the winter. A low-voltage pin spotlight is used to illuminate a garden pond and waterfall under an exterior wall. Spotlights can be bet into the ground or mounted to standard outdoor fixture boxes for installations on walls, trees or posts.

Spotlights are well suited for applications requiring a high degree of contrast on non-reflective objects. The lighting should not be overpowering but rather subtle and used in conjunction with other lighting. This light has been painted green to help it blend in during daylight hours. Position the beam of light for a long distance from the subject you want it to illuminate and arrange it so that it lights up just a part of your subject, such as a statue, which will make it more atmospheric. (more…)

Garden lighting makes gardens attractive and accessible long after dusk and allows gardens to be enjoyed after a hard days work when the sun has set. Lighting adds atmosphere to an evening garden, allowing access at anytime. At night your landscape can wear a different face and have a totally different look from its daytime appearance.

Beauty
Give your garden an elegant look by adding lighting to it. To enjoy your garden at night, the lighting must be just right. Beautiful glass oil lanterns will add a sparkle in daylight and a magical glow in the evening. Landscapes emerge at dark under subtle lighting to create wonderful shapes in hauntingly beautiful sculptured drama. Whether glowing with an inner light or outlined in an elegant tracery against the night sky, landscape lighting paints the beauty of natural and cultivated forms, a pool, fountains and pathways with subtle shade, shadow and colour. (more…)

While having a great looking garden is important you will need to consider ways and means of allowing the beauty of your garden to show through in various types of weather situations. Some people also like to have the option of having their garden lit up in the night. For these many people looking at various landscape lighting options will allow you the ability of having your garden looking just the way you want – attractive – no matter what the lighting conditions are outside.

To provide the right landscape lighting conditions you will be able to choose from a variety of lighting fixtures. These fixtures can be in the form of lamps, lanterns, spotlights, halogen lights and even solar lights. The price of these lighting fixtures varies for each type of light. (more…)

When someone thinks of solar powered outdoor lighting, the first thought that comes to mind are usually the solar panels that charge up in the sunlight, providing electricity to a building. While this is common, solar powered outdoor lighting does take shape in many forms. For instance, have you ever considered adding solar powered lights for your garden or along the pathway up to your house or driveway? As unusual as it may sound for some of you, these little innovative ideas may actually help you cut out some cost to your electricity bill while adding a lovely aesthetic to your home or garden.

Highlighting a walkway, driveway or even your backyard with path lighting is always a good idea, especially if you have a lot of obstacles such as sprinklers, toys or planters that would be difficult to spot during the night. Solar powered path lighting works like any ordinary path light, except it relies on solar energy to charge up during the day. And what makes it even more convenient is that even if the sun isn’t fully shining, there will still be enough UV rays out for the panel to charge up. In the end, you’d be cutting costs on your electricity bill just by using this eco-friendly method of outdoor lighting. (more…)

Have you ever wondered how you could make your summer nights go on longer without having to completely depend on the sun and moonlight? A viable option would be light up a few tiki torches, but that would be bad for the environment, given that they emit smoke and ashes into the atmosphere. Your next best option is to use outdoor lighting.

With summer finally being here, this is the perfect time to start looking into buying some outdoor lighting. What’s even better is that the selection isn’t limited; options like solar powered, Energy Star lighting, lanterns, post mounts and flushed ceiling mounts are among the many styles available for your home. And aside from the fact that outdoor lighting creates a peaceful, welcoming ambience for the exterior of your home, it’s what makes it possible for you to enjoy all your outdoor summer activities well into the night. (more…)

Solar Pumps and Solar Lights for Ponds

As the president of a company that sells a lot of fountain pumps, and who also receives a lot of OEM inquiries, I’ve been around the block on solar pumps. They seem like such a great idea. No wiring needed! No electric bill! I tried to sell solar pumps to major fountain manufacturers but never got a sample to one of them that could pass muster.

Many customers believe that we are just too lazy to try solar, or we don’t want to cut into a 110-volt market that is already doing well. But the truth of the matter is that solar still runs into quite a few problems, not the least of which has been, in my experience, not enough sunlight!

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