WALKER COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS: Let there be light in our yards

 By James Lucas   

Walker County Master Gardeners 

Every day has 24 hours and that time can usually be divided into 14 hours of daylight and 10 hours of darkness. 

Generally speaking, the majority of us have jobs in the daytime. After working and doing our living chores, that leaves precious few hours for gardening. Outdoor lighting can extend that time and enables us to spend more time doing what we love.

My wife and I purchased our property several years ago and quickly discovered that darkness in the country was very different from that in the city. For years we were limited in our weekend gardening because of the lack of light after sunset. 

The thought of bringing in electricity was far from our mind and budget because the first three years were spent in clearing the property. During this clearing stage, my wife purchased some solar night lights and placed them strategically around the property. The solar lights provided more of a glow than any kind of useful light. The glow of the lights reminded me of fire flies in the distance. The output was so dim that not even nocturnal bugs were attracted to them.

Our second attempt at outdoor lighting was more successful. Like most folks who have some outdoor lighting, we choose the low-voltage model. Low voltage can be purchased most anywhere and is a simple do-it-yourself chore. 

We decided to use our new lighting fixtures in our woodland garden. This is a white-fenced garden approximately one-fifth of an acre in size near our backdoor. We created the area several years ago and used crushed granite to make the paths. To help illuminate the paths we decided to use our new low-voltage fixtures.

Three things you should be aware of before installing your low-voltage lights. First, light output from each fixture depends on the size/power of the transformer. Second, the distance the low voltage current must travel. Third, the total number of fixtures you put on the line. 

Of course, I did know any of this when I started. It didn't take long to decide that the small, black plastic lights with the hazy white lens did not look at all appropriate in our white-fenced garden. 

We deserved better quality fixtures and better fixtures could be had for a price. Some company in Connecticut makes wonderful lights by hand out of copper. Unfortunately, this company does not accept my 20 percent off Bering's coupons, so one fixture every six months or so was the result. These wonderful lights have lasted for years and are still going strong. They are not the type of light to illuminate a 3-acre home site.

Next, who installs quality outdoor lighting and how do I know if I'm getting a fair deal? My wife discovered a lighting company on Interstate 45 near The Woodlands that advertises free demonstrations in your yard. We called and arranged for the demo.

The young man arrived at the scheduled time and asked that we stay in the house or leave while he set up the demo light fixtures. This was all taking place approximately two hours before sundown. The full effect of the demo couldn't take place until nightfall. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting in the house and not taking a sneak peek, the light show was ready for viewing.

We invited relatives over to assist us in the viewing and to offer their consul on making the decision. This was needed because we were informed that each spotlight represented a $200 expense. Fortunately, this price included the cost of installation. With this news, my first reaction was to begin counting the number of fixtures as we were admiring the lights and multiplying by 200 in my head.

The yard and surrounding area looked great. Our fountain in the front yard was aglow with three spotlights on it and illuminated the water splashing out the top and down the sides. This is a favorite watering hole for the deer and now we'll be able to see them more clearly after dusk. 

The guy from the lighting company had put lights everywhere. Besides the fountain, he illuminated the birdbath, the rose garden entrance, the sitting area by the pond, our Austin stone chimney and the flower bed in front of the house. These areas and a lot of the trees amounted to 46 lights on the first viewing. 

Forty-six times $200, do the math. 

The man said that if we didn't want a light to simply turn it over and it would go out. I was turning over cannisters faster than a shell-game street vendor in New York. We were down to 26 lights by the time we were all happy with the effect. Now let's see if this company really wants our business.

The final negotiated price was approximately 15 percent lower than the asking amount. The installation was done professionally and the wiring was put into PVC pipe and buried 18 inches below ground level. We had the timer boxes installed inside our barn and out of the elements. 

My wife and I both agree that besides the house and our water well that the outdoor lighting is one of the best purchases we have made. To turn off our dark road at night into our lighted driveway and to be able to view our entire yard after dark is really amazing. 

Now we have a yard and surrounding area that we and our guests can enjoy when the sun doesn't shine. It's been eight years now since the installation and we have had no maintenance issues, except for the replacement of burned out bulbs. Look at your yard and see if some type of outdoor illumination would help your landscape become more livable after dark.

FYI: The Walker County Extension Office is on Facebook! WalkerCo TxAgrilife has been established to provide updates and information to Walker County residents and landowners on a timely basis. For more information on the Walker County Master Gardeners, call (936) 435-2426 or go towww.walkercountymastergardeners.org/ The WCMG website is a bounty of useful gardening information and citizens are encouraged to peruse it often. If you have any questions about the information in this article or any of the Extension programs, contact the Walker County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office at (936) 435-2426.