Dark Skies

Lights. They enable you to enjoy your garden in a whole new way?

A nicely lit garden somewhat ‘flies in the face’ of a nature friendly garden. Might it also detract from your ability to enjoy star lit evenings? Perhaps its all about BALANCE. Not too much but equally not too little; for your benefit and also a healthy ecosystem in your garden.

With thanks to Hudson Lighting and The Bat Conservation Trust I can share some hard and fast rules for protecting ‘Dark Skies’ places and a wildlife compliant lighting scheme:

• Downward illuminating up to the horizontal plane - no up lighting at all.

• 2700K or warmer in colour temperature - some schemes even requiring Amber optics now.

• As low output as possible, only illuminating what is necessary.

• Avoid illumination where there are waterways or hedgerows.

• Use the lights only when needed.

So…. discovering this provided me with some ‘food for thought’. Perhaps it is less relevant in urban areas, but certainly a topic worth discussing with a potential landscape contractor?