Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2008 | Page 76

life

GARDENING
As a secondary benefit,
water in the garden
creates humidity which
helps the fragrance of
evening-scented flowers to
carry - and the effect is all
the more prominent when
the whole lot are enclosed in
a confined area so the scent
can't escape -which is why a
patio or secret garden round
a summer house are perfect
evening retreats.
Now, as you wander round
your garden paths in the
gathering gloom you won't
be able to see your way very
clearly, so it's helpful to
pick out informal paths with
white pebbles and outline
any steps with white lines,
so you know where it's safe
to tread.
But as an optional
extra you might fancy
illuminating your scene
using solar down-lights

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at intervals along your
route. Besides the obvious
benefits they'll define the
basic shape of the garden.
You can also add romantic
low-lighting to give seating
areas added ambience, or to
draw attention to key plants
or features, particularly
moving water, statuary or a
pond.
All you need is a very
gentle glow - too weak to
read by and certainly too
low to annoy neighbours
-but in any case I'd suggest
switching it off when you
go back indoors, and with
modern solar lights you can.
As a finishing touch you
might want to while away
the last hour when the air
starts to cool, huddling in
the warmth of the embers of
your barbecue or chimenea,
so lay back in your reclining
chair and spend the end

of the evening watching
whatever nature has on offer
as a floor show.
It might be moths drawn to
your lights and bats which
come after the moths, or
shooting stars the Perseid
meteor shower occurs every
August.
So don 't think the garden
is done for when the sun
goes down. Play it right and
it'll take on a new lease of
life after twilight.

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