Gardening at Night!!!!!!!!

Seeing your gardens at night is truly a unique experience. All it takes are some "tiki lights" here and there and you can enjoy gardening in a totally different way. Had a party on Saturday and all the plant lovers couldn't stay put. They just kept walking the paths and sitting on the benches all evening. Its so beautiful after the sun goes down, but most people don't take advantage of the cooler night air and how everything looks so different. Try it and I'm sure you'll be as happy as all my guests were. Happy 'night gardening'

I agree Dan especially if you grow 'white' flowers. They really lighten up the garden at night :-)

I've been wanting to buy a bunch of the solar powered lanterns they sell cheap at WalMart and hang a lot in the trees, sort of like Christmas....it would really light things up I think. Maybe do a little gardening at night. Just a whimsy.

I agree Dan and your garden sounds lovely at night. I put in low-voltage path lights (the solar ones look like Halloween lights around here) around the garden, with some spotlights on statues and ornamentals. It is a different look at night, especially when you have flowers which only open after hours. We also use the clear Christmas lights around our patio set and it's so relaxing.
Trish

I love patio lights!I don't do torches but still think they are so neat and pretty looking!We have patio lights in our front yard and starting to buy solar-powered ones for non-electrical areas.We also have a street light in a corner right outside our front fence.So with all this light ,I love the night outdoors.You'll find me always watering at night.The patio lights make neat shadows on your house from the tall plants.I could sleep outside ,too,if I wasn't queasy about bugs!...Jane

Hi again night gardeners, the reason I use the tiki lights is because I'm surrounded by a mature hardwood forest and the citronella fluid I put in them really keeps the bugs away. At the party, everyone was asking why there weren't any mosquitoes and it had to be due to the torches. I like the shadows they make because even with a light breeze, they flutter around and make the garden look more alive. I'm new to these forums, but I truly enjoy them. Its so nice to be able to share our experiences with all of you. Have a great day!

I love to sit outside at night and listen to the peaceful quiet as well as the songs of nature. There's just some things in life that are priceless and so comforting.

Not to mention the wonderful scents which are so prevalent at night - especially night-scented stock, and the wonderful nicotiana - but what about those mosquitoes Carol?

Louisa, I wear that wonderful perfume called "Eau De OFF". It does smell better than "Skunk at Midnight"! LOL

I have to say ( only to you guys) that I would love to actually work out in the gardens considering its so beautiful at night not to mention much cooler, but am afraid if my neighbors caught me they may think I am even crazier than they already think.
Janice

Hey Janice, crazy people don't garden, they talk about people who do. I believe that the only time to garden, is when you have the time, whether it be day or night.

Dan- should have seen me at 215am moving my sprinkler! Always takes me about 5 minutes to adjust it so the water stays in my yard and waters exactly where I want it!!
Have to add that I had a neighbor that really was crazy and was quite interesting watching her prune her shrubs to nothing with a kitchen sissor. heheheh.
Janice

I have a friend who gardens in his nothings after midnight! When I reminded him of the neighbours, he only laughed cause he's noticed quit frequently fluttering curtains as long as he's out there. I guess he can hide under the rhubarb if he hears sirens coming down the street in his direction.
We've placed clear xm lights in the trees around our firepit. Besides getting tons of complements from the neighbours, the lights keep the bugs in the trees and away from us.

Hi Dan,

I just learned about "4 O'clocks". They open their blooms at night and are quite nice with their scents. I also learned that if you live in Japanese Beetle country, that 4 O'Clocks are poisonous to the JB's. In fact, I recently saw someone state that when them grew more 4 O'clocks, the JB's took a hike and they now have no problems with JB's. So, with that plant you can have a nice scented flower at night AND wage an effective war on the JB's.

Best Regards,
Thomas Giannou

Welcome to our garden from the Sunflower State'
Thank you Thomas,I will remember this tip'
Sis'

Yeha TG Thanks...I have grown them (4 O'Clocks)here for the past three years... I saw a few (JB)in my garden this year but they didnt find my 'Angel Face' rose bush. I thought thbirds finally started munching on them. I would think they would be a great companion plant for green beans then huh??


Janice...Give your neighbors something else to talk about! LOL Enjoy your garden and take great plesure knowing your neighbors arent bored either! LOL

Something that smells better than "Off" and repels mosquitos and maybe other insects is made by Avon and called "Skin So Soft". Just happens this has something in it the bugs don't like, I don't think it was supposed to be a repellant. I have heard from many people that it works, haven't tried it personally.

Mary, I wear Skin So Soft all the time when I'm gardening or just sitting in the garden. I buy it in the plastic spray bottle. I think it works great, and it sure smells better than "Off."

Carol, I agree with you -- I have a glider/swing in the middle of a big hosta bed and I sit out there until very late at night. It's so quiet and calm and very relaxing at the end of the day.

Then, after I've relaxed a while, I start squishing slugs. They always wait until late at night to attack my hostas. Oh, it's such a stress release to kill those sluggies!

And it gives those nosey neighbors something else to talk about. (*~*)

Blond Elf...try placing sand or crumbled eggs shell around the hostas, they dont like the rough stuf it cuts their soft bodies!

I wish Skin So Soft worked for me -- it doesn't repel them in the least. I use Off Skintastic. My DH, since taking blood pressure medication, is hardly bothered by the skeeters at all. Some trade-off, eh?

I was weeding this evening after the street lamp came on next to my house. I got a great idea.....they sell portable lights that need an electric circuit to plug into...some can be run on gas...but those would be high dollar I think...if I remember right they are halogen bulbs...where I used to work...they used them for maintenance at night....helped them see better....now if I got one of those lights...I could weed when its cooler....at night...but would have to find something more effective for mosquitoes....I hate those blood suckers!
Sams Club had the very lights Im speaking of...in the tool area...where the air compressors, and generaters are...