Year round fairy lights- do they make your garden look like a pub?!

[linmanuel]

I have been coveting some outdoor led lights

But bit worried it would look like a beer garden

Thoughts

I’m also not sure of the issue with a Beer garden we even have a bar outside, sofa seating, fire pit, bbq etc no immediate neighbours. It’s just awesome in summer and I can’t wait for the better weather to come in.

I have a string of festoon lights over the deck at the back of the house that come on automatically half an hour before sunset and off at 11pm in the winter.
It looks nice.

It certainly doesn't stop the deer, or hedgehogs, visiting.

I think the best option would be a string of whatever lights you want but have them OFF when you aren't out in the garden using them surely;?

The points being made about harm to wildlife etc are perfectly fair but I think it would be much better to have brighter lights that you put on once a week or whatever when you want to spend a couple of hours outside after dark than any number of solar powered fairy lights that stay on all night?

ComtesseDeSpair before being enlightened about how bad they are for wildlife......... I had a string of lights in our garden. They lasted about 4 months before they conked out, never to work again.

Yes some will last for years......... I bet loads do what mine did.

Whether they last for months or years......... still terrible for wildlife.

@Aniita

Also, I find threads like these really depressing. On one hand MN is all "save the planet" by everyone doing a little bit. But then when there is something so simple that can have a direct effect it's all "well my neighbours have them" or "I'm sure just me isn't a big deal". Most people will have no idea what happens in their gardens overnight because you are asleep.

100% agree. "Well I like it and I want to so stuff everything and everyone else"

Yes.

We don't all live in areas with street lights, and " just a few fairy lights" really does add up. And a special mention to the house that goes full on Blackpool for six weeks at Christmas