Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Festoon outdoor lights

20 replies

Cherryblossom200 · 27/02/2024 12:52

Hello!

I'd like to get some festoon garden lights for my garden. There are loads out there, but it seems the majority are a bit rubbish and fill with water.

Can anyone recommend any decent quality lights please?

Many thanks 😊

OP posts:
CloudySheep · 01/03/2024 18:56

Just bumping this for you because I'd also like some suggestions

Era · 02/03/2024 08:16

Lights in gardens are really bad. They have a massive detrimental impact on wildlife. Please think carefully before doing this.

Cherryblossom200 · 02/03/2024 13:37

Why?! They are solar powered little lights!

OP posts:
sprigatito · 02/03/2024 13:39

Era · 02/03/2024 08:16

Lights in gardens are really bad. They have a massive detrimental impact on wildlife. Please think carefully before doing this.

Really?! My garden has lots of solar lights. We have really tried to cultivate biodiversity and we have foxes, squirrels, hedgehogs, frogs and newts, lots of different types of bees and beetles...what is the problem with solar lights? I'm not being snarky, I've genuinely never heard it before.

T0E · 02/03/2024 13:39

I have John Lewis ones. They plug in. They're good quality. Only use them a few times a year for parties

Era · 02/03/2024 13:43

sprigatito · 02/03/2024 13:39

Really?! My garden has lots of solar lights. We have really tried to cultivate biodiversity and we have foxes, squirrels, hedgehogs, frogs and newts, lots of different types of bees and beetles...what is the problem with solar lights? I'm not being snarky, I've genuinely never heard it before.

It confuses insects and is really bad for nocturnal animals, particularly hedgehogs. I’ll find an article but there are loads if you Google.

Skidoddle · 02/03/2024 14:08

Lights at night are awful for nocturnal wildlife. Maybe have a Google first? Or at least turn them off once you go inside.

Cherryblossom200 · 02/03/2024 14:42

The lights I've found turn off at night. So I'll just buy those, I need light in my garden while we're outside, otherwise the garden is unusable as it's pitch black out there otherwise 😂 I'm buying small patio lights as well as my dad has Alzheimer's and needs to see where he is walking.

OP posts:
TonTonMacoute · 02/03/2024 14:43

Era · 02/03/2024 08:16

Lights in gardens are really bad. They have a massive detrimental impact on wildlife. Please think carefully before doing this.

This. Especially solar ones which stay on all night.

Embrace the dark!

Cherryblossom200 · 02/03/2024 17:44

I can't embrace the dark with a young child and my elderly father who can't walk properly and needs to be able to negotiate my garden safely. I need the garden to be safe as well. I'm buying lights which I can switch off.

Thanks, btw my post was asking for recommendations. If anyone has any decent recommendations I'd be grateful.

OP posts:
NaturalBlondeYeahRight · 02/03/2024 17:57

We have these, they are mains lights for the garden and I have had them up for about 7 years now with not a single issue. They are on a smart plug and turn off.
Saying that, the reviews aren't great so maybe they aren't as well made as they were.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/svartra-led-lighting-chain-with-12-lights-black-outdoor-20521805/

TheGirlWithGlassFeet · 02/03/2024 23:20

For anyone with mains powered ones do you have an outdoor plug socket or do you run the wire through a window?

Rainydayinlondon · 03/03/2024 00:03

NaturalBlondeYeahRight · 02/03/2024 17:57

We have these, they are mains lights for the garden and I have had them up for about 7 years now with not a single issue. They are on a smart plug and turn off.
Saying that, the reviews aren't great so maybe they aren't as well made as they were.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/svartra-led-lighting-chain-with-12-lights-black-outdoor-20521805/

Are they under cover and if not, does the rain get in? I'm also looking for some!
Re wildlife...as long as they're not on all night I don't see the problem...

NaturalBlondeYeahRight · 03/03/2024 08:54

They are hung along the eves of a outhouse outside. No rain in them at all but I suppose they are sheltered a bit. The reviews suggest some have rain get in (there are only three reviews though). Like I said, I've had mine years and not even lost a bulb.

NaturalBlondeYeahRight · 03/03/2024 08:55

TheGirlWithGlassFeet · 02/03/2024 23:20

For anyone with mains powered ones do you have an outdoor plug socket or do you run the wire through a window?

It's a shed outside so we ran the wire through a window.

JJathome · 03/03/2024 09:00

We have these op, but they are wired and round a gazebo so somewhat sheltered, outside plug point.

i also have solar fairy lights and little spot lights, also from Amazon, make the garden look pretty. And don’t worry about wildlife, plenty of dark spaces for them unless you go hard core in lighting it up.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07VT69DVF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Wode · 03/03/2024 09:05

TheGirlWithGlassFeet · 02/03/2024 23:20

For anyone with mains powered ones do you have an outdoor plug socket or do you run the wire through a window?

Do you know it is really easy to install an outdoor socket? The wire from the outdoor socket coming into the house just uses a normal 3 pin plug so you can plug it into a socket inside. Basically the outdoor socket plugs into an indoor socket. Here is a video if you want to see how it is done, another one to watch would be Ultimate Handyman, exactly the same but reassures you that you are doing it right.

How to Install the Easiest Outdoor Socket

Follow me through a step by step guide to installing the easiest external socket that I think anyone can install. This can be used for gardening, lighting or...

https://youtu.be/fojd6bmNYEo?si=tAZOEMzGOBHgphD4

CissOff · 03/03/2024 09:11

FGRYB Festoon Lights Outdoor... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BR3QCH2F?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I have these and they’ve been up all winter and survived beautifully! They are mains powered and so we only switch them on when they are needed in the summer. They are a warm white.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread