Around this time last year we reviewed some solar garden spotlights from from lighting specialists The Solar Centre. Now the nights are lengthening once again, they’ve sent us some more to look at. Those year-old spotlights are still going strong, casting a bright beam on my Keswick Codling apples and shamefully illuminating the dog-wrecked flower border that fringes my overgrown lawn. (It has become a rat run and the hounds don’t care a bit about my penstemons when they chase it along the length of the fence).
This year I’ve been sent a pair of Kodiak Solar Post Lights, mini-bollards built of stainless steel and powered by the sun. These lights have a contemporary feel about them: static, shiny posts with a band of white that seems to glow even before the lights come on. I’ve placed them either side of a strip of slate immediately outside the conservatory window, where they mingle with a random selection of pots containing whatever plants look the most alive (currently that’s a few motley herbs and the Vietnamese fish mint).
They’re architectural structures and quite designer-y. I think they’re the kind of thing interior design bloggers would claim help make an outdoor space look like an extra room, bridging the gap between the interior and exterior. I’m no interior designer, so could be talking rubbish, but reckon they do a fine job where I’ve placed them.
The solar panels to these bright beauties sit on top of each pillar, so no cable work required. They’re detachable and swivelable, so you can lift them off, fiddle with them, flick a switch to put them in a power-saving mode called PowersaveTM, and angle them towards the bit of cloud you think is most likely to reveal the sun. And beneath the base you have the option of affixing a sturdy spike should you wish to secure them to the ground.
My lights are blending in nicely during the daylight and look even better at night. The light is white and has quite a glow to it, enabling me – and the dogs – to keep an eye on passing nocturnal creatures from the comfort of my conservatory settee. It’s claimed that run-time is a whopping ten hours, but I’ve not yet managed an all night vigil to test that out.
It’s another hit from The Solar Centre… and there’s still room for more lights this time next year.
For a full range of lighting options visit www.thesolarcentre.co.uk
The post Solar post lights – another illuminating review appeared first on Two Thirsty Gardeners.
from Two Thirsty Gardeners http://twothirstygardeners.co.uk/2016/10/solar-post-lights-another-illuminating-review/
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