Garden Lighting

There is an enormous range of low voltage lighting now available for the garden but creating that desired 'lighting' affect is a question of beam angle and brightness.

Beam Angle

Beam angle affects the coverage of a light. Sometimes you will want a small pool of light from a narrow beam to accent a feature without lighting the surroundings; other areas of your garden may require the widest coverage available.

There are typically four main beam angles 12, 24, 36 and 60 degrees.

12 degrees will produce a narrow spot beam and depending on the wattage of your bulbs is ideal for up-lighting and down-lighting columns and spotlighting
small, light coloured features.

24 degrees will produce a standard beam and again depending on the wattage of your bulbs is ideal for up-lighting pergola posts & climbers; and providing accent lighting.

36 degrees will produce a flood beam and is ideal for plant lighting in small gardens;, accent lighting on close features and cross-lighting steps.

60 degrees will produce a very wide flood beam and depending on the wattage of your bulbs is ideal for plant lighting in small gardens, down-lighting onto tables and providing ambient moon-lighting from small trees.

Brightness

Brightness isn't just about the wattage of the lamp. The brightness of a 20 watt lamp squeezed into a narrow spot beam can produce a brighter pool of light than that of a 50 watt lamp projected in a wide flood beam. So, first "fit" the beam angle to your subject then think about brightness. But remember, 'brightness' will vary for a number of reasons;

Individual perception of brightness varies and this may be affected partly by ambient light from nearby streetlights or "cityglow". Using exterior lights with a range of lamp wattage choices will allow for changes in the overall scheme.

Darker, textured objects reflect less light back to the eye than smooth, light coloured ones and will therefore require brighter lamps to make them stand out. Use higher wattage bulbs for lighting dark features. Make sure your transformers have the are flexibility and spare capacity, to allow for upgrading from say, a 50 watt lamp to a 75 watt one.

When light hits an object or surface at an angle, the light is 'stretched' which means the light is spread over a large area and therefore seems less bright. Again having flexibility and capacity on your transformer will allow you to change bulb wattage.

Herb Garden

Where to site your herb garden?

Ideally, the sunniest part of your garden. Herbs like an open and sunny but sheltered site, with neutral to alkaline soil, with good drainage.

If you have clay soil, the best thing to do is roughly dig over the soil in autumn and leave the soil to be broken down by frost over the winter. This works by the rough soil being exposed to the wet weather and soaked by water and when the frosts come, the soil expand and breaks down.

Then in early spring - and this goes for sandy, chalky or silt soil as well - dig through plenty of organic matter, such as well-rotted garden or mushroom compost. This will provide the free-draining and fertile bed your herbs will need. You do not need to feed or fertilise your herbs as this will result in lots of growth, but do little to enhance the flavour or aroma. Herbs with excessive growth are also more prone to frost damage.

Planning

The planning for your herb garden is only limited by the size of your plot and your imagination. What would you like to grow? And how big will it get??
When you buy herbs in pots from a garden centre, on the label it will tell you how tall, and wide your plant will get. Often, packets of seeds will give you the same information. When planning your garden, you will need to take into account the eventual size of your plants. For instance, if you are planning an island border in your lawn, the tallest herbs go in the centre and the lower-growing ones on the outside.

Varieties

There is an extensive selection of herbs available, so are you going to use your herbs for cooking or adding aroma and fragrance to your garden, As well varieties don’t forget colour. Herbs come in a range of colours from cream to glossy green, to silver, and all shades of pink to deep purple.

Herbs in containers

If you have limited space in your garden then herbs are also idea for containers. Just remember to use quality multi-purpose compost and make sure the containers have adequate drainage. You must make sure the containers are kept well watered, as they tend to dry out a lot quicker than if they are planted in the ground.

Some herbs are very invasive such as mint so it would be advisable to plant this in its own container. Again, check the planting instructions that come with your herbs to see what the overall size of the herb will be once fully grown

Popular Garden Herbs

	BASIL, SWEET (Ocimum basilicum) Both green and 'Dark Opal' basil are attractive plants for the garden. Basil is not difficult to transplant. Grows to 18 inches; space 12 inches between plants. 'Dark Opal' has beautiful deep red foliage and lovely pink flowers. Basil is very good to use to flavour tomato juice and tomato pastes.
	BORAGE (Borago officinalis) This has pinkish blossoms which turn blue like the perennial pulmonaria. It is an annual and should be planted directly to the garden in early May in the North. Growing to 2 feet it should be spaced 10 inches apart. Germinates in 7 -to 10 days. Resents transplanting except when quite small. It is excellent used in tossed salad to add a flavour.
	CHERVIL (Anthriscus cerefolium) Although this plant will germinate in the fall and live over the winter it is best to grow it as an annual, sowing in mid-May Grows to 2 feet and should be spaced 8 inches apart. This herb grows quickly and is mature in 6 weeks. Resents transplanting. Fresh leaves can be frozen in small packets after washing carefully.
	CHIVES (Allium scboenoprasum) This is a perennial plant that are very easy to grown from seed or plant. Mature plants grow to 12 inches, space 6 inches apart. They are very hardy even in cold locations. Flowers are pretty enough so that chives can be grown as a border or in the rock garden. Ideal in salads, egg dishes and a variety of sauces. Chives will also grow on a sunny windowsill over winter.
	DILL (Anethum graveolens) This is an easily grown annual with feathery foliage. Blossoms are tiny and pale yellow. Grows to 2 1/2 feet and germinates in 7 to 10 days planted at the same time as tender vegetables. Resents transplanting. May be spaced as close as 4 inches apart. Self-sows readily. Fine for use in pickling and to flavour meats.
	MARJORAM, SWEET (Majorana hortensis) This is a perennial that grows to 12 inches; space 6 inches apart. Plants may be potted up and grown in the greenhouse or sunny window over the winter. Adds a delicate flavour to lamb, fish, salads and soups.
	MINT (Mentha spicata) Mint is very easy to grow. It is a hardy perennial and spreads by root stolons. Sown indoors seed germinates in 10 to 15 days. It grows to 2 feet and is rather sprawling, in habit. Space 12 inches apart. Favours a good rich soil. Fine to use for mint jelly and in mint juleps, lemonade and other fruit drinks.
	SAGE (Saivia officinalis) This is a hardy perennial and is often grown in gardens for its pretty foliage and spikes of bluish flowers. Grows to 2 feet and should be spaced 12 inches apart. Can be sown outdoors in May with germination in 21 to 30 days. An ideal herb for dressings for chicken, turkey, pork and for flavouring sausages.