Bonfire Night is a reminder that we can enjoy our outdoor spaces even when the days are shorter and colder, we just need to add heat and light, says Jacqueline Wake Young
We all love our outdoor spaces but once the clocks go back and the colder weather arrives, there is a tendency to retreat indoors until spring pops its head around the corner again.
But it doesn’t have to be this way because all we are really missing is heat and light and as we know from Bonfire Night, there are other ways to get that.
The long summer evenings of enjoying a glass of chilled wine and the scent of flowers in full bloom may be over, but in their place are crisp, clear nights under the stars with a mug of hot chocolate in hand.
Gardens at night can be particularly romantic, in fact, some are designed especially for the darker nights, with different types of outdoor lighting placed so as to illuminate pathways and plants.
Fairy lights strewn across the branches of a tree or around a shrub are practical and decorative and can turn just about any garden into a magical setting.
There is a huge selection of solar-powered lights which are kinder to the environment as well as our pockets and will work even at this time of year, so long as they have the optimal orientation to take in what sunlight there is during the day.
Another option is to bring them into the house and chase the sun by moving them around from one window ledge to another depending on the time of day.
Tiki torches and lanterns can use a naked flame or battery-operated candles which add to the fairytale ambience.
Long after Guy Fawkes night, a fire pit with cover will provide heat and light and can be a stylish addition to a garden all year round.
As evocative a smell as woodsmoke is, it is not good to be enveloped in it and it will cling to hair and clothes, making them smell not so nice the following day.
So to keep smoke to a minimum, make sure any logs are as dry as possible and avoid putting anything on the fire that is not meant for this purpose.
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