The nights are drawing in. Across the Northern Hemisphere those long lazy summer evenings we used to enjoy are now just a memory. It’s dark when I leave for work in the morning and dark by the time I get home. Sometimes if it’s cloudy and wet the day never really gets light.

This is a tough time for gardens open to the public. Even if the weather is fine the number of visitors is reduced. For those gardens employing staff things can be rather complicated. On the one hand they might close for the winter and retain only the most essential staff, in the hope that they can rehire good people to fill those jobs next year. On the other hand they remain open as usual, relying on good summer income and the braver garden visitors to keep money trickling in during the winter.

Glow

I’m going to be completely honest here and say that I’m not a fan of glow events. These are special evening sessions where gardens are open after dark and everything is lit up with brightly coloured lights.

Lighting ‘carefully’ placed

I could point out the hypocrisy of gardens and organisations – not naming names but the Royal Horticultural Society springs to mind here in the UK, among others – promoting the wildlife benefits of gardens for nocturnal wildlife while brightly illuminating their gardens for money. Light pollution already plays havoc with wildlife, with insects and even birds and mammals conned into thinking that it’s daytime by excessive urban lighting. But I won’t.

The truth is I’m not a fan of glow events because I’m generally not interested in seeing anything brightly lit with coloured lights. I’m here today, however, to talk about the negative impacts of equipment on the daytime visitor experience.

Consideration

I understand that turning gardens into Disneyland needs a lot of equipment.

And I appreciate that the people who set up glow events will need to lay heavy duty cables and place lighting installations just right.

But can we not have a little consideration for daytime visitors please? These glow events have been going on for many years now so there should have been ample time to master the art of placing lights and structures in such a way that they’re not quite so conspicuous.

Do the lights have to be right there?

Glow events are outsourced to specialist companies that install lights for the needs for the events, not the needs of the gardens.

Anyone considering outdoor lighting for their own garden should take a trip to a garden hosting these events and take a look during the day; you’ll see for yourself first hand why carefully choosing the type and positioning of lights is important.

Worthy Sacrifice

Maybe there is an argument that says it’s OK to sacrifice a garden during the day, after all fewer people visit gardens during winter but lots of people will visit glow events.

These nighttime spectaculars have become a staple for larger gardens, and a key opportunity for visitor engagement. The sad truth is that garden visiting isn’t what it once was, and gardens are forced to diversify if they are to survive. There’s no money in opening gardens for the people who like gardens; gardens are increasingly places to be entertained.

Hire of this specialist equipment isn’t cheap

Some entertainments can be fairly innocuous. I for one enjoy visiting art exhibitions hosted by gardens to marvel at the audacity of what people charge for things like fishing line tied to the branches of a small tree. How do you even take something like that home?

You might think that glow events are easy money-makers, but the truth is that’s not always the case. Hosting a glow event is expensive, staff need paying and there are additional costs like advertising and insurance to consider. You’re also hosting outdoor events at a time of year when the weather is more likely to be against you.

Lit up like a superstar on your way back from the bathroom!

Not every event makes money; it’s a gamble considered part of the overall promotion of the garden. The hope is that even if the event doesn’t make lots of money it will encourage people to come back another time.

It Will All Be Over Soon

Once the festive period is over these glow events will disappear until next year.

A blessed relief for wildlife displaced by nocturnal lighting, loud music and visitors, and to those of us who actually enjoy visiting gardens during winter.

Why would anyone want to see a garden in winter?

For what it’s worth I think one day the appeal of visiting a garden lit up at night will wane, and visitors will find something else to do in the run-up to Christmas.

My fear is that the next thing to come along will be even more intrusive. Maybe gardens will set up temporary fairgrounds for Christmas, with roller-coasters flying around the trees once lit up at night?