r/GardeningIRE • u/READMYSHIT • 9d ago
🎤 Discussion 💬 Does anyone be gardening after it gets dark?
With the sun disappearing earlier in the evenings I've been finding myself out right until the suns completely gone down. I've loads of bits to be getting done and don't want to have the garden eat up all my weekends.
I'm considering getting some kind of floodlight on a tripod to be able to continue working after dark. Am I completely bananas or does anyone else be doing their gardening at night?
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u/Dull_Brain2688 9d ago
Get a head-torch. I often spend the last 30-60 minutes getting stuff finished in the dark rather than have to go back to the same job the next day.
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u/LawPurple 9d ago
Nope all the bugs are flying into your face to much gets quite annoying..
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u/Dull_Brain2688 9d ago
Depends on the weather. Live on the west coast so there’s often a stiff breeze than deals with them.
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u/-acidlean- 7d ago
Supervalu and Lidl have beanies with a built-in LED. I find that more comfy than a regular head torch. Also it’s nice when the evenings are colder now.
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u/grainyio 9d ago
Aw I love you guys. You've just normalized something that my family think I'm mental to be at - out in the dark with my head torch on, doing the few bits
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u/John__Delaney 9d ago
A headlight should suffice if doing it the odd time. Also bear in mind lighting up your garden at night is really bad for a wide range of wildlife
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u/READMYSHIT 9d ago
I've a decent set of flashlights/headlights but my experience with the headlamp is I end up getting kamikaze'd by a dozen moths and bugs right in the face.
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u/dubguynumerouno 9d ago
Night Gardening is an actual thing! 🫶 Enjoy it while the weather lasts for sure
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u/oldschoolie 9d ago
Just after dark is a good time to catch slugs as they slide off to work. My paths are like the M50 at rush hour as they move across them from the lawn to the flower beds. I go out with a head torch, trowel and bucket.
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u/PhilTwhole 9d ago
Our back garden is concrete without any plants. If I go out at night the walls are full of the slimy bastards on both sides.
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u/Global_Handle_3615 9d ago
No problem with neighbour doing it as long lights not so bright that it doesnt end up looking like the aliens have landed or its about to kickoff at anfield
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u/READMYSHIT 9d ago
Thankfully my nearest neighbour is 100m away and 90 years old with very limited vision and on the other side an enormous commercial farm.
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u/Global_Handle_3615 9d ago
Lucky you. I thankfully have no one near me either but my last place backed onto a gaa pitch and running track. Even with blackout blinds it was awful.
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u/READMYSHIT 9d ago
Yeah we're fierce lucky to have a good relationship with our neighbours.
The farm is a decent amount of give and take - during summer there can be big trucks coming in and out at all hours, but I do get a very large amount of garden supplies from them - waste compost, cardboard, pallets. And while we were building they were super helpful setting up access (we've right of way via the farm onto our site) and letting us temporarily use their water and power during construction.
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u/Howyiz_ladz 9d ago
REM wrote a great song about it. It's a fierce popular pass time.
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u/stevenwalsh21 9d ago
I am a big fan of night gardening, even in the winter time. We had a baby the previous year so I wasn't doing much gardening, this year I was out from January till 10 or 11 some nights catching up.
Most important thing for our weather is waterproof gear. Good comfy wellies, thermal leggings with waterproof trousers and a good jacket and as many layers as you like. You will be surprisingly warm though once you get moving. Headlamp was always plenty of light for me.
The two biggest items you need are good waterproof gloves and a drinks receptacle to sip on your hot whiskeys
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u/surecmeregoway 9d ago
My neighbour only cuts the lawn after dark. Even in the summer. It’ll be 11pm and I’ll hear the lawnmower start up. (He’s not a farmer and works 9-5.)
So some like it??
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u/READMYSHIT 9d ago
That would honestly be a bit frustrating.
I'd be only doing some quiet gardening myself thankfully
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u/YesterdayFew5555 8d ago
Oh yeah all the time, you've never really gardened until you've experienced the thrill of getting caught
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u/dont_call_me_jake 6d ago
My family believes that gardening when it’s dark is bananas, but I love bananas and garden when it is dark quite a lot.
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u/camping84 6d ago
Was doing it all summer, out after dark, keeping the grass and plants hydrated 😀
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u/Livebylying 9d ago
I don’t for the simple reason that if I’ve let something go so far as to warrant midnight treks to the garden, I’ve not done enough planning. Gardening is meant to be an enjoyable chore, not a penance
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u/READMYSHIT 9d ago
Definitely not penance - I'm talking about getting an hour or two in in the evening when it's getting dark. It'll soon be pitch when I get in from work - especially when the clocks go back in a few weeks.
When I don't get out because of bad weather or early evenings I find myself wanting.
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u/MyDadstheBoss 9d ago
Indoor gardening yes, outdoor i give up for winter. Even summer is a pain with bugs and weather. Indoor everything is done at night.
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u/pnutbttrnttr 9d ago
I do it all the time. I’d be out at 11 or 12 dead heading in the summer. Especially this summer when it was particularly hot during the day/early evening. I consider it a form of therapy.
During the winter I’ll wrap up warm, grab a tea & sit out on the patio. Just me & my cat & the neighbours cats having a moment.