Deb Heap
Contributor
It is hard to believe that 2019 is almost gone.
Our gardens may be under a blanket of snow, but nothing makes the heart swell like festive lighting on long winter nights. Lighting is such an amazing, affordable way to beautify our homes, businesses and neighbourhoods, and it encourages us all to get out and enjoy those wonderful, crisp, winter evenings.
Gone are the days when all we had to break the darkness of winter was a lonely streetlight. Lighting is not just for Christmas anymore. More and more it is being used to make homes and businesses more welcoming and inviting year-round. Well-lit streets encourage walkers and customers, and have the added bonus of deterring thieves and vandals.
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The sky is the limit for lighting options, and they don’t have to break the bank. Rope lights, hanging lights, solar lights, low voltage, projection light displays, up lighting, down lighting, neon and other lit up business signs can all add to the evening landscape.
Affordable LED lights can add interesting accents and colours or look great in classic whites. Accent lighting pointed up into your trees or at your home can be a wonderful focal point to your winter decorating — with no climbing ladders or trees in winter conditions.
Today’s lights use much less electricity and if an automatic or photosensitive timer is added you can set up your lighting display and forget about it till spring. Nothing could be easier.
The lighting on the Highway 97A pathway and the roundabout have added beauty to the night. Businesses have begun to add light and life to the evening as well, making Main Street much more inviting.
What could be better than going for a nice, well lit evening walk after your holiday meal to check out what is new in town?
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In addition to decorating with light in the winter, planters can be decorated with seasonal greens and ribbons and decorations.
I would like to give a shout-out to the District of Sicamous for their lovely, festive planters this year, a beautiful example of how our planters can serve double duty and add beauty in the winter as well as the summer.
Deb Heap is the Communities in Bloom chair for Sicamous.
