Outdoor Garden Lamp
The lamp which sits in the corner of the garden by the car lay-by is the only outdoor light in my garden. It's never cleaned because of the resident spiders - I like to keep my garden spiders happy.
Outdoors Spider Lamp
Original neighbouring shrubs were a conifer, a large bush rose (red, name unknown), and a deep pink camellia. They were already planted when we first arrived.
spider lamp in 2004
Conifers grow...
But nothing stays static in a garden for long. Seasons change, styles change, and conifers grow.
And oh boy - how this one grew! Fat and tall, then fatter and taller. In defence of what is to follow, let me say that I did not choose or plant it. I'm very suspicious of their ability to retain their shape and size. Alas - sometimes a slow-growing conifer is not quite slow enough.
In this early photograph you can see tendrils of the golden green conifer just starting to smother the red rose. And you can imagine the happy spiders who have set up home, ready to catch annoying blowflies.
By the end of 2008 things were looking grim. The red rose and the lamp were struggling to be seen. Turn the outside light on at night? Really? What light?
Spider Lamp in 2008
Oh dear. It took three more years before I took action. But something had to be done. By now the conifer had spread itself badly out of shape, and the spring snow storm in August 2011 finished it off, in my eyes at least. Too late for any judicious trimming, so out came Non-Gardening Partner's chain-saw and down it came at ground level. Sorry about that!
Spider Lamp in 2011
So here's the outdoors spider lamp, proudly bare, with the original light bulb still working after all those years. Welcome back! The spiders are still happy, and the red rose and the pink Camellia are extremely thankful.