I snatch the neighbors' grass clippings by night, (and then immediately play with the compost pile) so I have some experience with this! I first used the headlamp one fall when I was frantically getting my bulbs in the ground before the first snow--my neighbors have known I'm nuts for years. But hopefully they don't know I steal their clippings.

The headlamp is the way to go, because you always have the light with you. If you were walking around, a lantern would cast shadows that could conceal a trip-hazard. Also, looking at the lantern would adjust your eyes to the brightness, then when you looked away you'd be "blind." A lantern may be useful if you're staying in one spot to do something.

Well, I've gardened in the dusk, by the light of the motion-activated spotlight. But the skeeters get pretty bad at night so I don't do it often.

Lois in PA

It doesn't sound crazy to me, but that's coming from someone who's been planting out in the rain this weekend! The "just one more jug" turned into "well your already wet, you might as well keep going". That pretty much sealed the deal on making me the "crazy gardening lady" in the neighborhood.

Bonnie

Would you believe my husband bought me a lighted hose nozzle for Christmas?

Karen

You know Karen, that's true love. Watering in those babies in their new spot is often the thing I am doing as the sun is setting and it sure would be nice to have a glow from the hose!

I ordered a headlamp on ebay last night for under 10 bucks delivered.The more I think about this, the more it has appeal... it's not hot here yet, but when it is I often find myself wishing I was not in the beating sun gardening!Moon...I am going for moon.

Skeeters are a valid concern though....maybe I will wrap the headlamp in those bounce dryer sheets someone sent me an email saying they keep the skeeters away. Then the neighbors can really get a chuckle!

Nancy

and you can dance by the light of the moon Nancy, LOL. Sounds like fun.

Alberta

The mosquitoes here get bad a little before sunset, so I figured you were already dealing with them. Last Sunday I bought further accoutrements for the crazy-gardener look, a net to keep skeeters off the face. I'm not sure how it will work with the headlamp, though, because the net needs a hat-brim to sit upon, and brims limit the area the lamp will light.

I also bought a mosquito repellant based on Lemon Eucalyptus oil. It has fared well in tests (tests in which skin-so-soft does not do well) and while it's a serious chemical itself, I like it better than DEET.

The mosquitoes are just getting up in numbers here, so I haven't tried the repellant yet either. Just 3 bites so far this year. But with a wetland behind my house, they get so bad I could almost cry.

Yup, headlamp works pretty darn well in the garden.
I started using mine in the garden when I realized I was gardening into dusk and had my head about 12 inches from the ground to see...LOL
Skeeters get pretty bad here too, I've found the best evenings in the garden are those when there is a breeze, that helps to keep them pesky blood thirsty evils away too.
Also the evenings tend to be cooler so I can work in the garden in long pants and long sleeved t-shirt pretty comfortably.

OMG!!! I never go out after dark. I'm a city boy--now transplanted to the burbs--but there are creatures out there. Not me, folks. I'm bolted in after 7:00.

Prof

Oh come on Prof...how are you ever going to dance nekkid under the light of the full moon?

I don't go outside much after dark in my yard either. It's not that I'm afraid of snakes, but that I'm terrified of them. If I do go outside, I certainly don't roll around in the garden. I stay on the concrete. Some of my wintersown plants reach out and touch me during the day. I'd have to change my shorts if they did that at night.

I'll do it in the kitchen, thank you. At least I'll have my carving knives (and Le Creuset) to ward off the evil spirits!

While you can prep containers in the kitchen Prof, you can't PLANT them there!!!! Well maybe in big urns or something, but I need mine in the ground.

This time of year, I am so jealous of everyone who is retired and has large expanses of daylight hours to plant out.Even if I rush home from work, I've usually not got more than an hour of daylight to work with. But the days are getting longer and my headlamp is in the mail - between the two I just may have may containers planted out by August!!!!!!!!!!!

Nan, let us know how headlamp works out. Sounds great to me. It's a real gardening handicap trying to get enough done between work and near total darkness.

I am a "professional" night gardener, since I have 2 young children and not enough hours in the day. After I get home from work and the kids are fed, homework done, and in bed, I go outside and try to get some things done. The headlamp works great. I've also chopped about 5 cords of wood by headlamp this year, but that takes a little more care than planting out HOS! ;)

A headlamp is such a good idea!!

I could look real crazy and use one when I do my instant bed style this week (like wendy2shoes posted)
My job also gets in the way of my hobbies so I might need to do the new beds at night.

I am already thinking some neighbors will think I am nuts laying down cardboard and newspapers then covering them with dirt etc....

Oh well, let em think I am nuts...

Karen

Can you get these with double halogen bulbs? Or maybe mercury vapor in 800 watt? If so, I may be tempted to try it.

Token: I hate snakes!!! Three years ago, in the middle of the afternoon, I'm taking a break on the patio under my wisteria-covered arbor. Dogs at my feet, just chilling. Suddenly, the girls jump up and start barking like banshees. I turned around, and a large black rat snake had descended from the wisteria and was hanging motionless about a foot away from my head.

Not only did I let out a scream that the neighbors still talk about, but I literally fell out of the chair sideways. I locked myself in the house with the girls. I wouldn't go out on that side of the house for two weeks.

I finally called a yard clean-up guy and had him cut back all the wisteria. I couldn't sit on the patio without scanning above every two minutes. Freaked me out totally.

They're the nastiest darn things and BIG! They're in the yard every year. I think the pond draws them especially when there's been no rain for a while.

Can you get these with double halogen bulbs? Or maybe mercury vapor in 800 watt? If so, I may be tempted to try it.

Token: I hate snakes!!! Three years ago, in the middle of the afternoon, I'm taking a break on the patio under my wisteria-covered arbor. Dogs at my feet, just chilling. Suddenly, the girls jump up and start barking like banshees. I turned around, and a large black rat snake had descended from the wisteria and was hanging motionless about a foot away from my head.

Not only did I let out a scream that the neighbors still talk about, but I literally fell out of the chair sideways. I locked myself in the house with the girls. I wouldn't go out on that side of the house for two weeks.

I finally called a yard clean-up guy and had him cut back all the wisteria. I couldn't sit on the patio without scanning above every two minutes. Freaked me out totally.

They're the nastiest darn things and BIG! They're in the yard every year. I think the pond draws them especially when there's been no rain for a while.

Can you get these with double halogen bulbs? Or maybe mercury vapor in 800 watt? If so, I may be tempted to try it.

Token: I hate snakes!!! Three years ago, in the middle of the afternoon, I'm taking a break on the patio under my wisteria-covered arbor. Dogs at my feet, just chilling. Suddenly, the girls jump up and start barking like banshees. I turned around, and a large black rat snake had descended from the wisteria and was hanging motionless about a foot away from my head.

Not only did I let out a scream that the neighbors still talk about, but I literally fell out of the chair sideways. I locked myself in the house with the girls. I wouldn't go out on that side of the house for two weeks.

I finally called a yard clean-up guy and had him cut back all the wisteria. I couldn't sit on the patio without scanning above every two minutes. Freaked me out totally.

They're the nastiest darn things and BIG! They're in the yard every year. I think the pond draws them especially when there's been no rain for a while.

Sorry, folks! Having a posting problem. System told me all three messages were rejected, now they're all here!

UGGH!

You've heard of leaf miners...well, now we have garden miners with headlamps.

Another advantage is I could be outside when the deer come through and the raccoons who've eaten 3 blocks of suet this week. At least they are just reaching in with their grubby little paws now and taking it all out instead of ripping apart another double wired "cage in cage".

Pretty tame compared to snakes hanging over one's head...LOL.

Would also eliminate the need to carry flashlight to check containers at night.

This is looking more promising all the time. Imagine working outside without the sun beating down on you. Sounds good to me.

I like the headlamp idea, but we are heading into Junebug season around here, and... well, no frippin' way for now. They're attracted to any light source (as well as the smell of fear, apparently).

I'll take snakes (we seem to have a resident Western ribbon snake in the back yard now!) and spiders over Junebugs any day. blehhhhhhhh.

snakes, yuck!! I don't have problems with them. I did have a family of mice that liked my jugs and my flower bed this winter. they scared me as much as I scared them. then when I saw they had dug through some jugs and tried to make it their home I got even... I used all kinds of natural remedies and so far no sign of them again. I guess I could use a snake to take care of them for me.

June bugs are annoying too, Japanese beetles were my big problem last year. I was walking around the yard spraying and squishing them and realized I was talking to them, like take that and gotcha. And I am sure the neighbors thought I was crazy then :)

Ran home from work to see if headlamp had arrived by mail but not yet. You all are helping me feel optimistic about this idea of night gardening!!!!

I was about to write that I also am blessed with a snake free/June bug free yard but then I realized....how would I KNOW that I don't have scary or annoying creature/bug out there at night if I hadn't done it yet? So I'll report back once I try it! I do know we get deer in the yard at night but the bambis won't bother me if I run into them.

Just had a horrifying thought...what about bats? Anyone know if they might be attracted to the light?

yes, a headlamp and a hefty slathering of cutter's are the proper attire for what i like to call "Night Gardening: The Sport of Kings."

go for it.

my own neighbors are enthralled.

I woke up around 4:15AM and thought, "If I only had a head lamp I could be working outside!" LOL

Let us know if you like it and where you got it on Ebay,
Nan.

For around $10 it's worth trying.

The racoon who eats all my suet came out in broad daylight yesterday right in front of me, climbed the tree and realized I was not far away when he/she turned around to head for the suet feeder...which I keep empty for a few days after they eat it. Cheeky but not so little bugger only ran as far as I chased it back into woods. So much for them being nocturnal. Maybe it's a mama feeding babies. What a sap am I...they eat it all year round if I keep it filled consistently.

Daybreak now and lots to do...LOL.