Shortly after moving into this home last summer, I noticed a faint light almost hidden by the wisteria vines and climbing black-eyed Susan. After a few evenings, I realized it didn’t turn on or off with the rest of the landscape lighting. Eventually, I updated the outdoor lights, switching to LED bulbs and changing the traditional timers out for smart plugs. All the lights were coordinated to turn on according to sunset. Well, except for this one fairy-like light.
None of the switches near the back of the house controlled it. The ones on the outside of the house didn’t control it either. I even tried random remote controls that I still haven’t matched to anything. After all, one of them surprisingly turned on a plant stand I didn’t realize was a water fountain! This light remained a mystery that I didn’t have time or energy to solve.
Then, one day, I decided to clean up the built-in grill. There it was: another control panel for outdoor lights. I realized that these lights must have been added at the same time the previous owners built the pool house, arbors, and patio. I looked up and discovered an outdoor light fixture hidden between two pieces of wood. I walked to each corner of the covered patio and found three more … I headed down the arbor path and found four more lights in addition to the mystery light.
To be sure, I unplugged the timer and then plugged the control box back in. The mystery light turned on. Since then, I’ve started replacing all the bulbs and fixing the newly discovered fixtures. We have a couple more lights to fix, but soon, they will all be working and coordinated.
Most of the garden treasures I have written about are the more tangible. But this one is just as precious.
It is light for a dark passage.
It lights my way from here to there: the space in between.
It is lighting for liminal space.
May you find unexpected light where you need it most.