The case for keeping your garden dark at night

Wasington Post - When you picture nighttime in a perfectly landscaped garden, chances are good that you imagine it lit. According to National Association of Homebuyers survey data, close to 90 percent of people find exterior lighting desirable. Close to half consider it essential.

But wildlife experts and ecologists say outdoor lighting has become excessive, and it’s having an outsize impact on the species that share our habitats. Artificial outdoor lighting negatively affects insects, birds, bats and other small mammals, and it can even make the plants in your garden less productive.