The shorter daylight hours are no reason to draw the curtains on your garden. PAT HOLT looks at the possibilities of using artificial light to enhance nature's beauty and create an autumn/winter wonderland...

GARDEN lighting comes into its own during the long, dark evenings of winter.

Even if you arrive home after the sun has set, outdoor electric spotlights enable you to take a stroll around the garden (well wrapped in coat and gloves, perhaps), to see your plants in their evening finery.

Palms, yuccas and ferns stand out like sculpture in the harsh artificial light. Bare branches cast fantastic moving shadows on pale walls and paving. Ponds, fountains and other water features are transformed - and even dew and raindrops turn into sparkling decorations.

Some people are lucky enough to have spacious, heated conservatories. What could be more luxurious than a candlelit dinner in a warm garden room, overlooking a mass of plants illuminated with lamps and uplighters?

There's still time to see some really spectacular garden lighting at Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens, where candles and multi-coloured floodlights are used to illuminate the plants and trees, giving the gardens a completely delightful appearance.

This display continues each evening, from dusk until 8.30pm each day, until November 10.

The plants at Abbotsbury are really worthy of this dramatic treatment, with a jungle of foliage, ranging from bamboos to bananas.

Tree ferns, cannas, giant gunneras, fan palms, Monterey cypresses and towering Chusan palm trees all flourish in this sheltered spot, which is less than a mile from the Dorset coast.

With shelter from tall trees and the warming effect of the sea, the gardens have their own micro-climate, virtually free from frost and cold winds, so autumn colours are still lingering on many of the deciduous trees.

Despite the sheltered setting, the evenings are growing colder, so be sure to dress warmly if you are planning an evening visit. You will be equally welcome to visit during the daytime, if you prefer.

There are two recommended routes around the gardens, one for walkers and the other for wheelchairs.

Both of these take you past some of the ponds, streams and bog gardens, which are a special feature of the Abbotsbury gardens.

Both routes end near the Colonial Teahouse, where refreshments are available, and you might even be able to find some unusual Christmas presents in the shop.

If you return home full of inspiration for lighting your own garden, remember that electrical fitments need to be well insulated against the all-pervasive outdoor damp.

By all means select your own spotlights and lamps from the garden centre, but bear in mind that the outdoor power supply should be professionally installed, so allow for this extra cost.

More fragile, but easier to put in place, are candles in glass containers, specially designed for outdoor use.

Naturally, these give a gentler light and are quickly burned away, but they are perfect for a special occasion and look magical on a patio, outside the French windows. Dim the indoor lights, so you can enjoy the full effect.

Soon our thoughts will be turning to Christmas. Not content with decorating indoor Christmas trees, many people have taken to installing seasonal lights in the front garden. Some suburban houses will be lit up like Blackpool illuminations!

For a more subtle effect, you could buy sets of outdoor 'fairy lights', with tiny silver bulbs.

Conifers look festive when covered in sparkling lights and the effect can be good on other trees too. The bare branches of an apple tree, for example, can be decorated with lights. If you have wisteria or climbing roses over the porch, you might like to try threading the lights through the twigs, to create a glittering arch over the door.

There are lots of light, fantastic outdoor ideas, with imagination unlimited!

AT A GLANCE:

Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens are nine miles north-west of Weymouth on the B3157 coastal road to Bridport.

They are open seven days per week, except during the Christmas period. During the winter months, the gardens open at 10am and the last admission is one hour before dusk. For winter closing times and other details, please ring the gardens direct on 01305 871387 or 871153.

The autumn evening openings continue until November 10, from dusk to 8.30pm each day, when candles and floodlights are used to illuminate the plants and trees, giving the gardens a completely different, dramatic appearance.

Admission to the gardens costs £5.50 for adults, £3.50 for children and £4.90 for students, the disabled and for senior citizens.

The sub-tropical gardens are only a short distance from the popular Abbotsbury swannery. It is possible to buy a joint ticket for both attractions, costing £9 for adults and £6.50 for children (with a concessionary price of £8.50).

Late spring and early summer are the most popular times to visit the swannery, when the birds are nesting and hundreds of cygnets can be seen.