Commercial 5mm Pink LED Christmas Lights, 25 Bulbs, 4" Spacing

One of the regular challenges at the tiny Florida botanical garden where I help with the holiday light show is a very large bonsai, a bougainvillea that has been kept gracefully “small.” It is a centerpiece and has been floodlighted and outfitted with string lights. Our purchase of 20 strings of pink 5mm lights should outfit the entire bonsai (I’m betting 10 strings) with plenty left over for other bonsai or making electronic flowers.

The 25-light strings are notably easier to work with on bonsai than longer strings. The project to put string or flood lights on a large collection became feasible in part because the commercial (coaxial connector) light strings are extremely water resistant (bonsai are watered daily) and because the electric cables with coaxial connectors that are sold with these lights are a lot less expensive than regular outdoor extension cords. They are also far less visible than conventional extension cords.

Of course lighting a large bonsai collection for night viewing was controversial, maybe a bit crazy. Some trees are too delicate for lights. But the display, with a bonsai expert on hand during viewing hours, has made new friends and carefully arranged lights can help show off trunks and branches.

And of course these lights go well with flowers made from plastic soda bottles.