Ah, summer. Warm sun, soft grass and lush, colorful flowers. Wouldn’t it be nice to keep some of that summer feeling around after the heat has drifted away?

Flowers can certainly do the trick, but Flower Lights, sparkling cords of decorative light, give you both lasting flowers and a colorful glow. Think natural plant surrounding a twinkle light, and you have Flower Lights.

Made in Thailand from the leaves of the Bodhi tree, these lights represent the rejuvenating abilities of the Bodhi or enlightenment tree. After the leaves have fallen, they are treated to give them a durable and translucent quality. Then they’re dyed with natural colors and hand-shaped into flowers.

Each bloom is made up of eight leaves that have been wrapped around a mini light and attached to a 10-foot, UL-approved cord. There are 20 lights on each cord. The cords are connectable at both ends, and the sets come with two replacement bulbs as well as one replacement fuse.

Flower Lights are available in various colors, including lavender, teal and red/yellow.

Each set comes in a small can that includes the story of the Bodhi tree, as well as instructions for the setup and care of the lights.

It’s easy to use Bodhi tree lights. Simply remove them from the package in a bunch and use a mist bottle to spray the leaves with water. Gently shake the leaves to help the flowers “bloom.”

You can mist and shake as many times as you wish to get the exact effect you want. Your Flower Lights are then ready to hang.

But note, the dyes can run when wet, so let the flowers dry before hanging. And direct sunlight might fade the colors, so find the lights a nice, comfortable spot.

Flower Lights would look great hanging around a mirror or perhaps a special door frame. They would even look wonderful bunched up in a low bowl as a centerpiece.

Wherever you choose to place them, their delicate beauty is sure to make you smile and remember why we all love summer so much.

Flower Lights cost about $27. We found them at Regalo, 980 Barret Ave. The phone number is 583-1798.

Copyright 2005 The Courier-Journal.