Illuminating a space with the proper landscape lighting can bring new depth and appeal to your property. A well-lit space increases safety and security by deterring trespassers and reducing trip and fall hazards.
Path lights are like little guides, ensuring visitors can safely navigate your walkways at night. They can also highlight exciting garden elements or even a unique flower.
Create A Well-Lit Pathway
A well-lit pathway is essential for safe navigation around your garden, especially at night. But it shouldn’t just be functional – path lighting can also be a great way to add style and intrigue to your garden.
When illuminating your pathways, avoiding the pitfalls of lousy positioning or over-lighting is essential. Too many lights, for example, can become blinding and make your walkway look like a runway. Instead, you should stagger the lights and use lower luminosity to create pools of light that guide visitors without creating glare.
Consider the intended purpose of your outdoor lighting, as it will guide the decision on the appropriate brightness level. For instance, if your outdoor lighting primarily serves a decorative function, opting for a lighter shade can embody a less-is-more approach. On the other hand, if it also functions as a security measure, a higher brightness level may be necessary. To devise a distinctive outdoor lighting strategy that harmonizes both aesthetic and practical goals for your open landscape, it is recommended to consult with a professional landscaper.
Add Ambiance
Landscape lighting can reveal what’s already there at night and create new beauty by casting shadows on unique features in your garden. This is the art of landscape lighting, and it’s at the heart of what professional lighting designers do.
The best way to do this is by incorporating layers of lighting rather than trying to light everything at once. Grouping too many fixtures will draw more attention to the lights themselves than the effect they’re having. Try to spread out the number of fixtures evenly throughout your garden.
You can use path lights to highlight your pathways and illuminate seating areas with soft lighting to create a romantic ambiance as the sun sets. You can even enhance the calming effects of your garden by using spotlights on sculptural elements, like a tree or fountain. These spotlights can be placed on the ground or mounted on a nearby structure to illuminate your unique landscaping features without annoying glare.
Illuminate Your Entrances
Lights around entryways can help guide guests and make them feel welcomed into your garden. This can be done with simple stake lights available in various styles and prices or low-voltage landscape lighting kits, including the light fixture, transformer (which transforms 120-volt electricity to safe, low voltage), wiring, and instructions.
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Using lights to highlight focal points in your garden is another way to add depth to your landscape at night. These could be statues, fountains, or unique plants. They can highlight textured surfaces or create shadows over hedging or dense foliage.
Path lighting is a standard feature homeowners install in their gardens. It helps define walkways and add safety, but it can also enhance the look of your garden at night. It can create a sense of magic and intrigue that draws visitors into the space when installed properly. If you are still trying to figure out where to start, an experienced lighting professional can work with you to design a pathway lighting plan that fits your needs.
Avoid Light Pollution
Using landscape lighting to highlight unique elements like trees, statues, or fountains is known as “highlighting.” You can create a dramatic silhouette by placing spotlights or floodlights behind the item to be highlighted (as opposed to shining directly on it).
Lights can also be used to create a soft mood in your garden. By using lights with a blue tint, you can achieve moonlight-type shadowing that is more pleasant than harsh shadows.
Be sure to use only necessary lights, and turn them off when you’re not home. Excessive lighting is a known contributor to light pollution in light trespass, glare, sky glow, and light clutter. This can negatively affect our environment, energy resources, wildlife ecology, and astronomical research. Using motion sensors, timers, and dimmers may lessen the impact of your landscape lighting. You can also participate in neighborhood initiatives to reduce the adverse effects of light pollution.
