Gardens look beautiful in bright
sunshine but at night, a garden needs lighting to look its best. Like indoor
lighting garden lighting is a combination of ambient and task lighting. Ambient
lighting sets the overall mood of the garden by maintaining the overall light
levels. While task lights do contribute to ambient lighting they also light up
specific areas. Pendant lights over the outdoor grill or lights along a pathway
are common examples of task lighting. Like indoor lighting outdoor lighting
also follows a few rules.
Identify Lighting Requirements
Lighting up a landscaped garden
isn’t as simple as placing a lot of lights around the garden. Lighting is
needed to not only make a garden look better but also to keep it safe. Identify
the areas that need to be lit up and elements that can create shadows. Make a
note of areas you frequent to make sure they are well lit and dark areas that
can by safety issues. Lighting can also be used to enhance architectural
features of the garden like trellises, gazebos and steps.
Choose Materials Wisely
When choosing light features for
outdoor lighting, materials play an important role. Choose long lasting
materials that can withstand natural elements like rust and water. Avoid using
lamp fixtures made from materials like iron and instead choose fixtures made of
non corrosive weather resistant materials. Copper, stainless steel and brass are
the most preferred materials when it comes to outdoor lighting. Though these
materials will last a lifetime, be prepared for the gradual patina that will
develop over them with time.
Avoid Creating Glares
Lights that create a glare keep
visitors from appreciating the beauty of a garden and are safety risks as well.
To avoid creating a glare, choose fixtures that shield the light source. It is
always better to see the effect of the light without seeing the light source.
Place pathway lights below eye level. Also ensure that none of the outdoor
lights are shining into a window or glass surface.
Control The Lights
There are two aspects to
controlling outdoor lighting. Firstly, lighting must be controlled in terms of
when they are switched on and off to make the garden eco friendly. Lighting can
be controlled in a number of ways including dimmers, motion sensors and energy
saving timers. The second aspect of controlled lighting is to control the
direction of the light. When planning the outdoor lighting scheme, consider the
next door garden as well and do not let your light overflow into the
neighboring space.
Hide The Wires
Solar lights are the easiest to
install in a garden since they do not have any wiring requirements. For other
lights bury the wiring at least 18 inches below the soil. For wall mounted
lights that have wiring that cannot be concealed pin all wires tightly to the
wall in straight lines.
Lastly match the style of outdoor
light fixtures with your interior design style. For example, Lanterns and acorn
style lamps are ideally paired to classic themed interiors while globe lights
are better suited to contemporary styled homes.
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