Landscape Lighting

If  you are interested in outdoor lighting and aren’t comfortable installing it yourself, then the designers at Crystal Springs Landscapes, Inc. can do the work for you. There are many places where lights would be attractive and useful in any yard. In this segment we run through some of the more popular uses of outdoor lighting.

• Front walks: The front of the house is usually the first place people want lighting. It adds safety to pathways and is a great way to say “Welcome.”
• Flowerbeds: Use ground lighting to define the outline of the bed. Highlight shrubs with some uplighting. Spotlight any sculptures or waterfeatures to enhance the focal point. Bounce light off of a fence back into the yard for security.
• Trees: Uplighting from a well light highlights the texture of the bark and the structure of the tree’s canopy. Larger trees that are a distinctive feature of the yard also bounce light back into the area surrounding it. Smaller and younger trees create focal points in the yard and look excellent lit up.
• Decks and Patio Lighting makes the space more usable and adds safety and security. If you have built-in seating, downlighting adds a subtle, candlelight feel. For flower beds adjacent to decks, ground lighting and uplighting accent borders and ornamental trees.

Different styles of light produce an array of effects. When lighting areas, avoid over-lighting: aim to create the look of moonlight falling in the garden.

Floodlights used for uplighting create a shadowy effect against surfaces like fences, retaining walls and the sides of buildings. You can use these to bounce light back off of a fence to light an area for added security.

Well lights are submerged into the lawn and help prevent a tripping hazard in the middle of the yard where activities take place. You can also mow right over the light. To install:

Indirect lighting is often hidden under a structure. When placing under built-in seating on a deck, you can bounce the light off of the deck’s surface to create a shadowy, candlelit effect. Pathway lights are meant to be seen. They are placed along walkways and near steps for safety.

Outdoor lighting lets you enjoy your yard and garden from dusk to dawn all year long. It turns a deck into an outdoor “green room” with a warm glow that can be enjoyed every night. If you want to create a different mood or effect around the yard for a special occasion, just put in different bulbs. Lighting definitely adds function, creativity and spontaneity to your nighttime landscape.

There is also some great new energy saving products being produced now using LED (Light Emitting Diodes). These fixtures produce some really cool feeling lighting and they use only a fraction of the energy that halogen or traditional bulbs use.

Be sure to contact Crystal Springs Landscapes, for an estimate for your outdoor lighting project.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 4th, 2010 at 12:51 pm. It is filed under Landscape Construction, Landscape Lighting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.