One of the best things you can do to enhance the appeal of your garden is by adding garden lighting. Garden lights can spotlight particular features of your garden such as an ornamental tree, statuary or a water feature. You can create a sense of drama, elegance or serenity depending on how you plan the layout of your landscape lighting.
Step One: Determine your Theme
There are as many different kinds of gardens as there are gardeners and each of us has a particular kind of style or a way of doing things. To get the most mileage out of your garden lighting, decide in advance what kind of theme or look and feel you are going for. Knowing in advance the type of look you want will help you narrow down your choices and arrive at a selection of lights much faster. When thinking about your theme, consider the overall style of the light, the material it is made from and the type of light it casts such as LED or Halogen.
Step Two: Identify Key Areas
Take a walk around your garden with a notebook and pen and jot down the key areas of your landscape that you would like to highlight. Statuary, water features and ornamental trees are common things to spotlight with garden lighting. Also make a note of any pathways or stairs you would like to illuminate. Consider placing a garden light or two near outdoor seating or dining areas.
Step Three: Decide on the Type of Lighting
Once you have identified your key areas, decide which types of landscape lighting you will need. There are several types:
- Path / Spread Lights
- Deck Lighting
- Specialty Lighting
- Accent / Spotlights
- Water Lights
A good garden lighting plan will include lights from several categories. Each manufacturer has a slightly different definition of which lights fall into each category. If you stay with one manufacturer, it is likely you can find all of your lights in the same style which will give your garden a unified look.
It is also a good idea to determine which type of lights you want, whether low voltage lighting or solar garden lights. You also want to decide whether you want LED or Halogen light bulbs. One of the best ways to narrow your choices is to visit a neighborhood home improvement store, look at the types of lights and note your preference for LED or Halogen. Take a look at their solar garden light selection and get a feel for whether that style is something you’d prefer. Also note their prices. Then return home and start your comparison shopping, since great deals can be found online.
Step Four: Select and Install your Lights
Once you have a good idea of the type of lights and the number of each type that you need, comparison shop. There are a number of very good online dealers that offer good prices on a wide variety of garden lighting and more of them are carrying solar garden lighting. When you receive your order, check each light over carefully inspecting for scratches and scrapes. Also plan on installing everything relatively soon after you receive it so that if there is a problem you can contact the retailer within their return window. Low voltage lighting can be installed easily, but most manufacturers recommend having a professional install the transformer.
Summary
Garden lighting is the finishing touch on a beautiful garden and will extend your enjoyment of your garden into the evening hours. By carefully planning the areas you would like to feature you will build a solid lighting plan that will make shopping for your garden lights faster and easier. When your lights are installed, wait until evening and grab a cup of coffee and a loved one and sit on the patio to enjoy your beautiful, well-lit garden.
photo credit: takomabibelot
