Hints and Tips for Better Lighting In Your Garden

Gardens are perfect for entertaining, especially during summer. You can consider your garden as an extension of your indoor living space. However, it can be a problem when you don’t have proper outdoor lighting. When you install lighting in your garden, you can transform it into a suitable space for hosting parties. Garden lighting can also be practical when pathways and steps are properly illuminated.

Regardless of your purpose for choosing garden lighting, there are hundreds of options to choose from. It can overwhelm anyone when you have not properly planned out the focal points. You also need to make sure that all outdoor electrical installations are properly designed for safety. The main guiding principle for choosing garden lighting is to focus on specific areas that you are fond of. Here are some tips on how to choose better lighting for your garden.

Start by lighting trees

Trees can be considered as living sculpture. By simply uplighting them, it creates a focus that is not only good during summer but also perfect during winter. Aside from lighting the base of the tree with a beam that focuses upwards, you can also add small LED fairy lights in winter that adds a seasonal effect to trees that have shed their leaves.

Pergolas and patios

The patio is often the primary extension to the indoor living space of any home. Whether you have an open-air patio or a pergola, there are so many lighting options to choose from. You can add an uplight to each of the posts in a pergola or hang string lights for better illumination. You can also add spotlights to each corner of your patio to create a warm glow. By lighting the structure of the garden, it highlights the vista and gives form to the garden even when the foliage is out.

Illuminate water

If your garden has a water feature such as a pond, you should strongly consider the effect of Outdoor Lighting to create a reflection. Placing lights next to a water feature will bring it to life with doubled effect when the light is reflected on the surface of the water.

Shrubs and borders

Most gardens have borders and shrubs. This is another perfect focal point for adding garden lighting. You can use spike lights that reflect light down into the foliage which also serves as a guide along the path. Spike lights also create a beautiful atmosphere when placed near flower beds. Another advantage of using spike lights is the flexibility to move it around the garden to follow how the plants grow.

Outdoor dining area

If your garden already features an outdoor dining area, you can place downlights over the dining table and combine this with candles for a romantic effect.

How to plan for outdoor lighting

Not all gardens are outfitted for installing outdoor lighting. It is important to plan ahead especially if you are starting to plant a garden from scratch. Whether lighting is a priority or not, consider installing cable routes to prepare the garden for ultimately adding lighting. Even if you are not quite sure yet how much lighting you will install later on, you can start by putting cable routes withdraw wires underneath hard landscaping so that you can easily add cable connections later on.

Choosing lighting fixtures

Lighting fixtures do come in different shapes and sizes, so too is the price. While you may be tempted to scrimp on the cost of light fixtures, remember that installing them outdoors means that they are exposed to weather and other elements that can cause damage. Invest in excellent quality Outdoor LED Lights that look good and at the same time are durable enough to withstand all weather conditions. When installing lighting fixtures, don’t place them in areas where they can get wet. Even if some light bulbs are generally water-resistant, you can increase the life-span of each bulb by keeping them dry.

Outdoor lighting can truly transform any landscape and make your garden enjoyable even at night time. If you want to maximise the use of your garden for longer periods of time especially during summer, consider the addition of lights even in small areas you want to focus on.