If you want to light your garden, all you have to do is purchase a few path lights, space them evenly along your walkway, wait for sunset and turn them on, right? Sure, if you want your yard to look like an airport landing strip. While path lighting can be an important element in a garden lighting scheme, this strategy alone does not make for a successful lighting scheme.
Instead, you should vary your lighting approach and think about creating a mood in your garden. It might sound kind of silly; you’re not hanging out in your garden all the time, mostly you just want to look at it when you drive up or pass by a window in your home. Take a moment to think about successful garden lighting schemes that you’ve seen, either in your neighbor’s yard, at a restaurant or retail store. Chances are that these lighting schemes included at least three different types of lighting.
By types of lighting, we’re not talking about decorative lanterns vs. flood lights. We’re talking about the way you light an object, such as a statue or tree, or a more ephemeral surface like a tree canopy or ivy covered wall. If your garden has a special central feature, such as a fountain or statue, aim a powerful spotlight at it or install lighting beneath that beams upward-a strategy called “uplighting.” The effect is dramatic, and the eye is drawn directly to that important central feature.
Next, you should add some softer light elsewhere in your garden in order to avoid stark contrasts. Consider installing a low voltage fixture with a diffusing lens high up in a tree. Natural looking “moonlight” will filter through the branches and create a soft glow. And finally, if you insist on those path lights, they can serve as your third lighting strategy. Now you’ve created a sophisticated lighted garden that truly is a destination.
Leave a Reply