Landscape Design
Pros Field Your Questions About Outdoor Lighting
Find out what to consider when illuminating your landscape for safety and ambiance
When you’re planning a landscape redesign, it’s a good idea to think about what needs illumination in the evening and the best way to handle it. There’s a lot to consider, and to get you started, we asked three landscaping professionals — Karen Rogers of KR Garden Design, Lee Bestall of Bestall & Co Landscape Design and John Davies of John Davies Landscape — to answer some basic questions about outdoor lighting.
How Can I Highlight Certain Features?
“There are different ways of lighting garden features, and combining them can achieve some fantastic results,” Davies says. “There’s nothing more dramatic than an uplit tree, and in fact, it’s possible to use uplighting exclusively in a garden.
“However, think about lighting the horizontal plane by way of contrast,” he says. “Light cast across a step or over a lawn makes a great contrast to uplighting and is a good way to make sure you avoid black holes.
“Lighting your way along a path or driveway also works really well and leads the eye through the space at nighttime,” he continues. “Also consider downlighting on a wall or fence, particularly if you’re worried about light pollution.”
“There are different ways of lighting garden features, and combining them can achieve some fantastic results,” Davies says. “There’s nothing more dramatic than an uplit tree, and in fact, it’s possible to use uplighting exclusively in a garden.
“However, think about lighting the horizontal plane by way of contrast,” he says. “Light cast across a step or over a lawn makes a great contrast to uplighting and is a good way to make sure you avoid black holes.
“Lighting your way along a path or driveway also works really well and leads the eye through the space at nighttime,” he continues. “Also consider downlighting on a wall or fence, particularly if you’re worried about light pollution.”
What Type of Outdoor Lighting Should I Choose?
“A garden can be lit using either mains or low-voltage lighting,” where a transformer reduces the number of volts needed, Davies says. “Mains voltage may be cheaper, but I’d always recommend the use of low voltage on account of safety.”
Bestall agrees. “Low voltage is quick and easy to install, especially if you use a plug-and-play system,” he says. “Don’t opt for a cheap one, though, and make sure the transformer is an external one, as these usually come with a simple plug that you can place into an outdoor weatherproof socket.”
As for the light fixtures, Rogers recommends ground and mounted lights. “Mounted lights can be installed on trellis, walls and trees to cast light across areas underneath,” she says. “However, most of our lighting is ambient plant lighting using spike spots or ground-fixed spots.
“LED strip lighting can illuminate dark gaps beneath stairs, and inset lighting in paving can highlight objects such as pots,” she adds. “Step lighting can be recessed into the side walls, so the tread is well-lit for people to climb.”
Bestall isn’t convinced by solar lighting, though. “I’ve yet to find one that works for longer than two years, so I’m not sure how eco-friendly that is,” he says.
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“A garden can be lit using either mains or low-voltage lighting,” where a transformer reduces the number of volts needed, Davies says. “Mains voltage may be cheaper, but I’d always recommend the use of low voltage on account of safety.”
Bestall agrees. “Low voltage is quick and easy to install, especially if you use a plug-and-play system,” he says. “Don’t opt for a cheap one, though, and make sure the transformer is an external one, as these usually come with a simple plug that you can place into an outdoor weatherproof socket.”
As for the light fixtures, Rogers recommends ground and mounted lights. “Mounted lights can be installed on trellis, walls and trees to cast light across areas underneath,” she says. “However, most of our lighting is ambient plant lighting using spike spots or ground-fixed spots.
“LED strip lighting can illuminate dark gaps beneath stairs, and inset lighting in paving can highlight objects such as pots,” she adds. “Step lighting can be recessed into the side walls, so the tread is well-lit for people to climb.”
Bestall isn’t convinced by solar lighting, though. “I’ve yet to find one that works for longer than two years, so I’m not sure how eco-friendly that is,” he says.
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When in a Landscape Project Does Lighting Come In?
Lighting should to be planned from the outset, especially if you’re modifying the house too,” Bestall says. “Don’t underestimate the importance of thinking through how to control the lighting.”
If you’re hiring landscape contractors, Rogers says, “they will need to know where the lighting cables are to go and whether there are any other features that need an additional electric feed, such as a water feature, gas fire or shed.
“We review the lighting plan once the planting plan has been agreed, as very often the planting plan will differ from the original concept,” she adds.
“If you’re renovating, conduits from the building into the garden should be prepared prior to the completion of building work,” Davies says. “You don’t have to decide which features you want to light or how many at this stage, but you do need to think about what type of lighting you’d like and also how you want it to be switched.”
Lighting should to be planned from the outset, especially if you’re modifying the house too,” Bestall says. “Don’t underestimate the importance of thinking through how to control the lighting.”
If you’re hiring landscape contractors, Rogers says, “they will need to know where the lighting cables are to go and whether there are any other features that need an additional electric feed, such as a water feature, gas fire or shed.
“We review the lighting plan once the planting plan has been agreed, as very often the planting plan will differ from the original concept,” she adds.
“If you’re renovating, conduits from the building into the garden should be prepared prior to the completion of building work,” Davies says. “You don’t have to decide which features you want to light or how many at this stage, but you do need to think about what type of lighting you’d like and also how you want it to be switched.”
How Is Outdoor Lighting Installed?
“An electrician will liaise with the client about the exterior source or outlet for the lighting,” Rogers says. “They will then connect an armored cable to weatherproof junction boxes around the garden. The cable is usually laid along the garden boundaries or below ground along a trench.
“The junction boxes are usually secured against an outside wall or post,” she says. “The light cables from these junction boxes are then fed through plastic ducts under the paving or through raised bed walls to the planting beds.”
Rogers recommends hiring a landscape lighting expert or electrician and paying particular attention to the earth connections and any waterproof seals, as it’s vital the units are weatherproof. “Check all finished work with a socket tester, or a voltage tester for lighting circuits, before using them,” she says.
Find a local specialist in outdoor lighting installation
“An electrician will liaise with the client about the exterior source or outlet for the lighting,” Rogers says. “They will then connect an armored cable to weatherproof junction boxes around the garden. The cable is usually laid along the garden boundaries or below ground along a trench.
“The junction boxes are usually secured against an outside wall or post,” she says. “The light cables from these junction boxes are then fed through plastic ducts under the paving or through raised bed walls to the planting beds.”
Rogers recommends hiring a landscape lighting expert or electrician and paying particular attention to the earth connections and any waterproof seals, as it’s vital the units are weatherproof. “Check all finished work with a socket tester, or a voltage tester for lighting circuits, before using them,” she says.
Find a local specialist in outdoor lighting installation
Can Outdoor Lighting Be Retrofitted?
Retrofitting landscape lighting can be tricky. “Nobody likes to see ugly cables running over garden features,” Davies says. “Laying and preparing cabling could then involve chasing out and repairing walls, and lifting and relaying paving, which can be disruptive and costly.”
Bestall says it’s possible to retrofit lighting but advises, “I’d always plan it in if you’re doing a transformation. However, there are so many different types of lighting available now, and if you just can’t manage it, use [string] lights — they cozy up even the darkest garden.”
How to Hang String Lights Outdoors
Retrofitting landscape lighting can be tricky. “Nobody likes to see ugly cables running over garden features,” Davies says. “Laying and preparing cabling could then involve chasing out and repairing walls, and lifting and relaying paving, which can be disruptive and costly.”
Bestall says it’s possible to retrofit lighting but advises, “I’d always plan it in if you’re doing a transformation. However, there are so many different types of lighting available now, and if you just can’t manage it, use [string] lights — they cozy up even the darkest garden.”
How to Hang String Lights Outdoors
What Can I Do on a Small to Medium Budget?
“If you can only afford one or two lights, illuminate the front door and a focal point,” Bestall says. “For a medium budget, I’d say keep the lighting close to the house and layer it, just as you would in a kitchen.”
How to Choose Your Kitchen Lighting
“If you can only afford one or two lights, illuminate the front door and a focal point,” Bestall says. “For a medium budget, I’d say keep the lighting close to the house and layer it, just as you would in a kitchen.”
How to Choose Your Kitchen Lighting
Can I Incorporate Smart Technology?
Bestall says his company regularly incorporates smart technology into clients’ lighting designs. “It’s fun, too, to use products such as a smart bulb, which is an easy retrofit to existing lights.”
You also can connect programs to your voice-activated technology indoors, he says, and extend an indoor lighting system to incorporate the lights outside.
“Smart systems allow wireless switching, which is incredibly convenient,” Davies adds. “This can be to a wall-mounted switch, a fob or, even better, via an app on your smartphone. In the same way, you can now unlock, de-ice and warm up your car via an app, you can control your garden lighting from any location so long as you have internet access.”
Bestall says his company regularly incorporates smart technology into clients’ lighting designs. “It’s fun, too, to use products such as a smart bulb, which is an easy retrofit to existing lights.”
You also can connect programs to your voice-activated technology indoors, he says, and extend an indoor lighting system to incorporate the lights outside.
“Smart systems allow wireless switching, which is incredibly convenient,” Davies adds. “This can be to a wall-mounted switch, a fob or, even better, via an app on your smartphone. In the same way, you can now unlock, de-ice and warm up your car via an app, you can control your garden lighting from any location so long as you have internet access.”
How Do I Minimize Disturbance to Wildlife?
Show consideration for wildlife by not leaving lights on overnight. “It’s important to restrict the lighting to only when you’re sitting outside or you’re inside and want to light up the garden for ambiance,” Rogers says. “Artificial light can disrupt animal behavior, especially breeding and hunting, and can disorientate nocturnal pollinators.”
Tell us: What are your landscape lighting tips? Let us know in the Comments.
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Show consideration for wildlife by not leaving lights on overnight. “It’s important to restrict the lighting to only when you’re sitting outside or you’re inside and want to light up the garden for ambiance,” Rogers says. “Artificial light can disrupt animal behavior, especially breeding and hunting, and can disorientate nocturnal pollinators.”
Tell us: What are your landscape lighting tips? Let us know in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Landscape Lighting That Doesn’t Wake the Birds
Read other stories about landscape design
Find a local home pro
Shop for outdoor products
The first thing to do is to establish if there are any paths or stairs that need lighting for safety and practicality, Rogers says. “Then we concentrate on lighting the focal points of the garden, such as trees, water features and sculptures. We keep the rest of the lighting subtle.”
“The first phase is often based on a client’s lifestyle — for example, whether they keep a bike they use for commuting in the shed, have chickens that will need feeding in the dark winter months, or have wheelie bins at the bottom of a dark driveway,” Bestall says.
He adds that a second, decorative, layer of lighting could include uplighting trees (such as multistem and pleached varieties), backlighting strong topiary shapes and washing lighting over steps, driveways and paths.
“It’s really important not to overdo it, as less is more in many instances,” Davies says. “However, light the space evenly, taking care not to create black holes between highlights.”
“Garden lighting is as much about what you don’t light as what you do,” Bestall says. “In an open country garden, for example, we never illuminate boundaries, as it makes the garden appear smaller. Also, if you can’t figure out where your land ends, it adds a sense of mystery to the scheme.”
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