Dramatic Impact on Landscaping and Your Home.

There is no reason why you can’t enjoy your landscaping even after the sun goes down. With the proper landscape lighting, your outdoor spaces are more inviting, secure and beautiful. Landscape lighting discourages crime, makes access more safe and secure, and reveals the daytime beauty of your outdoor environment. New, energy efficient lighting technologies and lower voltages make landscape lighting less expensive and safer.

With proper lighting techniques, you can literally paint your landscaping. Low voltage access lighting makes walkways easier and more inviting to use. Accent lights can illuminate sculpture and hardscape features, while warm-colored spotlights can bring dramatic focus to ornamental plantings, even particular tree branches.

Well-planned landscape lighting adds prestige and permanence to any home; that’s why realtors recommend landscape lighting as a relatively inexpensive way to increase property value. Lighting can hide obvious landscape problems while accentuating positive features, leaving the "cover of night" to help minimize what you do not want to illuminate.

Basic "rules of thumb" dictate that facades and architectural features should be illuminated from below; spotlighting brings out textures more effectively while foliage can be made more dramatic by placing lamps below or behind it.

Fountains and water features can be lighted to draw the eye, inviting you to enjoy the restful sounds and soft illumination. Underwater lighting works best in fountains and ponds, with the light source placed back from the area to be illuminated.

Lighting can focus on a gazebo, garden architectural feature, or archway. Lighted hedges discourage prowlers while bringing wilderness textures to your nighttime landscape. Use focused colored lighting to highlight a tree or an amenity such as a swimming pool or hot tub.

Illuminated handrails, paths, and stairs improve accessibility and safety. Brighter, more energy efficient lighting should be used around tennis courts, pools, and other activity areas.

As a general rule, low-level, low-key illumination does a better job than overhead fixtures. Landscape lighting should imitate starlight and moonlight, the softer the better. In addition, that unless they have a decorative theme, lighting elements and fixtures should be concealed from direct view whenever possible. While colored lighting can add drama and beauty, too many colors and your landscape may take on a carnival-like feel.

Cords, wires and conduits should be buried, and only all-weather, exterior wiring and cables should be utilized to reduce fire hazard and risk to pets and children. Low-voltage lighting systems also increase safety by eliminating high-risk electric shocks.

Outdoor illumination should be easy to operate; the fewer controls the better and switches should be accessible at doorways and along frequently used routes. Saving money is important but durability is also crucial. Shiny interior light fixtures may look fine inside, but after just a few months of outdoor exposure, finishes can peel, leaving metal to rust and disintegrate, so make sure to use only outdoor rated lighting fixtures.

Electrical service for outdoor lighting should include short-circuit protection and weather protected outlets should be placed where appliances will be used most.

Consider how your lighting may affect plant growth, especially in brightly illuminated areas. Many plants may thrive in extra light but light also destroys some of their hormones. Plants that are overexposed to light can produce weak stems because of low hormone levels. Plants that need more hours of darkness may only produce flowers under conditions that provide less light than darkness.

Our outdoor living designers can show you many styles and types of lighting that will fit your landscape project perfectly!