Done right, landscape lighting makes the best of what you’ve got by highlighting your home’s architectural features and drawing attention to prized plantings and trees. There’s no limit to the effects they can achieve, from ethereal moonlight beamed down from a tree canopy to a subtle glow that washes over a low garden wall. More than just picking the right hardware, a pleasing lighting scheme is also about artistry.

For Do It Yourselfers, low voltage and solar lighting are your best bets.

• Low Voltage Lighting: Low voltage simply means that the line voltage normally delivered from a home power outlet is reduced by a transformer to 12 volts.  The low voltage transformer plugs into a power source, usually a 110/120v outlet located outside. Inside outlets can work as well as long as the transformer is rated for indoor use and is installed with adequate space around it to dissipate heat. From the transformer, multiple cable runs connect clusters of 3 to 6 light fixtures. Because each light fixture uses a portion of the same 12 volts, you should avoid having all your light fixtures connected to one cable run. If you have too many fixtures, you’ll notice the lights are noticeably dimmer than they should be, especially the last light in the line. The size of transformer depends on the number of light fixtures you have, so a rule of thumb is to make sure you purchase a bigger transformer than you need. That way, you’ll be in good shape to add lights in the future.

• Solar Lighting: Solar lighting is another popular outdoor lighting option considered by some to be even easier than low voltage lighting because it requires no wiring whatsoever. Simply position the fixture in a location that receives direct or indirect sunlight and you’re done. Solar lights consist of an LED bulb (most common), rechargeable battery, and solar panel. Energy from the sun is converted by the solar panel and stored as electrical energy in the battery. At dusk when the light level is low, a photocell timer turns the lights on. Solar landscape lights typically take about eight to ten hours to fully discharge, which is usually more than enough time for an evening get-together outdoors. When purchasing solar lights, pay attention to the number of LEDs per fixture. Unlike incandescent and fluorescent lamps, LEDs emit light and not heat. One LED emits roughly the same brightness as a 2 Watt bulb. If you want lots of light, look for light fixtures with three or more LEDs. These will work great along paths and stairs where safety and security are concerns. Ambient or atmosphere lighting around a deck or patio could do with one LED per fixture.

Now for a few landscape lighting basics:

• Uplighting: By positioning the light source below the object and pointing the beam upwards you can highlight walls, structures, and large plantings, which creates visual interest and dramatic focal points.
• Downlighting: By positioning the light source high above the object and pointing the beam downwards, you can cast light over a wide area like a patio. By locating a downlight close to the ground, you can create softly spreading puddles of light ideal for walkways.
• Grazing: By positioning the light close to an interesting surface, you can bring out its texture. Use grazing to highlight tree bark, stone walls, or an attractive door.
• Silhouetting: By hiding lights behind and below a distinct landscape feature like a tree, you can create a silhouette that is visible against the sky at night.

There are a few things to avoid as well. Too many lights and your property will look like a birthday cake with too many candles. Instead, strive to draw the eye towards specific areas, landscape features or structures. Another common pitfall is to evenly line both sites of a path or walkway with lights, creating something akin to an airport runway. Instead, alternate lights on either side of the path and refer to the manufacturer instructions for the spacing between lights. Finally, experiment! The great thing about low voltage and solar lighting is that you can easily try different things. You may have to adjust the angle, intensity, and position of the light source to achieve the effect you want. If you see that you’ve got a birthday cake or runway effect happening, you can make the changes immediately. Low voltage and solar lighting give you the flexibility to move fixtures around.

With low voltage lighting systems, just remember to leave the wiring runs unburied until you decide on final placement. The bottom line is that a small investment in landscape lighting will provide you ten-fold the returns in terms of your garden enjoyment. With the right lighting solution, your home will look fabulous and dramatic from the street, and intimate and inviting for entertaining on the patio.

Please feel free to contact us to schedule a meeting for more elaborate landscape lighting options or to get advice from a landscape designer’s perspective.