Why
There are four main reasons for landscape lighting:
- Security
- Access
- Theatre
- Activity.
In other words, it is needed to:
- repel would-be thieveы;
- let an owner go via an area without stumbling across things;
- be eye-pleasin;
- let do something within an area.
Take these aspects into consideration while planning your lighting schemes. Fortunately, using LED bulbs makes the planning much easier, because tiny LEDs are as bright as normal sized traditional bulbs; therefore, LED-based lighting can really transform a space.
What and How
Path
If you would like to illuminate a garden path, you may try stainless-steel or aluminum circular lights just two inches in diameter recessed into your paving. To avoid rebuilding the path that has already been completed, you can set up spike lights alongside the way or place the circular ones in adjacent grass. This flashy road may consist of small 24x LED lamps.
Trees
Another option for the walkway is to up-light the trees from each side using a spotlight, floodlight or a spike light. The lamp to light a normal sized tree should have 30 degrees angle. Yet a slim, narrow tree, like a cypress, may require 15 degree lamp, whereas a bushy shrub need a wide 60 degree beam. Besides, you can mount a luminaire (e.g. Garden Creation jb6268 solar light) high up in a tree near the path in order to create an effect of smooth moonlight.
Steps
Attach small lamps to the adjacent wall so that the steps were highlighted. For this purpose you can use flush circular lights or mini “eyelids” such as the Euro Step Lite Eyelid from Hunza.
Architectural objects
Benches would better be lit with topdown pole-lamp light. As for statues, urns and other architectural objects, which you’d like to see at night, install a white high power floodlight or colored ROBIN 100 LEDBeam to highlight them, casting their shadows on a wall for creating theatrical effect.
A favorite feature may be outlined with cross lighting, when two spot lights are put in front to either side, or with backlight to make its silhouette stand out. Moreover, you should sneeze at the fact that, when cast, a light doesn’t disappear, it is reflected.
Apply this effect to illuminate objects by the light, reflected from others. For example, you can illuminate the whole pool with reflected light of a 50w LED fixture. For more drama and eye-catching look set up a spotlight to showcase a sparkling fountain.
Pergola
If you have a pergola, you may hang some Chinese lanterns or sheer globe lights by strings to create romantic and fairytale atmosphere.
On-tree Lamps
Instead of nails and screws, that would injure the plant, fasten a lamp with a strap. The thing is that if you use screws or nails, the tree will eventually form a scar tissue and grow around the attached device.
How to Install an In-ground Lamp
To place the lamp, dig a deep (18 in) hole and backfill it around halfway with gravel to provide drainage near the device. Put the additional wire into the hole, but leave enough length of the cord to connect to the circuit. Then insert the casing for the light in the hole. Add a bit more gravel around the fixture to make it stable and then slide the lamp into the casing. Power cord is to be covered with mulch. For assistance in wiring, consult an electrician.
On-ground Lamps
In order to make a lamp “vanish” at the daytime, consider piling rocks around them so that they were recessed in the pile, but don’t put any on their beams’ way.
