Are you having a hard time settling on a landscape design?
If you want your garden to stand out from the rest, you’re not alone. In fact, more than 7 out of 10 home buyers believe curb appeal is important when choosing a house.
Having a well-designed garden can boost curb appeal. However, garden lighting is the key to having a great-looking yard when the sun sets. Without good lighting, your overall design goes to waste at night.
Here are a few lighting tips to consider before finalizing your landscape design!
Bring Attention to Your Focal Points
If you have a nice pond, tree, or gazebo, you should illuminate it. Highlighting focal points brings attention to the strongest elements of your garden.
For example, with trees, consider in-ground lighting. It accentuates the shape of the trunk and makes leaves seem denser. As a result, it can even make skinnier trees appear more impressive.
You have several options for ponds. Downlighting provides a more natural look, while bullet lights bring attention to flowing water. If you have a clean pond you want to showcase, try submersible lights, too.
Add Variety to Your Pathway Lighting
Lighting your pathway is just as important for safety as it is for aesthetics. However, some lighting techniques are more inviting than others.
For example, try using several types of light fixtures along your path. You can include path lights but utilize ambient lighting as well. This can prevent your pathway from looking like a runway.
Choose subtle lights that don’t have too much glare, and point them downwards rather than up. Also, fix deck lights inside of stair risers to help avoid glare and maximize safety.
Use Smaller Lights for a Garden Bed
Some people choose to use one large light for flower beds. However, this tends to bring all the attention to the middle of the bed while ignoring flowers on the sides. As a result, it can lead to a dull look rather than a vibrant, three-dimensional one.
Instead of shining a big light on a flower bed, consider using several smaller ones. By doing so, you can focus on individual flowers that stand out from the rest. Plus, you can point them in different directions to add even more depth.
Try Out New Ideas With a Flashlight
If you’re new to garden lighting, you may want to hold off on positioning your lights until night time. This will give you an opportunity to see how the elements of your garden interact with the lighting. But instead of buying light fixtures first, use a flashlight to see what works best.
Try aiming your flashlight from different angles. By doing so, you can determine whether uplighting or downlighting is suitable for a certain area. You can also use multiple flashlights to create a cross-lighting effect.
Final Thoughts on Garden Lighting
Consider glare guards to prevent light pollution. However, pay close attention to what angles most people will be looking from. Often times, there will be more than one.
Also, remember to mix things up on your pathway. Rather than forming a straight line with path lights, try ambient lighting. If you’d rather just use path lights, see how it looks if you alternate between sides.
If you need professional help with landscape lighting design or installation, check out our list of services. Feel free to contact us for more information!