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Landscape lighting is an often overlooked part of home lighting design. It can transform your outdoor space, both increasing aesthetic appeal and home value.
In this article, we will discuss the many types of landscape lights, as well as how to implement them into your space.
Why Is Landscape Lighting Important?
Landscaping lights are fixtures designed to illuminate various parts of your outdoor living space. They can accentuate what is already there, showing off beautiful garden walls, sculptures, unique textures on walls, trees, and so much more.
Lighting up your outdoor living space can increase its kerb appeal. Not only does this make your house more visible from the street, but it can increase its property value as well. This is particularly important if you intend to sell the home anytime soon.
Beyond that, a well-lit outdoor space promotes better safety and security. By reducing shadows in the garden, you are more likely to deter any potential intruders or other criminal activity.
What Are the Different Types of Landscape Lighting Fixtures?
Outdoor landscape lights come in a number of types and styles. Each one has their own perks and use cases.
Wall Lights
Wall lights, or sconces, are simply light fixtures that attach to the walls. Outdoor wall lights can be mounted on any vertical surface and provide one of the most diverse and versatile types of lighting.
Advantages
Due to their versatility, wall lights can be placed practically anywhere around the garden walls or exterior walls of your home. They are portable and easy to move around, and they give you total control over the height at which you place them.
Their indirect light source also is more pleasant on the eyes. Due to the light shining downwards or to the side, it won’t cause a glare or hurt your eyes.
Since they are positioned on the wall, you won’t have to worry about people tripping over it and hurting themselves, either. Choosing recessed wall lights makes this lighting style even more subtle and unobtrusive.
Bollard Lights
Bollard lights are a type of path lights that can be used all throughout the outdoor space. Their size, shape and applications make them suitable for placement anywhere.
Advantages
Bollard lights have many different uses you can apply them to. They primarily provide focused lighting in a small area, making them ideal for clearly marking paths.
They can also be used to zone out different areas of the garden. Use them to outline the perimeter of the entertainment area, or line pathways with them to direct guests down the right walkway.
Since they generate dimmer, more localised light, they also ensure less light pollution. This will allow your other garden lights to stand out on their own.
Spike Lights
Spike lighting refers to small post lights that are able to be spiked into the ground. Most commonly, this type of low level garden lighting is installed around paved areas or in the soil around pathways and plant life.
Advantages
Spike lights are one of the easiest fixtures to install. Basically, you just drive them into the ground and position them how you like. Similar to bollard lights, spike lights make excellent garden path lights.
They work well at lighting a way through an area, even if it does not have stepping stones. Their ease of installation allows them to effortlessly be moved around and placed in various designs and patterns.
Stronger, brighter spike lights can also be used as uplighting for trees and sculptures. By shining their light upwards onto garden features or textured walls, you can beautifully show off their details.
In-Ground Lights
In-ground lights are one of the most modern types of garden lighting systems. They are installed flush with the ground, giving them a sleek, low profile look.
Advantages
The slimline nature of in-ground lights allows you to easily install them virtually anywhere. They are unobtrusive, providing a glow of uplighting without showing most of the fixture itself. They are designed to blend in with their surroundings beautifully.
This style of low level outdoor lighting can be used in any number of ways. Most commonly, it is used to highlight trees and plants from below. This provides a level of visual depth and intrigue.
Furthermore, while other types of ground lights are generally best used as walkway lighting, in-ground lights go further. They can be installed into wooden steps, around the perimeter of a patio or into the floor of a deck.
Step Lighting
Step lights are a type of low voltage outdoor lighting designed to illuminate individual steps and stairways. They can be installed in the step or stair riser themselves, or on either side of them instead.
Advantages
Step lights provide localised illumination on stairs and steps. They play an important role in the safety of pathways such as these. Having step lights will help you see any potential obstacles, so you don’t trip over them.
These lights come in different styles and installation types. Because of this, you can easily design lighting schemes around the steps that fit with the existing aesthetic.
Step lights can also guide the eye to points of entry. By creating functional focal points, you can urge your guests in the right direction.
Landscape Lighting Techniques You Can Use
If you want something that truly looks like professional landscape lighting, it isn’t hard to achieve it. There are a few methods and techniques you can employ to give your home that visual edge.
Accent Lighting
Accent light is one of the three main layers of light every space should have. Its role is to accentuate certain elements and set a mood. There are several types of 12 volt garden lights you can choose from for this task, including:
- spotlights
- garden lights
- wall washers
One of the most popular types of accent lighting is uplighting. With this technique, you place lights at the bottom of a feature and point them up. It is great for accenting statues, trees, feature walls and any other tall structures.
Downlighting, on the other hand, involves putting lights above a feature with them pointed down. This is ideal for accenting sculptures, water features and similar.
Moonlighting involves shining lights down through canopies of small trees. This type of downlighting creates a beautiful, ethereal glow while showing off the leaves and silhouettes.
Effective accent lighting will use shadows to add drama and visual intrigue. Typically, it involves warm white light, but you could create different moods with various light colors.
Task Lighting
Task lighting is a more focused style of light, one meant to help you better see when performing certain activities. When it comes to outdoor task lighting, you will need direct illumination.
Typically, task lighting is found in high-use areas. These include:
- garages
- driveways
- patios
- decks
Spotlights and floodlights are a common choice for task lights. They can be mounted on walls, poles or similar structures to light up the area. It’s a good idea to choose adjustable lights so you can move the illumination as needed.
Path lights are perhaps the most popular use of functional task lighting. They illuminate the areas where you need to step, making them an important feature of any garden. Space them out evenly along steps and walkways to ensure balanced, consistent illumination.
Wall Grazing and Wall Washing Lights
Wall grazing is a technique that allows you to show off the details of a textured wall. By placing the light at the base of the wall and shining it upwards, you create shadows beneath the textures.
Wall washing, on the other hand, involves wall lights positioned atop the walls themselves. They spread light behind them, back onto the wall, usually creating a halo effect. Other types shine lights vertically up and down the wall instead.
These versatile lighting styles make for excellent accent lighting. They are subtle, yet bold enough to easily draw attention to any walled area.
Downlighting and Uplighting
Uplighting and downlighting are two techniques whose names describe their function well: uplighting shines illumination upwards, while downlighting shines it downwards.
Downlighting outdoors is a great way to accent the exterior area of the home. Usually, they are used above trees to achieve a moonlighting effect. Beyond trees, they can be placed on other tall structures. Use them to shine lights down on driveways and walkways from high above.
Uplighting can be used to create shadows dynamic visual interest. Uplighting is commonly used to light architectural elements, trees and other tall focal points.
How to Create Ambience When Planning a Landscape Lighting Scheme
A nice ambiance can take your outdoor living space to the next level. Creating a mood will elevate your experience every time you enjoy time outdoors.
There are a few ways to give your outdoor living space a sophisticated, mystical appeal.
- CEILING LIGHTS. If you have a covered patio or deck, you can hang a unique pendant that shines soft, warm light. You could also install recessed ceiling lights instead, offering a modern look and a pristine glow.
- ACCENT LIGHTING. Incorporate accent lighting around the garden to provide beautiful, indirect mood lighting. Wall sconces, spotlights and soffit lights work well to this effect.
- CREATE FOCAL POINTS. Using accent lighting, you can draw attention to unique garden features. Not only will this elevate the aesthetics, but it will continue to provide indirect lighting as well.
- FAIRY AND STRING LIGHTS. Bring a touch of whimsy to your garden by installing fairy lights. These quirky lights create a fairy-tale style atmosphere that makes your outdoor space feel more playful and dreamlike.
- REFLECTIVE LIGHTING. If you have a pool, fountain or other water feature, allow lights to play off of the reflective surfaces. This creates a mesmerising, tranquil effect.
- Whether hung from strings or placed along decks, lanterns provide a mystical look and feel to your garden.
Installation and Maintenance of Your Garden Landscape Lights
Generally speaking, it is recommended that installation of mains power fixtures should be done by garden lighting UK-based electricians.
Even so, installing your LED landscape lighting yourself is possible, as long as you are prepared for what it entails. You’ll need to first make sure you’re purchasing your lights from reputable outdoor lighting suppliers. Of course, be sure you are choosing outdoor-rated lights for the task as well.
Installation of Outdoor Landscape Lighting
Step 1: Plan the design.
Before thinking about installation, take a moment to decide where you want to install the lights, what purpose you want them to serve, and the kind of lighting you want to include.
Step 2: Collect your tools.
You will need certain items, such as outdoor rated electrical wires, screwdrivers, drills, tape measures, ladders and wire strippers.
Step 3: Begin the installation.
With all the supplies at hand, you can start installing the fixtures. Drill or cut holes where you want the lights to go. Run the wires through them and connect the wiring.
Make sure you turn the power off before working with any wiring to avoid electrical shock. Use wire strippers to peel the ends of the wire and then safely attach them to the power supply.
Step 4: Finish the installation.
Fit the light into the hole you drilled and secure it in place. Turn the power back on, test the lights out and make any adjustments you may need right away.
Maintaining your Low Voltage Landscape Lighting
Garden landscape lighting needs to undergo periodic maintenance in order to ensure it works at its best. Fortunately, it isn’t difficult to do.
Regularly walk the garden and check the fixtures. Be on the lookout for:
- faulty wiring
- burnt out bulbs
- cracked fixtures
- flickering lights
- damages
If you see any of these, remedy them straight away. You may need to call in an electrician to safely repair your wires.
In the event you see dirt and debris caked onto the fixtures, take a moment to clear it off. You can use a brush or a soft cloth to cleanse the lenses.
What LED Colour Temperature Should You Use, And What is Colour Temperature?
Colour temperature is a way to measure how cool or warm illumination is. They are measured in Kelvin units and exist on a spectrum of 1,000 to 10,000.
At the top end of the scale, you will find your cool lighting. Toward the bottom, you will have your warmer lighting. The middle range is the most commonly used in most domestic applications.
When it comes to garden and landscape lighting, the colour temperature you choose may vary. Most likely, you are going to want warm white light between 3,000K and 3,300K. This provides a gentle glow that is easy on the eyes without sacrificing visibility.
If you want to include security lighting on your property, you will likely want to use cool lights. Cooler lights provide brighter, crisper illumination. This is especially well-suited for floodlights or other sources of illumination shining on areas monitored by security systems. Go for 4,000K to 6,000K in this case.
How to Highlight Landscape Features With Lighting
When planning highlights and focal points, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind:
- BRIGHTNESS. The higher the lumen count, the brighter you can expect the light to be. Larger landscapes may need more lumens than smaller areas.
- BEAM ANGLE. If you want to be able to control the directionality and spread of a light, choose a beam angle that works for you. The wider the landscape features, the wider the beam angle needs to be. For medium or small sized features, a 24 degree beam angle is usually best.
- COLOUR TEMPERATURE. Be sure you choose the best colour temperature for your unique needs–from cool tones to warm white hues.
With these in mind, you can begin creating your focal points. One of the most popular ways to do so is to highlight plants and trees. You can do so with uplighting from the ground, or downlights from above to create a moonlighting effect.
Accenting other architectural features can be done similarly. For pillars, walls and facades, you should direct light upwards. This will offer a dramatic look while accentuating textures and details. If you place items on the ground, ensure that you do not cause any looming shadows.
As for water features, it is best to shine lights down onto them. If you cannot find a way to do that, then place them on the ground, shining upwards and away so they do not cause a glare.
Ideas for Lighting in the Garden
Perfect for entryways and patio walls, the LWA370 6 Watt Brass Up and Down Outdoor Wall Light is an elegant, cylindrical wall sconce. It features a sophisticated brass finish that complements any decor. This wall sconce generates 600 lumens of 3000K warm white light at a thin, 20-degree angle. It is IP65 rated for outdoor use and measures 130 millimeters in height.
The LFL010 9 Watt 450mm Tall Black LED Bollard Light is a sleek, stout bollard fixture perfect for any landscape. It generates 800 lumens of 3000k warm white light, shining brightly 360 degrees around. Thanks to its durable aluminium construction and its IP65 rating, it is ideal for outdoor use. It measures 450 millimeters in height and is finished in an anodized black hue.
Create dazzling focal points with the ODL035 6 Watt LED Black Finish Garden Spike Light. This spike light outputs 420 lumens of 3000K warm white light, directed to shine right where you aim it. The head can be tilted up and down, letting you adjust it as necessary. This aluminium spike light has an IP67 rating, making it invulnerable against bad weather. It measures 181 millimeters in height and comes in an anodized black finish.
Modernise your outdoor living space with the ODL029 9 Watt 316 Stainless Steel Recessed LED Ground Light. This slimline in-ground light sits flush with the earth, giving it a low profile look. Its 316 stainless steel faceplate peeks up among the earth, surrounding the tempered glass front. It generates an ultra-bright 800 lumens of 3000K warm white light that shines upwards. This light measures 120 millimeters in diameter and is IP67 rated for outdoor use.
