Less can be more, even when it comes to landscape lighting. We understand how easy it is to get carried away and go all out with your garden lighting, putting a tiny bulb in every corner, every tree, and every little detail you see.
However, not only are you running up your power bill by doing this, but you’ll also wash your entire yard out. To create the ideal nighttime space in your landscape, you should be able to find the right balance between light and dark, focusing on the features you wouldn’t normally notice during the day.
Using all the forms and plants you have in your garden, create interesting contrasts and shadow. Make full use of all these elements for a touch of drama and intrigue, and you’ll be able to have a well-lit space and a bright area.
So, turn your backyard from basic to iconic with the right landscape lighting techniques. It might be an intimidating project at first, but with proper planning and execution, you’ll be able to create your ideal outdoor space. Here’s how.
Start by making a sketch of your yard
When you’ve finally decided to take on the task, make a sketch of your yard and include all essential details such as benches, already existing lights, trees and shrubs, vegetation, and decorations. You might have to do some tree trimming in Sandy to switch up the available space a little bit.
All these elements are capable of either reflecting or absorbing light. Do an estimate of the height of each item, most notably the foliage.
Think about where the lighting should be
Specific areas in your garden require different lighting. For example, use a pole-type lamp and place it behind a bench to illuminate the path properly. Create a soft, delicate mood by hiding your chosen lighting underneath the shrubs.
Your garden path may need a series of short stake lights on the border on one of the sides or even both. If you have a water fountain, use a spotlight to emphasize it. But, if you have a pond, you can go for a much softer lighting.
Set a budget for buying the lights and stick to it
Are you willing to spend more on your lighting, or would you like to stay practical? High-voltage landscape lighting may cost as much as 100 dollars or more for every light, whereas the more affordable option may go from 30 to 300 dollars per light.
With a high-voltage one, you’ll need to factor in the labor costs when installing the lights. For the cheaper option, you can DIY it. You can also choose solar lighting as the most practical option.
Set up your chosen lighting
If you have one standout item in your garden that you would like to highlight, such as an interesting statue or a water fountain, you’ll need some lighting fixtures that have lower intensity bulbs. Do a combination of different angles and distances for that unexpected twist.
If you use a single bright light directly hitting the object, it will create harsh shadow lines.
Finally, if you want to create a moonlight-type of vibe in your garden area, go for some blue tinted lights.
