Nothing creates an atmosphere of enchanting elegance and natural beauty than a garden that makes the best use of properly executed outdoor lighting. Creating an outdoor space for evening get-together and quiet nights of enjoyment are a great way to extend your indoor space outside.
We’ve created five of the most effective tips for using lighting to transform your outdoor space.
1. Festooned Lighting
Festooned lights are essentially a string of light bulbs that can be hung from awnings, trees and other tall garden features and structures. This simple, elegant lighting is very popular right now as it can be used to add light to any space and can be modified as needed. There are many options for festooned lighting available including solar powered options that involve no battery or power unit and will automatically light up as the sun goes down.
2. Table Top Lighting
Another simple option that is modifiable and versatile is tabletop lighting. Using jar lights that give the effect of jar candles, all the way through to lights installed in the table, there are a myriad of ways that you can incorporate lighting into a tablespace, particularly one that is under cover and protected from the elements.
3. Lawn Edge Lighting
Lawn lighting is a great option that serves a practical and aesthetic purpose. Not only are you highlighting the lush lawn and garden beds, but you are also providing practical lighting for safer use of paths and lawn space. Lawn lighting can be as low or high tech as you like, with simple solar options available in hardware stores and professionally installed lighting available for those who want to take their lighting to the next level. Lawn lighting requires a well-maintained lawn and we recommend wikilawn to find a lawn mowing service in your area.
4. Uplighting Trees
Uplight is a great way of highlighting the beauty and majesty of large trees and even the architecture of your home. Typically this lighting is best installed by a professional,but there are plenty of DIY options available if you want to go down that route. Uplighting involves a light at the base of the tree that is strong enough to shine up and illuminate the trunk and branches above.
5. Continuous Lighting
Using lighting that makes your outdoor area an extension of your indoor space is a great way to add a feeling of home intimacy. This neat trick comes in a variety of forms, but put simply it makes the most of the windows and doors as conduits of indoor light, with special lighting that shines out softly from the inside to create a feeling of continuity. Using soft yellow lighting rather than harsh white light and using in conjunction with outdoor table lighting and/or festooned lighting will make this particularly effective.
Photo by Harold Leidner Landscape Architects
Creating a sense of intimacy and warmth in your outside spaces using carefully deployed lighting is a great way to give your garden a welcoming feel, even after dark. There are plenty of ways to install DIY lighting and lighting that can be moved around the garden according to your needs. Whether you decide to DIY your lighting or go through a professional you can use proper lighting to transform the look and feel of your outdoor space.
