Whether our outside space is large or small, the satisfying experience of sitting in the open air will be enhanced with some well-planned lighting. As with the inside, your outdoor needs are diverse: tasking light if you are cooking or like to read; ambient lights that offer a warm feeling, accent lighting adding drama to an outdoor space by creating visual interest. The effect is both practical and romantic.
Tips
1. Highlight Your Best Features
Your garden is certain to have some features you want to show off. From carefully curated flower beds and show-stopping trees, to water features and sculptures, make sure to shine a light on your garden's best bits. Spotlights or up/downlights strategically placed and pointed will bring certain aspects of your garden to life as the night draws in and will let you get even more enjoyment out of these features.
2. But Don't forget to Highlight the Hazards Too
When highlighting the best aspects of your garden, don't forget about any potential hazards too. Do you have steps? Decking at different heights? Or a severely slopping lawn? Make sure to make these stand out too to avoid accidents. If you have water like ponds, pools or even a fountain make sure these can be seen in the dark too, not only will they look spectacularly serene, you’ll also be able to see if anyone takes an unexpected tumble.
3. Line Footpaths & Walkways
Not only are well-lit pathways essential in any garden but by creating a glow in these areas they give your garden a subtle magical quality that invites you to explore where the path leads. With many path lights solar powered, they are one of the most hassle-free lighting options and are often attached to stakes that easily stick in the ground so they can be moved around as needed too.
4. Use Uplights and Downlights to Enhance Wall Textures
Up-lighting is a favorite choice for highlighting trees and garden walls. Light beams that stream up from the ground show off building architecture, entranceways, and garden gates in a magical, dreamy way.
5. Try color-changing lights
Color changing LED lights have some established uses, such as in bars and restaurants, as accent lighting for art, or as part of an art installation themselves. But for the rest of us who would like to find a way to incorporate color changing RGB lighting into our homes, the options are somewhat limited. Aside from throwing outdoor parties, one of the most interesting and exciting possibilities is to use color changing lights as a permanent part of outdoor landscaping and exterior lighting design.