Landscaping For Beauty and the Environment - Landscape Lighting

A Night Landscape

As the sun disappears, no longer does your garden have to fade into the darkness not to be seen until the dawn sun rises again. Landscaping with lights can bring your night-time garden alive again with dramatic shade and light. Landscape lighting is not only functional, but can make a dramatic difference in the visual appeal of your home. Using outdoor lighting will create a sense of life and drama in a front or backyard all year-round. When Springs brings new growth and blooms or when the ice shivers on tree limbs - imagine the interplay of light and shadow in them.

Dusk and Early Evening Gardens

One of the most pleasant and relaxing things to do after a hard days work is to sit in the garden on a warm Spring or Summers evening, sipping a crisp white wine from California or an ice cold beer. Landscaping with lights makes this possible

This is enhanced with subtle landscape lighting that allows you to both see what you are doing and also enjoy the aspects of your garden and yard from a different perspective as shadow and light interplay with foliage, flowers, features and the structure of the trees and shrubs.

The Beauty of the Night

Staying indoors means we too often we miss out on what evening brings - quiet (or quieter!), a sense of ease at days end, a closure to work that is natural and peaceful. Garden lights also turn the outdoors into a great entertainment area. Using landscape lighting allows us more freedom to utilize our yards and gardens more - allowing the life growing there to enhance our sense of wellbeing. In the case of many who work long hours, sometimes it is the only time to enjoy the garden and landscape lighting can literally shine the spotlight on your landscape design. Some aspects of your landscaping will take on a special beauty at night, if properly illuminated. Lighting up walkways and 'hidden from view' areas of the home is a good safety and security measure and a deterrent to burglars.

Summary of Good Reasons for Outdoor Lighting

o It is decorative
o It offers a sense of welcome and ease of passage for visitors to your home.
o It highlights or accents the architectural features of your house
o Adds interest - with the interplay of shadow and light
o It provides security and safety (around pools and ponds etc)
o It enhances your property's value.

Part 5b "Painting with Lights" - see next article

Part 5c "Think Green" - see following the above

Final articles in this series are Landscape Architects and Value Adding with Landscaping