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If you love your garden and enjoy spending time in the front and back yard and would like to add drama to your
landscape, you should consider installing a lighting system. A proper lighting installation will provide many functional and aesthetic aspects to your landscape. Lighting will enhance the environment,
create a safe surrounding and extend the amount of time that you can use your yard and garden.
Lighting in the landscape will enhance the overall value and create a sense of drama in your landscape. It may
be used to focus on an interesting art piece, a sculptural tree or perhaps a distinctive water feature. Furthermore, lighting may be used to define the boundaries of your landscape.
Lighting can be used in a variety of ways to create the mood you are trying to achieve:
- Accent lighting This is often used to focus attention on a particular object or area. It
commends the viewer to take note of certain subject in the landscape. For example, this may be a Crape Myrtle, Savannah Holly or perhaps a Drake Elm. (Note: Up-lighting tends to draw more attention and is
often used for accent purposes.)
- Fill-in Lighting This method of lighting creates a comfortable transition from one accented
area to another. For example, you may want to install the fixtures to back light trees, wash a wall, fence or flood a row of evergreens. When placing light fixtures in the landscape think about what
elements need to be focused upon and which should be down played. This will allow you to create the mood you are looking for.
Important lighting terms to know:
- Spot Lighting - Focuses an intense beam of light on a particular object.
- Silhouetting - Displays a dark image of the subject by lighting a vertical surface directly behind the
subject.
- Shadowing - Placing the fixture directly in front creating a shadow in the background.
- Mirror - Lights a background scene to reflect into a nearby body of water.
- Grazing - Placing the fixture directly against the surface enhancing the texture of a wall through downward or
up-lighting.
- Wall Washing - Gently illuminates a wall or fence to create a backdrop for the main focal.
- Moon Lighting - Simulates the light of the full moon filtering through the foliage of a tree.
- Path Lighting - A pattern used to illuminate walkways and steps.
- Spread Lighting - Used to high light low shrubs and annuals.
For a successful lighting installation it is important to use the proper transformer and lamps for the desired
effect. The type of fixtures (lamps) you choose for your landscape and the amount of wire that will be needed will dictate the correct size of the transformer.
Our team of landscape architects will be happy to work with you to create the look and mood you want to
achieve. Feel free to contact us for all your lighting needs.
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