Garden Lighting
Outdoor lighting has gone beyond a floodlight to get you from the front door to the car. Many new features, designs and options make garden lighting a decorative as well as a functional feature for your garden and your landscape as a whole. There are many different types of garden lighting to choose from.
Low Voltage Lighting
Low voltage garden lighting provides ample lighting without consuming mass amounts of electricity. Using a transformer that plugs into an existing outlet the voltage of the lights is reduced from the typical 110/120 to a mere 12 volts. This drastically reduces the power used.
Halogen and xenon bulbs both last longer and have a bright light; however the light fixtures for these bulbs are smaller. This type of lighting is usually associated with path lighting.
Path Lights
Path lights are important for safety around walkways and driveways and around any water features in your landscape, such as ponds or pools. Many path lighting sets are available in local hardware stores as DIY kits or through specialty lighting shops for more upscale path lights.
Path lights are basically very simple to install and while most do-it-yourself systems are solar powered and are simply pushed into the ground. These kits typically use rechargeable batteries and a small solar power cell that recharges the batteries.
Other path lighting kits are powered using low voltage transformers. If you decide on this for your garden lighting you might want a professional installation to help hide cords and wires.
Uplighting
If you desire your garden lighting to create a gentle glow rather than a bright illumination, you might consider Uplighting. Uplighting softly casts a glow upwards onto your home or into trees without the actual light source being seen.
This type lighting creates a focal point on the subject, such as a gazebo, garden, path or pond with a moonlight effect rather than a spot light effect. Uplighting can also be used as path lighting as long as there is enough uplights installed to illuminate the path.
Water Lights
Garden lighting is also available that is submersible in water. This feature allows you to add garden lighting to your ponds and pools. This lighting feature can add focus on a particular underwater object or just be used to cast reflection across the water.
Tiki Lighting
Tiki torches as garden lighting has become more popular in recent years. Tiki torches are typically powered by lamp oil and some also contain bug repellent for yard activities. Tiki torches come in a variety of materials from natural wood to metal that lasts for years. Tiki torches add a special touch to themed parties and gatherings.
Colored Lights
Garden lighting options are also available as colored lights. Add a brilliant blue hue to your pond or a subtle red to your garden statues. The availability of fiber optics and colored bulbs make adding colored lights as simple as changing the bulb.
Garden lighting is a feature for you landscape that goes beyond just lighting for safety purposes. Bringing your landscape to life at night adds dimension and character to your yards and allows you to bring the indoor gathering outside without being in the dark.
-Sharon V Chapman
May 14 2010
Outdoor garden lighting is an integral part of a home’s landscape and aesthetic beauty. It combines both form and function to create an inviting atmosphere that is both pleasant and offers a sense of security. There are many different uses for outdoor garden lighting that will bring a yard to life and create a visual [...]
May 07 2010
In recent years the push to be more environmentally friendly or ‘’green” has made people consider alternatives to their outdoor garden lights powered by electricity. This has made solar garden lights more popular than ever and available in more styles than ever. Most solar garden lights require little more than sticking them in the ground [...]
May 06 2010
Enjoying the beauty of the garden doesn’t have to be limited the daylight hours. The use of a garden light plan can make the garden a place of respite after the sun goes down. Garden light serves a dual purpose; it not only makes the garden a place to socialize but also adds a safety [...]
Jun 05 2009
Designing your lawn and garden is more than creating a planting plan and installing some plants. A good design plan for your lawn and garden will include lights for the garden and pathways. Adding lights for the garden extends your living space from the inside of your home to the outside by allowing you to [...]
Jun 05 2009
Designing your landscape lighting plan doesn’t have to mean just plain lights to brighten your yard, you can create your own enchanted garden area using dragonfly garden lights and other characters and animals that are also garden lights. Dragonfly garden lights are available in both solar powered and electrically hard-wired lights. The popularity of dragonflies [...]
Jun 05 2009
Low voltage garden lights can be used to add dramatic or subtle effects to you garden area. They can accent flowerbeds, water features or light up walkways throughout your yard. In addition to providing beauty to your home, they also provide safety and security. Low voltage lighting is inexpensive, safe and easy to install. Most [...]
Jun 05 2009
Garden path lighting is simple step homeowners should consider if for no other reason than safety. Maneuvering through a yard with or without patio stones to follow can be difficult at night, especially for visitors who aren’t accustomed to the path to your door. There are many different ways to add garden path lighting to [...]
Jun 05 2009
Westinghouse Lighting offers a wide range of lighting products for both indoors and outdoors. Westinghouse garden lights are energy efficient, economical and flattery to every yard and garden. Westinghouse Lighting Corporation offers the widest range of solar lighting products from a single source. Westinghouse garden lights come in a wide variety of designs. There are [...]
Jun 05 2009
“Going green”, being ‘Earth friendly” is all the rage these days and it’s not just a passing fad. As people try to conserve natural resources they are turning more and more to renewable energy sources such as solar energy. Solar lights for gardens are a way to use renewable energy in the garden while adding [...]
Jun 05 2009
Garden spotlights when used properly create compelling focal points in your garden by focusing a direct shaft of light on desired garden pieces such as trees, statues, fountains and more. They can also be used to direct the flow of foot traffic through the garden by lighting the path way. Garden spotlights can be used [...]