Landscape Lighting Tips

by | Jul 17, 2020 | Landscape lighting in Wilmington

If you want to make your yard transform from being basic to elegant, landscape lighting can help a lot. However, it can be a bit overwhelming to undertake a lighting plan for your landscaping.

Like a lot of things in our lives, less is more. This can also be true when it comes to landscape lighting. Of course, you might assume that you have to light up every single thing, from tree to detail to every nook and corner. However, this will wash out your lawn, aside from having an expensive energy bill.

Here are some landscape lighting in Wilmington tips you can follow:

Lighting a Landscape

You should not feel intimidated. There are a lot of kinds of lights and a lot of areas to install them. Grabbing a high-powered and good flashlight with a dimming optic is one of the greatest tip you can follow to plan the project. You can use this flashlight to light up your lawn at night and experiment. Make sure you play with the light. You should see what looks great and what looks bad.

Here are some lighting effects that you can consider:

  • Shadowing

This is the reverse method of silhouetting. Putting the light between the item being lit and the main vantage point. The light source is aimed at the item. However, this only works if you’ve got a flat surface or a wall behind the feature being lit. These surfaces will capture the shadows produced. This lighting can produce a moody and softer effect.

  • Silhouetting

This is an excellent effect if you want to showcase dramatic shapes you may have hiding in plain daylight. Install the light source behind the item. Then, light toward where the primary vantage point will be. You’ve got to ensure the light source itself can’t be seen.

  • Up Lighting

This is utilized as a safe passage to dark stairs and an accent to architectural details. Step and deck lights are directly installed into the decking or hardscape of a yard. Also, they can be utilized for washing down the light in stone walls. They can also light up entertainment areas.

One of the most basic types of landscape lighting is up lighting. it is utilized to generate drama with a tree or taller structure. You can opt to highlight the tree’s trunk.

Things to Light in the Landscape

So, what should you leave in the dark and what should you light? There are several things you have to consider. This includes:

  • Function

A meandering pathway or a deck with stairs has to be lit to guarantee that you can move around the area without any risk of injury.

  • Drama

You can add drama to places that may not stand out during the day. When grazed with shadow and light, a mere stone wall can take on an entirely new persona at night.

  • Features

You should recognize features that you like in your yard. Perhaps it is a tree or a pond. You can help show off these features if you highlight them using landscape lighting.