Now that summer is here (well almost), most people will be relishing the opportunity to enjoy outdoor living. While the longest day is now passed, well-thought out summer lighting allows you to enjoy your garden for longer and even in the winter months when it gets dark earlier.
Garden lighting can provide practical access to and around your property after dark and it can increase your home’s security deterring intruders and would-be thieves.
There are plenty of options for outdoor lighting. You might want to opt for some traditional lighting or why not illuminate your decking area with modern LED decking lights, available in either blue or white? You can also have timers installed so that your garden lighting comes on automatically.
There are many different effects you can aim for when it comes to garden lighting, here are some ideas to give you inspiration:
Up-lighting: Lighting from below is one of most often-used techniques. It gives a dramatic and often stunning effect. Placing a light diagonally can provide wider coverage in shrub borders.
Down-lighting: Lighting in a downward direction from a structure can project light onto a pool or feature below. It provides general illumination for safety, security and amenity applications, as well as a contrast to up-lighting of other features.
Cross-lighting: This involves placing the light source to the side of the subject so that the light beam shines across it.
Spot-lighting: This is illumination where directional spotlights are placed some distance from the subject that is to be lit.
Moon-lighting: Moon-lighting is where you light down from low power lights fixed to a tree. This creates shadows from lower branches onto foliage and the ground below, and gives a subtle, dappled effect.
Spread-lighting: This uses a low-level stem mounted light with a shield on top to provide a glare-free, circular pool of light for a path, step, terrace or other area.
Accent lighting: This takes directional spot-lights and uses them to emphasise individual plants, focal points or other garden features so they stand out. Accent lights can be either mounted in or on the ground or fixed on a tree or structure.
Washing: This provides an even coverage of light on a wall that brings out colour or reflects from light walls to define the space and create a cosy atmosphere. The light used needs to stand away from the wall.
Shadowing: This is where you can project the outline of a plant or small tree onto a wall behind by placing a spot-light in front which shines through the stem and foliage onto the wall.
Silhouetting: This creates a dark outline of an object by lighting the wall or surface behind it.
Mirroring: This is the result of accent lighting a feature on the far side of a pond or other body of water so that its image is mirrored in the dark, still water surface when seen from the terrace or in the house. Underwater lighting or pumps must be switched off to keep the water surface dark and still.
Whatever effect you want to achieve with your garden lighting, we can design a lighting scheme for any outside application. We also specialise in control systems that provide energy saving solutions to suit your environment. To find out more, please call us on 01273 466700 or email: info@dwgroupuk.com
