Garden Lights

Quite often, when laying out ones garden or landscaping plans, little thought is give to the lighting that will take place.  Quite often we think of lighting as being something that is considered during decorating and design that takes place inside the home.  But, it's quite surprising how dramatic lighting can be when used outside.  Of course during the day, it's a mute point, as mother nature takes over, but at night it's an entirely different story.  If you use your outdoor space extensively for entertaining, or just for family, then you should really give some thought to how you light your patio, deck, pool, or garden areas.  Since there is so much more opportunities for visual focal points outdoors then in, it's actually easier to get some impressive effects when lighting an outdoor area.

One of my favorite methods for lighting an outdoor area, is through the use of fire.  It's natural, organic, and without a doubt very poorly imitated by man made means.  There are a number of ways you can illuminate your outdoors with fire.  Apart from actually building a bonfire.  Which will work, but may violate certain city bylaws, depending on where you live.  Torch lighting is one very popular, and one that I've used in my own backyard.  You'll need at least 6 or more, if you want any substantial lighting.  But, if your just going for atmosphere, then you'll only need a couple.  Candles are of course another interesting alternative to electric lights.  Normally they're just good for mood lighting, but if you have enough the effect can be dramatic.  Floating a burning candle in a body of water like a small pond in the image to the right is nice, as the flickering flames do reflect nicely of the water.

This is another alternative, if your going for an easy install, with plenty of options for moving your lights around later as your garden matures and changes.  They're also an advantage for anyone considered about running a lot of wiring and having high voltage wiring in and around the garden.  Those with ponds or water effects should take special note here.  I also like garden lights because of the lower carbon footprint they leave.  There is no better way to green your garden a little more, than to make greener design decisions about how it works.  The one thing you may find with most solar lighting, is that it's not very bright lighting.  Especially the cheaper units.  If you'd like stronger solar lighting in your garden, make sure you get units with better batteries.  This will allow your lights to stay on longer and shed more light while they're working.

LED lights can be particularly effective in a garden, if your going for simple effect, or just trying to light a path through a darken area.  LED's are not obtrusive, but are effective in drawing attention to specific plants, and making sure you and your other garden visitors don't stumble over rocks or other footfalls that may be placed throughout your garden.  Don't shy away from LED's because you may associate them with more cold technical applications as computers and display panels.  They really do quite well in the garden, and have the extra advantage of drawing very little power.  This makes them ideal for a solar driven system that requires the lights being on for long periods of time.