Accenting with landscape lights - garden lighting

Flower & Garden Magazine, June-July, 1994 by H.E. Gibson

After The Sun Goes Down, Your Garden takes on a new dimension. Most gardeners plan for their landscapes to be viewed during daylight hours, but landscape lighting can extend your enjoyment into the evening. Lighting makes your garden come alive, highlighting the curved branches of a Japanese maple or lighting a rippling pond. Soft light shows off the artistry of flowers, shrubs, trees and landscape accents in a new and different way.

Planning and installing lighting is easier than ever with low-voltage lighting. Both standard 120-volt and low-voltage 12-volt lighting are used to light gardens and patios. The higher voltage is generally preferred for lighting where security is a concern, but low-voltage works well in most other areas. In addition, the more powerful 120-volt lighting is subject to a number of electrical codes. It is best for a licensed electrician to work with high-voltage lighting.

The use of low-voltage lighting has dramatically increased in the last five years. Many do-it-yourself lighting kits can be installed in a weekend. The case of installation lets you focus more time and energy on designing and enjoying the lighting system.

The first step is deciding what type of nighttime atmosphere you want to achieve. Well-executed lighting is subtle, so observe how different home landscape are lighted when you walk or drive around at night. Make notes of the ideas you like.

Then, take a critical look at the landscape area you want to light. Be sure to stand where others will be viewing the landscape. For the front yard, stand at the curb and look toward the house. For the back yard, stand in the area where you do most of your entertaining.

On a pad of paper, draw the landscape and mark the best features. Let you imagination paint a picture with light. Envision light splashed on a fence, spotlighting a favorite sculpture or shining up a tree.

The following are several basic lighting techniques you can use to highlight the areas you marked:

Uplighting. This is one of the most common lighting methods. Place a floodlight at the base of a tree and angle the light into the branches. Work with the light to find the most interesting branches. Crosslighting uses two or more lights to uplight from different angles.

Downlighting. Also called moonlighting, downlighting splashes light onto plants and other landscape elements. You can mount lights in trees or on the roof. Downlight sparingly to mimic the soft glow of a full moon.

Backlighting. Light the object from behind to cast artistic shadows and create appealing accents. Light a wall or fence to silhouette plants in the foreground.

Path Lighting. For safety, light paths, stairs look, alternate sides the landing strip look, alternate side for lights. Place lights on one side of narrow walkways.

Highlighting. Sculpture, water features, specimen plants and patios are among the landscape elements you may want to highlight. Highlighting can be done with one or more lights focused on the element.

Once you have designed your lighting plan, the next step is selecting lights. There are many choices of low-voltage lights, ranging from simple to artistic. Tier lights are one of the basics, available in everything from simple black to ornamental designs.

Most people look at design and budget when purchasing lights. However, you should consider the durability of the lights you choose as well. Outdoor lights need to withstand wind, rain, sun and other abuses. The light bulbs and lenses should be easy to change. Wiring should be durable and well-insulated to protect it from the elements.

A transformer is also necessary to connect the 12-volt lighting into your existing 120-volt system. The transformer reduces the voltage to the level needed to operate low-voltage lighting. Many lighting kits come complete with lights, wiring and a transformer.

The principle of wiring outdoor lighting is basically the same as indoor lighting except outdoor wiring must withstand the elements. It must be waterproof and weatherproof. Transformers generally are contained in as waterproof housing, but it is best to install them beneath an overhang and at least 1 foot above ground.

For the transformer, choose a central location to minimize the amount of wire you need to run to the lights. Connect the transformer to an electrical outlet with a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). A GFCI looks like an ordinary electric outlet, but it is designed to shut off within 1/40 of a second if there is a leak in the system. This safety feature helps prevent electrical shocks.

The transformer size, available watts on the circuit and wire thickness will determine how many lights you can attach to the system. Check the transformer rating for the total allowable wattage for all lights attached to the transformer. The rating also tells you haw many feet of cable it can service. Always err on the side of attaching fewer lights. Do not overload the system.

When working with electricity, be sure to shut off the circuit breaker before attempting to make installation or repairs. Do not turn the electricity back on until you are finished.