Light Up the Night

Low-voltage lighting really makes your landscape shine. You can do it yourself or hire a professional.

The subtle glow of lights in this Savannah courtyard casts geometric shadows onto vine-covered walls and gives towering plants new dimensions. But these lights are also quite practical. Besides adding security, they also extend the amount of time the garden can be enjoyed. Lighting up a landscape allows its beauty to be appreciated anytime.

Sensible System

Mac Newell, owner of Savannah's Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, uses low-voltage lighting systems. "I'm a big fan," he says. "It's cheaper than standard lighting, safer, and works better." He has found that the key to using low-voltage lighting is getting high-quality fixtures. "The money you save buying cheap fixtures comes back at you when they break after a short time," he says. "Copper fixtures don't cost that much more, and they look a lot better."

While hiring a professional ensures a quality installation and proper positioning, low-voltage lighting is easy for a homeowner to install, either in a new landscape or a decades old one. The fixtures are simple to move as plants grow, and they work well in almost any location, such as along walkways, by steps, or near landscape accents. Consider line-voltage lighting in a large landscape where there are multiple runs of more than 100 feet between fixtures.

Design With Lights

Mac offers a couple of pointers to help you get the look you desire.

* Use halogen lights exclusively. They're brighter, last longer, and look more natural.

* Install each fixture so the focus is on what you're lighting, not on the fixture itself.

Putting In the System

Once you know where you want your lights to be, you're ready to install them. Start by placing the fixtures in the desired locations, and then run the wire between them. Each light has two tabs that simply snap into the main wire. Connect the tabs, and bury the wire a few inches deep in soil or mulch. Next, attach the wire to the transformer, and then plug the transformer into a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet. Set the timer to come on at the desired hour, and enjoy the show. EDWIN MARTY

For more information on designing with low-voltage lighting, visit www. outdoorlights.com.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Feb 2006
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