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At night, your entire garden can become a glowing stage, layered with various lights that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Setting up permanent mains lighting or hanging solar light fixtures, we look at the basics of getting this lighting to grow and thrive.
Start with no lights, except the dark soul-sucking spot, the black void, take out the biggest, brightest flashlight you have and hang around at dusk.Train the light upwards through the branches.
Point it through, around and through features, walls and planting areas to bathe them with soft, diffuse or slanted light.
The house will be the main feature, directing the entire garden layout.Consider safely traversing wider garden areas to and from the house and/or outdoor entertaining areas safely.From there, consider zoning and layering your lighting plan to highlight and/or make better use of these areas at night.
Use your first set of cheap solar lights to see what other solar or low voltage power sources, outdoor lanterns, bollards, ropes, festoons, stakes, pendants and even tabletop lighting could work.Solar stakes that plug into lawn or bedding provide instant, inexpensive direction and focus.
Use a string of solar lights from tree to tree overhead or between posts, plus a couple of light outdoor solar pendant lights that hang at that length like glowing fruit for a pleasant, inexpensive addition .Squeeze cheap batteries or strings of solar cells into large glass jars to serve as firefly table lighters.
Combining it with low voltage mains lighting (12V) where you can’t get solar lighting to work (and it does in many cases) allows you to put cables and suitable transformers anywhere you can run and supply power .You’ll have to do some slight digging to hide the wiring, along the edge of the lawn and across the bed – but it’s not a destructive thing.
Keep a paper plan of where to place any buried cables to avoid future shovel trimming or separate wiring.
Add the power of each individual unit, choose the correct transformer with higher power than the total, connect them with waterproof connectors and cables, and finally connect the residual current device (RCD) to your power point.
If your fitting has a higher voltage (230 volts) or is of any complexity, it should be handled by a RECI-qualified electrician.If it connects back to the house, let spark authentication set up for you to record.Make sure you use smart timers, app-based controls, or your index finger to turn off the power lighting when you don’t need it.
With any lighting in the bed, the wattage must be low enough not to burn the leaves and petals of the plants.Remember, standalone solar is great for price, running tens of thousands of hours with zero running costs, and best of all – wireless it can be easily relocated.
The key summer 2022 trend in functional, ambient and mission critical lighting is chic interior style low-hanging pendants that, combined with outdoor table lamps, look perfect for the house.
These can be mains or solar, but they should be positioned to integrate with your table, keeping them low enough to spread and gently reflect flattering light at a dining party, while not obstructing adult vision and choking conversation .
The pendant set made of soft diffusing material including polypropylene gives the look of paper but swings safely in a drizzle.
Bring solar pendants into the garden and try hanging them on your favorite specimen trees, inviting guests to wander and gather in different areas of the garden.
Show off these new sophistications next to your favorite chair, bench, or chaise longue as you would indoors, using a table lamp.Make sure you choose a weather-resistant frame such as powder-coated aluminum suitable for outdoor use.
Low voltage recessed LED lighting for patios, decks and walls has a highly sophisticated edge and can be powered year-round to ensure you get down to the ground easily from any height.Sharp, chaotic shadows are the enemy here.
Make sure any lighting is sufficient to navigate that path or step 24/7 regardless of the weather.Recessed deck or path lighting is set on walls, steps and planks.
Make sure any flush “indicator” lights set on the ground are on, not too sharp or you might miss rather than step on the steps, and might happily dazzle your guests.
For a set of lights, combine larger spots set up on steps or vertically (on walls), softened by frosted (glare reduction) lenses, and smaller LED light spots set in risers.
Alternatively, wash steps and decks with wide spots or bollards, slightly off the ground from the sides of the steps or set in plantings.
Try placing low-voltage light bars on benches, walls, etc. for an ethereal Hollywood glow.Dead sexy.
Color-changing lighting can be boldly dramatic or subtly atmospheric, so mix these soft golden whites with some great performers hugging tree trunks, shrouding shrubs or entwining pillars, gates and pergolas.
Depending on the brand, you can map the show with color phasing, integrated strings on and off, reciprocal color adjustments, or light patterns – a little bit of Christmas every day.
Choose from fairy and garland lights that automatically change color or blink patterns, or can be operated from a simple remote control or an app on your phone.
Philips Hue outdoor lights are smart enough to work with your smart home hub, available in standard line voltage (connected to your home’s power source) and low voltage (LowVolt), just plug into any outdoor outlet.
You can use outdoor coloured lighting integrated into dedicated water features like bamboo fountains, or retrofit them into ponds and details you already have (did you notice the stunning waterfall at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest?) – magic.
As with all your garden lighting, pay attention to your neighbors and make sure your sparkling carnival doesn’t bleed in the worst possible way.
Post time: Jun-23-2022
