Planning garden lighting requires careful thought and preparation to create an outdoor space that serves both practical and visual purposes. Proper lights in the garden can illuminate the outdoor area and make it shine. Homeowners must take into consideration multiple factors, such as safety requirements and aesthetic preferences, when planning garden lighting.
This blog explains how to plan an efficient lighting system, which can transform any garden into an inviting space.
Understanding Garden Lighting
Garden lighting is not limited to placing a few lights around the yard. The larger purpose of this is to create a balanced, visually appealing nighttime atmosphere. This simple addition to the outdoor space can accentuate the visual appeal and value of your property.
When it comes to garden or landscape lighting, modern lighting systems rely on low-voltage power. This is both safer and more economical than traditional 120-volt setups. These systems often run on 12 volts, which is reduced from the home’s standard electrical supply through the use of a transformer.
This offers more flexibility in terms of design and also easier installation. This also offers the possibility of creating a range of light effects, from soft washes on walls to focused spotlights that highlight trees and architectural features.
Map Out the Space
The next step would be to sketch out the yard. A rough sketch will suffice, as the process does not require you to be familiar with sketching skills. Make sure to mark key features like trees, pathways, patios, and flower beds. These key features serve as the focal points.
A crucial step in this process is to consider the features that should be highlighted in the outdoor area, which could include a beautiful oak tree or a newly built deck. It is important to consider areas that require lighting for safety reasons, such as steps, walkways, or even uneven ground.
While mapping out the space, homeowners can also decide on the overall impact on the exterior atmosphere. The options typically include soft and subtle or bold and dramatic aesthetics. This planning makes sure that lighting design is not always random, but intentional and carefully planned.
Position the Lighting Fixtures
After sketching and mapping the space, the next step would be to understand where to position the lighting fixtures. This step is important because the right placement often influences how the outdoor space will look. For effective and safe installation, it is better to consider factors like optimal spacing and electrical capacity.
When it comes to the proper spacing of lighting fixtures, a few guidelines can help achieve the best results:
-
Pathway Lighting: The ideal spacing should be 6 to 10 feet apart to ensure uniform distribution of light. The spacing will depend on how bright the lights are and the amount of ambient light in the space.
-
Accent Lighting: It is not very important to consider spacing while highlighting features such as statues or plants. Here, it is more crucial to select the right angle and proper distance to effectively accentuate the object.
Working with a qualified lighting specialist when planning an outdoor lighting design is always advisable. Their experience can help in achieving both beauty and functionality.
Decide on Wire Runs
After positioning the lighting fixtures, the next step would be to provide power to the fixtures. To do this, homeowners can choose from many wiring options available.
It is rather inefficient to run a separate wire from each fixture to the transformer. This means that with 20 fixtures, there would be 20 wires converging at the transformer, which might create an unnecessary hassle and waste of wire.
Instead, it is better to follow one of several wiring methods to minimize the total amount of wire. Here are a few options:
- Daisy Chain: The daisy chain method connects fixtures like a string of daisies, wherein the first fixture connects to the transformer. It works well for VOLT® LED lights (8V–15V range) but is less suitable for halogen lights, which have a narrow range of (10V to 12V).
-
T-Method: The T-method is similar to the daisy chain, but the transformer connects to a fixture in the middle of the chain. It does not reduce voltage loss, but it helps save wire by allowing the chain to connect at the most efficient midpoint.
-
Hub Method: The hub method connects each wire run to the hub junction, from which a single wire extends to each fixture. This method is recommended for incandescent lights to ensure equal voltage. However, LEDs (8V–15V) have a wider range of acceptable voltage.
It is important to note that this method is not often preferred because it uses more wires. But the advantage is that it greatly reduces the number of splices in the field.
-
Combination Method: This is often the best choice for LED systems, as it blends the advantages of other wiring methods to save wire, reduce splices, and simplify installation. This method can be used if you desire to mix the above methods. This is a straightforward and flexible method due to LEDs’ wide voltage range and low wattage, which minimizes voltage loss and eases design concerns.
Conclusion
It's important to give garden lighting careful thought and time to achieve great results. Mapping out the space helps identify where the lights are needed. Choosing the right fixtures and placing them correctly makes the area safe and visually attractive. A thoughtful approach to planning garden lighting will improve the outdoor space.
