Light Up the Night! Quick Facts about Outdoor Lighting
Article by: Debbie Rodgers
When the days start to get shorter, the darkness may drive us inside , Lanscaping - Planning Your Next Project from our porches, , Using the Right Hedge Trimmers in Lawn Care patios , Outdoor Storage Sheds or decks. , Rose Gardening: Water, Sun and Shade Don't despair - outdoor , Basic Chainsaw Maintenance lighting can lengthen the day and dramatically extend the potential of our outdoor , Tulips living spaces.
The first step, as with any project, is to plan. , Mustard: The Greatest Among The Herbs How do you want to use this space after dark, and what lighting will you need? Lighting can be summarized in four categories:
- Security lighting is needed in highly vulnerable areas of your property. , Sheltering Butterflies in Your Garden Because it is bright and often motion activated, keep it away from the living areas so that it's not distracting. Alternatively, have your security , Sprucing Up Your Garden With Solar lighting on a manual on/off switch so that you can override automatic illumination.
- Task lighting is for performing specific activities such as grilling or walking safely up and down steps and along paths. , Garlic: The Stinking Rose You should place , Vacation Proofing your Garden task lighting between your eyes and the object that needs to be lighted and should take care that it does not glare. An overly bright light , Small Garden Design - Creating Illusions Of More Space will blind rather than guide.
- Accent lighting adds drama or can highlight an unusual feature. , Landscape Lighting Uplighting, for example can illuminate an interesting piece of statuary. Silhouetting, achieved by placing a light , Wild Flower Garden - Recreate the Splendor of Nature in Your Own Backyard between an object and a fence or wall, , Mustard: The Greatest Among The Herbs dramatically displays an unusual tree , Greenscapes: Energy Efficient Landscaping or bush.
- General or ambient lighting provides overall illumination so that people feel comfortable and look good. The most magical of lighting imitates what is found in nature , Lawn Care Information - moonlight or starlight. Moonlighting is produced by hanging lights , Learn About Herb Gardening - Get the Natural Facts! in mature trees, , Plan Before Buying Rose Bushes pointing downward to produce a dappled effect, as if the area were lit by a full moon. The look of starlight can be achieved through the use of flickering candles, sprinkled here and there throughout the space, or by suspending tiny lights , Funniest Pond Stories-Part 1, May 2004 in the branches of a tree , Ideas for Decorating Your Outdoor Patio Area to create a sparkling night time canopy. Of course, there are many other attractive types of light , Wind Chimes Soothe The Soul - some just plain fun!
No matter what type of lighting you choose, it will be powered by one of these sources.
- Fire is the oldest source of light , Tulips and considered by some to be the most romantic. Flames, produced by candles or oil-burning lamps, are warm and flattering to faces, and have a hypnotic effect that induces calm and relaxation. Firelight on reflected surfaces such as ponds, , Butterfly House in the Flower Garden mirrors and even gazing balls is a particularly effective way to create atmospheric lighting and enhance the impression of light. , Lanscaping - Planning Your Next Project
Try snaking a row of candles along a garden , Tulips path or suspending them in glass , Butterfly House in the Flower Garden jars from branches. An array of tiki burning torches can add an exotic touch to your patio , Outdoor Storage Sheds area. Although torches are designed to withstand a reasonable amount of wind, it's best to provide as much protection as possible to any open flame and never leave one unattended.
- Solar-powered lights , 5 Tips On Caring For A Bonsai Tree are an easy and portable choice for outdoor , Multi Purpose Tree - Sugar Palm lighting. Some lights , Dealing With Pests In a Hydroponic Garden have a collector panel that can be concealed behind shrubbery, while others contain their own energy , Step by Step 'Leaf' Stepping Stones cell and absorb the sun's rays even on a cloudy day.
- Battery-operated and rechargeable units are also wireless and very portable while in use.
- Line-powered or hard-wired lights , Building A Foot Bridge are connected to the electrical system of your home. , Step by Step 'Leaf' Stepping Stones Weatherproof lamps may be plugged directly into an outdoor , Dealing With Pests In a Hydroponic Garden socket. Wire for lighting that is further from the house , How to Grow Hydrangeas runs through buried conduits. The most permanent of outdoor , How to Create a Beautiful Landscape Painting lighting, it is also the most expensive, sometimes costing in the tens of thousands of dollars. It should be installed by a licensed , Landscape Lighting electrician.
- Low-voltage units also connect to the electrical system of your home, , Step by Step 'Leaf' Stepping Stones but are fitted with a transformer that reduces the electrical current from 120 volts to a safer supply of 12 volts. Although they are less durable than line-powered fixtures, they are also a lot less expensive and are ideal for a small outside , Let Life and Energy Flow from the Garden space where only short cable runs are required. They are designed for an easy do-it-yourself installation.
Whatever your light , Sheltering Butterflies in Your Garden source, keep these tips , Funniest Pond Stories-Part 1, May 2004 in mind:
- Less is more in lighting. Be subtle: try to hide lights , How to Choose a Pond or Fountain where possible and use a low watt bulb. , Landscape Lighting
- Avoid setting lights , 'Sir Cedric Morris' Hardy Geranium in straight lines up and down paths, , Wild Flower Garden - Recreate the Splendor of Nature in Your Own Backyard drives or patio , Brilliant Corners: House Plants and Your Health edges. This "airport runway" effect is a very common error.
- Yellow lights , The Care of Cattleya Orchids are unflattering to both people and plants. , Let Life and Energy Flow from the Garden Where possible, install blue-white bulbs , Choosing the Right Mower or purchase daylight-blue filters for your fixtures.
- Position outside lights , Tulips where they are easily accessible for changing light , 'Sir Cedric Morris' Hardy Geranium bulbs. Investing in long-life outdoor , Care Tips for Planting and Growing Orchids Inside Your House bulbs will make the maintenance even easier.
- With any unit requiring electricity, , Learn About Herb Gardening - Get the Natural Facts! use the protection of ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) on all outdoor , 'Sir Cedric Morris' Hardy Geranium circuits.
Don't let the sun , Plan Before Buying Rose Bushes dictate the use of your outdoor , A Few Simple Facts About Purple Martins space. Get outside , Care Tips for Planting and Growing Orchids Inside Your House after dark and light , Learn About Herb Gardening - Get the Natural Facts! up the night!About The Author
Debbie Rodgers owns and operates Paradise Porch, , Garlic: The Stinking Rose and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor , How to Create a Beautiful Landscape Painting living spaces that nurture and enrich them. Visit her on the web , Butterfly House in the Flower Garden at www.paradiseporch.com and get a free report on "Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor , Wind Chimes Soothe The Soul space". Mail to debbie@paradiseporch.com |
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