Outdoor Lighting added to your front yard Landscape Design plan is an element that should not be forgotten. Outdoor Lighting will not only show off your beautiful Landscape when the sun goes down, but also aid in security and safety.
There are countless Lighting features you can purchase from the local building supply stores or online, but what fixtures will light the areas you want can be confusing. A flood light pointed in the wrong position can be blinding to invited guest or neighboring homes. Over Lighting a small specimen tree or under Lighting a large tree will look unprofessional.
As a Landscaper, like to start by studying the natural light in my yard provided by the moon, especially how a full moon casts a gentle glow and creates soft shadows as the light filters through a tree or illuminates a garden area. In garden Lighting, the effect will seem most natural when it imitates nature.
Illuminate focal points and safety hazards more brightly than less important areas. Arrange the Lighting to show visitors where to enter the driveway and in which way a path leads to the front of the house. If your street is lit by street lights, you may not need much Lighting. If there are no streetlights, provide some soft lights for the driveway. Remember to avoid bare lamps at eye level and other sources of glare. MoonLighting (lights placed high in the trees) can provide the soft Lighting needed for this situation. Lighting at the garage door and parking areas is critical to the safety and security of homeowners.
Make sure to hide the source of the light, it will look much more natural... remember the light should be seen not the fixture. You can hide the fixture high above the ground or use several smaller lights rather than one large bright light.
Your Lighting will be more attractive if you combine several techniques in the garden. For example, you might use moonLighting from tall trees as the main light source, then add occasional accent Lighting from low fixtures, and decorative area Lighting for the entrance of the home.
Keep fixtures out of the way and make sure to choose the location carefully so they won't interfere with mowing the lawn, walking, or plant growth.
Ideas for security Lighting
It isn't necessary for security Lighting to be harsh or glaring. It doesn't even need to be real bright. You can use attractive Lighting for illuminating safety on the main paths as well as security on the home's corners, porch, side and back doors, and any spots intruders might enter the property.
Tom Hoff is a Las Vegas Landscaper who owns his own company, Modern Landscape. To learn more about installing a front yard Landscape Design, check out his landscaping website. Be sure to also sign up for his free Landscape newsletter where he'll show you how to save money installing your own Landscape.
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