Now that you’ve worked so hard to plant and arrange your garden, you’ll need to add some lighting features. The right lighting showcases plants of various colors. Lighting can also bring attention to the shape and detail of your flowers and plants. Lighting can also serve as a way to ensure you can safely spend time in the yard at night. The lighting you choose for your garden should be just as appealing during the day as it is at night. So, customizing the lighting in a way that makes your entire landscape more attractive is best. Appealing light fixtures and accessories ensure your garden lighting adds curb appeal, regardless of the time of day or night. Whether your style is understated and elegant, or colorful and eye-catching, these lighting suggestions can make your garden come to life.
Pathway Lighting
There are lots of design options to choose from when you’re illuminating a path in or leading up to your garden. You can place small round lights along the path to make it easier to see the garden at night. The color of the bulbs can also be part of the décor. For instance, if you have lots of purple flowers, red or orange lighting can bring out the warmth in the flowers. However, blue or purple lighting intensifies the color. Lighting in the same color scheme as purple or blue flowers also brings more attention to the moonlight in the garden.
Pathway lights can also be rectangular or square. If the garden is planted along the walkway, rectangular lights can be both practical and decorative.
“Ceiling” Lighting
If you’ve planted the garden underneath a pavilion or gazebo structure, you can apply the lights to the top of the structure. This creates a beautiful spotlight for your garden and ensures every colorful plant and flower is evident. Ceiling lighting also makes it easy to see in the pavilion and surrounding areas. Ceiling lights are practical if you entertain outdoors in the evenings. You can choose a chandelier that matches your style for the top of the patio structure. Or, you can arrange string lights along the top of the gazebo. Warm lighting with a yellow or orange tinge makes the area particularly welcoming. Lights in these hues also help to bring out the colors of the flowers and the lush green of shrubs.
Jar Lights
If your garden is in the center or near an outdoor seating area, lights in jars add a combination of dim and accent lighting. Using large mason jars or other decorative glass structures to house candles can serve as a table centerpiece. If the garden is nearby, the light will also hit the tops of the flowers for a dramatic, romantic look. The bigger the jars and the thicker the candles, the further the light will spread. Jars that include electric candles can also be placed around the garden to create more path lighting and bring attention to the plants. Electric candles are also safer if you have pets and small children. The candles can be turned on and off with the flick of a switch. Electric candles are also convenient, since you won’t have to remember to blow them out before heading in for the night. You can further customize this look by choosing colored jars that add a tinge of red, blue or green into the yard.
Lighting a Garden Wall
You can create a wall or trellis in the garden and add lights to it. This automatically brings the eye to the garden space. The wall can be centered in the garden or positioned behind the garden space. White lights are a classic choice for this type of garden décor. However, you can combine white lights with warm colors like red or yellow. You can also mix white lights with cool hues like green or purple. Spotlights can be installed in the spaces of the trellis. Or, you can weave string lights around the wall to complete the look. Trellises and walls also look great with climbing plants. Mixing the plants with the lights makes the garden even more magical.
Tree Lighting
Place lights in trees or bushes around the garden to make the garden stand out. You can get moon lights for the trees to give the illusion of pronounced moonlight resting on your yard. Or, you can install spotlights in areas of the trees that are directly above the garden. This is ideal if you have large or colorful trees you want to showcase with your garden. Tree lighting also works well if you have fruits or blooms on the trees that coordinate with your garden space.
Garden Border Lights
Lights around the border of the garden can serve as path lighting while displaying all the textures and colors of your garden. If you have a stone or fence border, you can apply the lights around or onto the borders. This is ideal if you have a garden filled with a mixture of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. There will likely be lots of shapes and hues in the garden. If the light is around the garden, all the varieties of plants you’ve grown can be showcased. Border lights also make it easier to see the small signs or labels you’ve created to identify all the plants in your garden.
Installing Lights in the Garden
You can use small path lights to the garden and install them in the center or in the corners of the garden. This makes the garden the most attention-getting part of your yard. If you have blooms that are particularly small like baby’s breath or bluebells, placing lights in the garden is a great idea.
Larger Lighting
Tall, street light-style fixtures are a great idea for large gardens. These lights also work well if you spend a lot of time in your garden in the evenings. If the fixture is tall and the bulb is somewhat wide, it will illuminate a large space. These lights can be placed at the main walkway of your yard leading up to the garden. Or, you can choose smaller streetlights to position closer to the garden space.
The light fixtures come in a variety of colors and styles. This makes it easier to choose the lights that fit your personal style. If you’re into the minimalist look, stainless or black steel creates a clean look. The fixtures are also available in stone or cement varieties. You can choose the light fixtures that match the materials used to build your home. This makes your entire property look more uniform.
The professionals at Cortada Landscape and Design are here to help make your home décor project successful. We’ll make the right recommendations for the size and shape of your yard. You’ll also get tips on the right tools and lighting accessories that will make your entire garden space into a relaxing oasis.