Lighting effects
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Bring your garden to life at night with a number of lighting effects!
You can achieve these lighting effects with the effective use and placement of 12 volt outdoor garden lights to accentuate certain areas of your patios and gardens. After you have made a plan to highlighting certain plants and structures in your garden, you may then consider experimenting with various beam angles, wattages, and colours of light to achieve more beautiful effects. You might consider whether or not solar lights might not be the best solution. Imagination is the key. It is totally up to you what effect you want to achieve with your outdoor lighting.
Below are a few effects which will give you some idea of the possibilities offered by 12 volt garden lights
Up-lighting:
Create areas of light and shadow on a large specimen trees or dramatic plants. Place the fittings 'in-ground' for lawn and paved areas, or spiked in the garden and angle the lamp up-wards. The illuminated branches will provide an interesting point of visual interest and reflect a soft light onto the garden and patio area.
This effect can be achieved with a spot or flood light. For large groups of trees a flood light with a 100watt burner is ideal, while 20watt to 50w lamps can be used in the spot light fittings with 38deg or 60deg angle of beam depending on what is to be lit.(Note: the wider the angle of beam the shorter the distance of effectiveness.)
Light fittings to achieve this Up-lighting effect:
Accent Lighting:
A quick way to add drama to a landscaped garden is to use accent lighting. A sculpture or architectural detail can be highlighted with an intense light. For example you might place an Accent light near the base of a statue or tree. This technique is very effective but should be used sparingly. Usually a 20w 38deg lamp is all that is required to achieve an excellent result.
Light fittings to achieve this Accent Lighting effect:
Silhouette Lighting:
By placing a light fitting between an object of interest and a wall, and directing the beam onto the wall, you can create a dramatic silhouette of a plant, pot, or statute, adding depth to a small garden. A 20w lamp creates an excellent result.
Lights fittings to achieve this Silhouette Lighting effect:
Area or Moon Lighting:
Placed 8’-12’ (2.4-3.7m) apart, area lights provide subtle light to a low garden, shrubbery or ground cover. As a rule the recommended lamp is the best to achieve this effect.
Light fittings to achieve this Moon Lighting effect:
Path Lighting:
There is perhaps nothing more beckoning than a well lit garden path. Circles of light cleverly create atmosphere for a path, driveway or entrance when placed 8’-12’ (2.4-3.7m) apart. As an added benefit, path lighting provides a safe walkway and adds to your home’s security. Path lights and bollards come with recommended lamps fitted.
Path Lighting fittings to achieve this effect:
Step Lighting:
Embedded in the wall, step lighting can be unnoticed by day but appreciated by night. A range of surface mounted step lights allow for lights to be added after construction. Simply drill through the wall and fit the wire inconspicuously on the other side. Lamp depends on the of step and the effect you wish to create in the rest of the garden. We have found it best to use smaller lamps as it is easy to wash out other effects by being blinded with reflected light from the pathway surfaces.
Step Lighting fittings to achieve this effect:
Security Lighting:
Feel secure while creating an evening stage for your driveway and home. Rather than flood-lighting everything and blinding visitors to the house, paint a picture with light, highlighting the architectural features of the house and garden. A few well placed lights is much better than one all covering beam. They would also perfectly light the way for any security video cameras you have installed.
Light fittings to provide Security:
Column Lighting:
Narrow or very narrow spot lights will send streams of light up or down textured columns.These may be fitted at the bottom, the top, or in between depending on the look desired and the capabilities of the installation. In our range of products we often have matching 240v fittings so that your electrician can replace the existing fittings on your house to match your new garden lights. We have found that 20W halogen lamps provide an excellent effect.
Light fittings to effectively Light Columns:
Wall Scalloping:
Use spot lights placed 12”-16” (30-40cm) from the wall to provide an aesthetic aspect to stucco or stone walls and solid fences. Trellis work also looks fantastic lit in this manner from behind. 20w lamps proved sufficient light to produce these effects.
Light fittings to achieve this Wall Scalloping effect:
Grazing Wall Lighting:
By placing a wide angle lamp at the base of a wall and grazing the beam across the wall, the stucco or stone wall texture is enhanced. Care needs to be taken in this application, so that the beam does not shine in your eyes, as you move around the garden. 20w 60deg Halogen lamps give a fine effect in the home garden with the larger flood lights used on commercial projects.
Light fittings to achieve this Wall Grazing effect:
Tree Lighting:
Light fittings to achieve Tree Lighting:
Shadow Lighting:
Positioning a spot or flood light in front of an object will project an enlarged image onto a wall or flat surface. The light fitting needs to be place at the right distance and angled correctly to gain this effect. With experimentation this can easily be achieved. Try a 20w lamp to start with and change the angle of beam or wattage if required.
Light fittings to achieve this Shadow effect: