Here are the facts. Planning outdoor lighting allows you to explore many potential lighting ideas, from the types of lighting fixtures and choices – malibu, solar powered, low-voltage, LED garden lights and landscape lighting kits on the market to get the most “garden light” for your dollar and enjoyment.
We receive lighting questions like the one below all the time:
We plan on adding outdoor lighting to our garden and landscape but need some help with planning some of the lighting requirements. Can you give us a little “lighting design” direction please?
Answer: Outdoor lighting design like any other well-organized project, needs proper planning to receive the greatest possible enjoyment and satisfaction from it.
Only in this way can you eliminate, wasted effort and wasted money. You want to make certain you take advantage of the landscape possibilities inherent in your home grounds, and this includes landscape lighting which improves curb appeal.
Though you may not be able to complete the whole plan for your outdoor space in one season, at least you will be working toward a definite lighting solution and goal.
Each Lighting Fixture Must Have A Purpose
If you want maximum effectiveness, each light placed in the garden landscape must be planned for and installed to fulfill a particular function in the overall landscape lighting scheme. In general, your lights serve one of the following five purposes:
- To light up attractive portions of your garden to enjoy its beauty by night as well as by day
- To adequately illuminate your terrace, patio, barbecue, or other recreational areas for real outdoor living and entertaining after dark.
- To light up entryways, walkways, driveways, and service areas for your nighttime safety and convenience
- To provide you with a movable source of plentiful overhead light for working around the home exterior or for playing games on the lawn
- To provide safety and security lighting for guest who visit or lighting to discourage potential intruders
- In many cases, by proper outdoor light planning, you can often make the same light fixtures serve more than one purpose.
A wisely located spotlight or flood lights, for example, will not only light up an attractive large shrub but can also spill enough additional side light for safe walking along a nearby garden path.
Planning On Paper For Lighting The Outdoor Garden Areas
The first step in planning your outdoor exterior lighting is to make a simple scale drawing of your home grounds and landscape. This is best drawn on graph paper, allowing each square to represent 2 or 3 feet, depending on the relative size of your graph paper.
Using a ruler, draw in the outlines of your house, garage, driveways, and patios or terraces. Indicate the location of picture windows and entrances. Also sketch in all water features, pools, flower beds, large trees, shrubs, and other principal features of your home landscaping.
Accurate scale measurements are not essential, but try to keep the various elements in approximately correct proportions, so you will not have a distorted diagram. When completed, ink it in so that you can erase later without smudging the basic outlines.
Keeping in mind the five principal purposes for outdoor lighting (as above), indicate these areas on your plan. Don’t try to figure out where each light will go at this point.
Now you merely want to indicate approximately the areas to be illuminated and the number of outlets required (if needed). Use a different colored pencil for each type of lighting, outlining the area with a roughly drawn circle or ellipse.
Location And Purpose Of Garden Lighting
Since the principal purpose of garden lighting is for the enjoyment of your garden after dark, concern yourself with the view your garden lighting will provide. This applies only to the parts of your garden visible from your principal living areas at night.
There is of course little sense in lighting up a flower bed located in a non-visible area unseen from nighttime outdoor or indoor living areas.
Start by roughly outlining with a colored pencil the trees, shrubs, or other plantings to be lighted. Consider the views from your terrace or patio, from your barbecue or outdoor areas, and also from indoors through the large window areas of your living room, dining room, or playroom.
We’ll talk in future articles how to decide on the specific plants to be lighted, and how best to light each of them. At this point, just sketch in the overall area to be treated.
Patio, Terrace and Deck Lighting
Patio, terrace and deck lighting should provide you with a true outdoor living area in which you can enjoy the same family and social times.
Lighting On Entrances, Driveways and Walkways
For safety and convenience, walks and driveways need well-planned lighting. Except for garden – path lights, most of this illumination should be located as high overhead as possible to avoid any blinding glare.
Most homes will have some of this lighting already built-in if only a light over the front door. But for now, ignore this fact.
Use a third colored pencil to outline roughly the driveways, walks, entrances (front and back), and other service areas requiring lighting. Remember that the entire driveway or walk may not require light. A driveway, for example, needs light only on the portion near the garage or parking area.
Don’t worry if some of the rough circles you draw overlap each other. In many cases, this is desirable, since it will indicate locations where one light might perform a dual function.
Hopefully, this “planning outline” will give some place to start and begin to formulate your outdoor lighting perspectives and get them on paper to get the lighting design details worked out.
Below you’ll find links to many articles on our site which we constantly update. We’ve tried to organize them into sections by topic.
Landscape Lighting Tips & Techniques
- Landscape Lighting – Uplighting Down Lighting
- Tips On Landscape Lighting Levels in The Night Garden
- Tips On Using Spill Light And Reflected Landscaping Light
- 3 Top Rules To Light Up Your Landscape – One Is Sexy!
- 10 Garden Lighting Tips: #3 – How To Best Use Spotlights In The Landscape
- 8 Effective Beautiful Front Yard Lighting Ideas For Your Home
- Landscape Lighting and Overhead Floodlights
- Lighting The Garden – Creating A Beautiful Night-time Landscape Lighting Picture
- Tips On Using Colored Landscape Lighting In The Garden
- Tips For Lighting Your Landscape For Drama and Function
- Top Mistakes You Don’t Want To Make With Your Outdoor Lighting
- Landscape Lighting: A Design Element To Fight Neighborhood Crime
- Outdoor Landscape Lighting – Creating A Nighttime View From Indoors ?
- Be The Envy Of Your Neighbours With Original Outdoor Lighting Ideas
- 3 Top Rules To Light Up Your Landscape – One Is Sexy!
- Make Outdoor Solar Lighting from Recycling Unique Lamps – Part II
- 25 Cool and Creative Lamp Designs
- How To Light Up The Party With Bright Lightweight, Rechargeable Outdoor Lamps
- LED Plant Grow Lights In Future Space Exploration?
- Outdoor Landscape Rock Lighting
- Glowing Walkway Real Or Fake?
- Garden Lighting Extending Enjoyment Outdoors ?
- Outdoor Lighting Fixtures ?
- Solar Garden Lights ?
- LED Landscape Lights Alternative to Halogen ?
Outdoor Lighting Ideas
- 18 Eye Catching DIY Outdoor Lighting Ideas
- 28 Ideas For Stunning Outdoor Lighting… Enjoy A Brighter Outdoors All Year Round!
- 15 Dramatic Landscape Lighting Ideas
- 17 Outdoor Lighting Ideas For The Garden
- 19 Mood Setting Outdoor Garden Lighting Ideas
- 39+ Eye Catching Gardening Lighting Ideas
- 11 Cool DIY Summer Party Lights Tutorials
- 15 Mood Setting Handmade Outdoor Lights And Lamps
- 21 Inspiring Ideas to Light Up Your Yard And Make It More Attractive
- 10 Fun Cool DIY Outdoor Lighting Projects
- 22 Outdoor Lighting Ideas For The Landscape
- 12 Ideas For DIY Outdoor Lighting
- 27 Attractive Outdoor Step Lights Designs
- 17 Illuminated Planters: How To Make A Glowing Romantic Backyard
- 5 Deck & Patio Projects For Night Time Light Time
- Holiday Lights Made From Pool Noodles
- How To Make Glowing Ping Pong Ball Lights – Easy Reuseable Party Decoration
- 16 Ideas To Create Magical Looks With Fairy Lights
- DIY Fairy Light Project Solar Light Chandelier
- Create Something Magical With A DIY Tea Light Log
Low-Voltage Garden Lighting
Lighted Hanging Globes and Balls
- How To Turn Wire Baskets Into A Lighted Globe
- Making Attractive Patio Lights Using Rattan Balls
- How To Make Mood Setting Grapevine Lighting Balls
- How To Make Mood Setting Outdoor Glass Globe Lights
Mason Jar Lights
- Make Stunning Mason Jar Lights
- How To Make Party Stopping Solar Jar Garden Lights
- How To Make Classy Solar Walkway Lights With Only 3 Items
- How To Make LED Canning Jar Garden Lights: Beginner Level
- Make Cool Looking Lanterns With Blue Mason Jars
- Lighting Up Your Home With An Adorable Mason Jar Lantern
- 10 Ideas To Add a Romantic Glow To Your Patio Using Outdoor Mason Jar Lights
- She Takes A Piece Of Wood… Adds Mason Jars And Creates Something Magical
Fiber Optic
=======================
Liven Up The Holiday Scene With Fiber Optic Dragonfly Lights
Candles, Lanterns & Can Lights
======================
How To Make Mood Setting Paint Can Lights For Garden Parties
How To Make Adorable Tin Can Lanterns
How To Make Beautiful Coffee Can Lanterns
How To Make An Outdoor Candle Lantern In 3 Styles
How to Make Beautiful Ice Lanterns For A Garden Party
How To Make Glass Jar Luminaries For Outdoor Lighting or Indoor Decor
================
Outdoor Lighting Ideas, Projects and Tutorials
How To Make Cool Looking Tube Lights For The Patio
$3 Bucks To Make Beautiful Glowing Outdoor Lamps?
Outdoor String Lights
Landscape Lighting
Solar Landscape Lighting, Solar-powered lights, Solar Garden Lights
===================
A VERY Clever Idea For Using Dollar Store Solar Lights
Solar Lights Don’t Charge Anymore? Try This To Rejuvenate The Lights [Video]
Wanted: Solar Garden Lights No Wiring Required
8 Solar Landscape Lighting Tips
Add cool lights to a walkway wising solar bricks
How To Light Up A Trellis Or Arbor Using Solar Lighting
=================
Rope Lights
=================
3 Borderline Genius Ways For Using Rope Lights In Your Backyard
11 Creative Ideas For Using Rope Lighting In Your Garden
Use Rope Lighting For Cool Looking Garden Lighting Effects
=================
GROW LIGHTS
=================
A Look Ahead Into Tomorrow… Plants And Artificial Lights
How Light or Lack of It Effects Plants
Understanding the Effects of Light on Plant Growth
7 Best Grow Lights Known As T5
Growing Plants Indoors Under Artificial Light
Understanding Natural Light for House Plants: Which Window?
======================
LANDSCAPING LIGHTS
======================
Landscape Lighting – How Bright is Your Yard?
Landscape Lighting Adds Garden Nighttime Beauty
Make Outdoor Solar Lighting From Recycled Unique Lamps
7 reasons to install landscape lighting
Lighting Walks And Paths On Sides And Back Of The House
Outdoor Walkway Lighting Think Safety First Artistic Later
Lighting Front Door, Walkways – A Complete Lighting Plan Including Numbers
Tips On Lighting Outdoor Paths Correctly
—————
Deck Patio
—————
Landscape and Deck Solar Post Lighting – All Automatic
Enhance Your Patio Or Deck With Lighting
Dress Up Your Deck Or Pool With Fiber Optic Pool Lighting
Deck and Patio Lighting Ideas That Add Livability
Adding Portable Outdoor Light For Games or Reading
Lighting The Outdoor Patio Eating Area
How To Get More Out Of Your Cookouts With Unique Outdoor Lighting
7 Bright Ideas Pool Lighting Options
Professional Tips For Choosing The Best Patio Lighting
Tips For Lighting Your Patio And Extend The Evening
—————
Planning
—————
Planning Outdoor Landscape Lighting
Outdoor Garden Lighting: General Principles, Tips and Ideas
—————
Highlight Accent
—————
Accent Lights Don’t Forget the Landscape
Garden Lights – Exposing Landscape Mystery and Intrigue
Tips On Lighting Interesting Landscape Garden Features
Landscape Lighting – Add Security and Accents to Your Home and Garden
4 Tips On Lighting Flower And Landscape Beds
How To Light Trees, Palms and Large Shrubs In The Landscape
======
Gourd Lights
======================
How To Make A Modern Concrete Cantaloupe Lamp
He Started Drilling Holes Into A Gourd… And Created Something Special!
Holiday Lighting
===================
5 Quick Tips To Add Holiday Lighting Flair
Learn The Art of Christmas Tree Lighting
Installing Outdoor Christmas Lights – Be an Elftrician ??
LED Lighting Green Trend For Holiday Lighting ?
LED Lights Mainstay Of Christmas Lighting At Rockefeller ?
40 GREAT Outdoor Christmas Lighting Ideas That Will Leave You Breathless