Lighting up your garden life by Lisa Moore T
here is something magical about lights in the garden. It's a way of defying nature, of saying, "I don't
have to go inside. I can stay out as long as I like." And today, there are just so many options from which to choose. You can go subtle or bold, bright or dim, ornate or simple. It's another state- ment about you and your vision of the world.
Design Garden lighting should be an extension
of your garden design. It can enhance a plant or emphasize a seating area. It can create a warm glow or be a feature in itself. In small gardens, lighting can expand the space, whereas in large gardens, lighting serves to create new spaces. Think of the quality of the light when
deciding what to do. Warm light makes things seem closer while white lights adds dimension, making things seem
22 • SUMMER 2013
further away than they are. Light up a fountain or a pool. String
tiny lights through trees or along garden features. Light steps or stairs at foot level. Embed lights in the walkway. Highlight trees by up-lighting or down- lighting. Shine lights through a garden umbrella. There are endless possibilities beyond the obvious. It used to be the fashion to up-light
trees, and while this is still done, what about up-lighting a stand of Karl Foer- ster grass? A light fixture trained on a hanging basket can make that feature very prominent in the garden. And if you have a lot of lovely or interesting sculptures in the garden, use light to show them off at night. Many people light up their swimming
pools or buy fountains with lighting as an integral part of the design. Use coloured lights with caution – too much or too many colours can end
up looking gaudy unless you have a very sure eye.
Lighting systems Today, you can choose from electri-
cally or solar powered lights. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage of electrical light
is the requirement for wiring. Today the LED bulbs require a converter to change the lights to a lower power rating. This is part of the initiative to phase out incandescent lighting by next year underway in 40 countries including Canada. On Jan. 1, 2014, it will become illegal to import inefficient incandescent lighting across the country. The advantage to electrical lighting
is that you never have to worry about charging batteries and with the long life of LED systems, changing bulbs is a rare thing. The disadvantages of a solar system are the unreliability of light if you live
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