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Light Accents
1 Mar, 2008 By: Ken Krizner LivescapesLandscapers can illuminate their work to add value.
Limitless Options
The actual lighting design is limited only by the imagination.
"Every landscape is different because trees and shrubs are differently shaped and sized and the numbers are different," Lentz says.
In beds containing smaller flowers, such as magnolias, a spread light over the top of the flowers will illuminate the entire garden.
"The light pops down on those flowers and makes the entire garden buzz with nighttime colors," Dross says. "The flowers aren't very tall but you've popped light into that bed and made those colors noticeable."
Shrubs, which are very dense, are best lighted from above.
"Let's say you have a row of azaleas along the side of the house with a wraparound porch," Goldstein says. "I would mount fixtures on the porch that would point directly down into the planting bed."
When trying to accent a tall tree, then a narrower beam is needed because it will carry the light up farther into the canopy, Dross says.
"The light will come out of the bulb at a 15-degree angle and remain brighter at farther distances," he says. "You can get a pool of light on the canopy."
Landscapers can also create a moonlight effect in a tree by placing fixtures in its canopy anywhere from 20 feet to 35 feet above the ground. The light will shine down through the branches and leaves, creating a natural pattern of light on the lawn.
"You're using the tree as a source of light," Goldstein says. "You get the feeling of being out in the moonlight."
It's also possible to take advantage of the changing seasons when lighting particular trees, such as a red maple, Dross says. In the winter, there is a normal red coloration in the tree. In the spring, when the leaves bloom, it looks like a normal tree. In the fall, when the leaves are dying, the tree emits a cherry red coloring.
"You have one tree but three seasons of color and excitement from the landscape lighting," he says. "That makes all three seasons work in different ways."
Selecting Voltage
Landscape lighting can be achieved through low-voltage (12 volts) or standard-line voltage (120 volts).
Most residential landscape lighting projects can be accomplished on the 12-volt system. It is the most energy efficient, the least expensive and safest for a non-professional electrician to install. Cables can be strung along the surface without insulated conduit and junction boxes. The 12-volt system, which requires a transformer, is also the most flexible, since lighting fixtures can be moved without disrupting the plantings.
If a homeowner desires a line-voltage system, then a licensed electrician must be brought into the project at the onset. Using the standard line voltage in most homes, the 120-volt system provides power for a larger landscape lighting plan, including security lighting. The system is intended to be permanent and in accordance with local and national codes.
Dross says that it is important to remember that using lower-wattage bulbs and more fixtures is better in landscape lighting than using one fixture with a higher-wattage bulb.
"Because it is dark, small amounts of light make a positive impact on your landscape," he says. "You can't help but notice. The key to really good landscape lighting is variety."
Dross notes that homeowners have invested thousands of dollars in their landscaping and they want to enjoy it as much as possible.
"People want to accent their homes," he says. "They want to add beauty."
Lentz says the goal of landscape lighting is for people to see the effect of the light without seeing the source of the light.
"What we're doing is painting a picture with lighting," he says.
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