Outdoor Lighting Ideas With Fiber Optics

Water Lighting

• Use fiber optics in or near water. Pools and fountains gain color and character with the help of fiber optics. Edge a pool or fountain with fiber optics and the water will naturally capture and reflect the colors. Place fiber optics in other areas for safety as well, such as at the steps of the pool, around a pool fence or near the entrance to a water garden. This type of lighting will alert others that they are getting close to the water.

Uplighting

• Uplighting is a method of lighting which adds gentle glows to trees, posts or other objects which sit higher than the average human. Thread fiber optics through a tree, or tie them to a post. The light will spread from the tip to the end of the wire, highlighting the chosen object upward. A garden waterfall can also be uplighted by edging the fiber optics up the rocks on both sides.

Path Lighting

• Use the fiber optics to edge a path or create an information path. An information path includes fiber optic rocks or decorations which light up, helping visitors find the path in the dark. Edging a path is useful to the gardener or landscaper who wishes to keep night visitors out of flowerbeds or other landscaping lining the path. The fiber optics also give the path a colorful, warm glow and illuminate the surrounding landscape.

Decorative Art

• Fiber optics are used as decorative art in gardens and around homes because the wires are so versatile. The bottom-to-tip extending light makes a perfect decorative piece. Topiaries are strung with fiber optics, as are wire frames specifically crafted for fiber optic art. Some artists specialize in fiber optics, opting for this creative outlet because it is so easy to manipulate. Creativity is the key in decorating a yard with fiber optics.