Landscape Lighting Design Ideas

Pathway Lighting

• Pathway garden lights come in a variety of formats, from step lights that are installed flush with the ground to decorative, hanging lanterns. Line the walkway to your front door or from your back patio to the pool. Not only do path lights accentuate the entrance to your home or other destination, but they also guide visitors safely along their way.

Moon Lighting

• If you prefer a more natural landscape lighting effect, consider installing low voltage fixtures high up in your trees. Aim the lights down so that the beams filter through the tree's branches and leaves, softly illuminating the ground below. This technique is called "moon lighting," as it mimics the natural, dappled effect of the moon's beams on your yard.

Uplighting

• The landscape lighting technique called "uplighting" can look very dramatic. Position a light at the base of a tree and it will illuminate the trunk and underside of the branches, making the entire tree glow. This technique also works for illuminating sculptures or fountains, but check to make sure the result isn't ominous.

Accent Lighting

• Less dramatic than uplighting, accent lighting allows you to highlight focal points within your landscape design. Position a light a few feet away from a surface, such as a textured or ivy-covered wall. Illuminate a bank of shrubs or your prized rose bushes. Don't use too high of a voltage though, as you don't want to wash out your yard.

Light Your Home, Too

• No landscape lighting design is complete without lighting your home, as well. Flank your front doors with wall sconces or hang a decorative lantern beneath your front porch. Wall sconces also work well when positioned on each side of your garage door, or consider installing a motion-activated flood light for security purposes.

LED String Lights

• Strings of light aren't just for the holidays. Wrap the rails of your deck or the pole of your umbrella with a string of LED bulbs to softly light your dinner party. This versatile product burns minimal amounts of energy while creating a festive feel.