Landscape lighting: site design with illuminated lamps

Usually, fans of out-of-town recreation pay a lot of attention to the location of flower beds, lawns and beds, while neglecting the issue of lighting. But well-organized landscape lighting will not just allow you to move freely around site in the dark, but it will also provide some degree of security, and will also add creativity.

Landscape lighting in the evenings emphasizes the beauty of the landscape, and at night creates a comfortable living environment

Requirements for lighting in a suburban area

1. Lighting work begins with drawing up a diagram. Ideally, the scheme should be drawn up before starting work on the site, so that later you do not have to destroy what has already been built or planted.
2. The wiring must be safe, have an RCD and a circuit breaker. It is better if these issues are dealt with by a professional. It is not worth experimenting, as the consequences can be catastrophic.
3. It should be comfortable for you to control the lighting system.
4. Each lighting element must be designed for outdoor use and protected from dust and moisture. This applies to bulbs, fixtures and switches. And the cable must be laid in a special pipe or corrugation.
5. Ideally, lighting is planned in such a way that even in the dark, every corner of the site is well lit.
6. If you plan on using your outdoor lighting on a daily basis, opt for energy efficient lamps.

Landscape or facade

Immediately, we note that both landscape and facade are types of outdoor lighting. For the organization of facade (or, architectural) lighting, light sources are placed above the entrance or on the facade of the building. Thanks to this arrangement, the lamps effectively illuminate the structure itself, emphasize the architectural features of the house.

Facade lighting allows you to favorably emphasize the architectural features of a country house

Landscape lighting design has a slightly broader task. Thanks to him, it is convenient and safe to move around the site at night. There is an opportunity to organize a comfortable evening outdoor recreation. "Highlight" the most interesting corners of the garden, make light accents of the site. Well, and partly not to allow intruders to enter the site, because, you see, not everyone will "encroach" on a well-lit area.

A wide variety of lighting devices are used to organize landscape lighting.

Nevertheless, experts recommend making the landscape light moderate. Thanks to this, it will be possible to create a special atmosphere of solitude and mystery. And it is better if there is not one bright light source, but many small, chamber lighting the entire territory.

Varieties of landscape lighting

Landscape lighting can have different tasks, and each of them has its own solutions.

Functional

As the name implies, the main task of such a "light" is to provide maximum comfort in a suburban area at night. And for this, a plan is developed in detail for each zone. In particular:

• Gates and wickets. Typically, this area is illuminated with lamps located high enough (2 to 4 meters). Management is carried out manually or automatically. Sensors and switches are often located on lampposts. As a rule, such lamps “capture” not only the area near the wicket or gate, but also part of the paths.
  

  To illuminate the entrance and entrance to the site, you can use the lamps mounted on the pillars of the gate and wicket

• Front doors and entrance to the terrace. Wall lights or sconces are ideal for lighting. The peculiarity of these light sources is that they fill the room with a soft, cozy atmosphere, and almost any interior looks unusual and elegant. In addition to the lighting function, such lamps can also cope with the decorative lighting function, serving as facade lighting.
  

  When choosing lamps for the front area, the stylistic features of the porch and terrace design are taken into account

• Main garden path and garage driveway. It is better to illuminate the main routes of movement (it does not matter, by car or on foot) with lanterns on special poles with a height of 70 to 140 cm. long-life gas-discharge light sources of different power will be ideal for this purpose. Thanks to them, the entire area will be evenly lit. Since they are available in varying power ratings, select the options that suit your application. In particular, depending on the length and width of the tracks, on the number of lanterns that you plan to install. Such lighting can also be controlled manually or automatically.
  

  For uniform illumination of the path, it is necessary to experimentally select the number of flashlights and the power of the lamps installed in them.

• Outbuildings. If you are doing business after work, when it gets dark, then the best solution to illuminate the utility area is a floodlight. If necessary, you can install more than one. Mounted on a high pillar or rooftop, this light source will provide a comfortable working environment.
  

  It is very convenient when the spotlight above the barn door is automatically turned on from the motion sensor

• Garage. Most often, the area around the garage is illuminated using wall lamps attached to the garage itself. The main purpose of such lamps is to mark the entry boundaries. In most cases, they are made automatic, reacting to motion sensors.
  

  You can illuminate the area in front of the gate using one lamp suspended on the pediment of the garage

• Alcove. The most common solution is a ceiling lamp or a garland fixed in the center (along the perimeter) of the gazebo. If your choice is a shade, then give preference to the matte option. Thanks to him, the light will be softer and more diffused. The switch is installed either in the gazebo itself or in the house.

Romantic gazebo lighting with directional lights

Lighting of an open gazebo with LED garlands

Lighting ceiling chandelier gazebo with fireplace

Marking

Such lighting combines both functional and decorative components. The following objects are marked:

• Steps of stairs. This includes both garden staircases and exterior staircases of a residential building. For the backlight, shock-resistant materials are selected that are designed for many years of outdoor use.
  

  Illumination of steps of a garden staircase with built-in lamps

• The boundaries of the playground, recreation area, lawns. For this purpose, universal lighting elements that are resistant to temperature extremes, moisture and dust are best suited.
  

  The photo shows an example of lighting a playground in a suburban area

Protective lighting

This system should immediately "alert" about unwanted visitors.

Protective lighting is installed along the perimeter of the fence

Has the following characteristics:

• The locations of the luminaires are determined in such a way that the sensors block all approaches to the doors.
• It is imperative to check whether there are so-called dead zones in which there is no sensor action. Luminaires are mounted on both sides of the security camera (if installed) to make the image clearer.
• The system is triggered as soon as movement begins in the zone, and turns off after some time (the interval is set by the owner) after the movement has stopped.

Types of garden lamps

Today, the options for lighting fixtures are presented in a sufficient range. And they differ not only in external characteristics, but also in their purpose. Some are great for illuminating the territory, while others are indispensable when it comes to decorating a garden, flower beds or ponds. Finally, there are options that are decorative elements in their own right.

The simplest decorative lamps can be made by hand, for example, from a glass jar with a screw cap.

Embedded

Such lamps are mounted in walls or floors, sometimes they are installed on special platforms.

Special ground luminaires have a sealed design and impact-resistant glass

Key Features:

• compact size and flat shape;
• the emitted luminous flux is rather weak;
• depending on the location (vertical or horizontal), the direction of the light is adjusted;
• predominantly contain LEDs;
• suitable for multi-colored lighting.

Decorative lighting of a wooden fence using built-in ground lamps

Marking illumination of the steps of a wooden terrace with spotlights

Posts and bollards

A suitable option for landscape lighting of lawns, paths and flower beds is considered to be bollards or lanterns in the form of columns. These luminaires emit a pleasant soft light. Installed to illuminate a small surrounding area.

Peculiarities:

• small height (from 50 to 150 cm);
• variety of styles and shapes. Bollards are distinguished by a minimalist design, but the columns can be decorated in different ways, for example, they can look like mushrooms or bells;
• since the luminous flux is not intense, such lamps are often used in landscape lighting as guiding elements so that they do not get lost in the dark and do not lose sight of the path;
• can have multi-colored light fluxes, and this allows you to illuminate the territory even more effectively.

Lanterns and tall poles

This type of lighting design has a functional purpose. Lanterns are installed near a parking lot, sports field or areas near the house and outbuildings. Tall lanterns are installed in areas of a large area, but they can harmoniously complement a small landscape.

A garden lantern placed on a long stand is capable of illuminating a sufficiently large area

Depending on the purpose, they are distinguished:

• Luminaires that evenly diffuse light. Provides good visibility over a large area.
• Indirects are light sources that create a directional stream of light without blinding.

Lanterns on tall poles can be installed separately or used in conjunction with other lighting fixtures

Decorative lighting of the mixborder with lamps on high pillars

Properly organized lighting on a suburban area is not only a guarantee of a comfortable stay, but also an opportunity to create a unique design of its kind. And in order for the system to function safely and without interruptions, you need to make a lot of effort. If you doubt that you can make a landscape lighting system yourself, it's better to contact a professional.

Video: DIY garland for lighting a gazebo or pergola

Photos of examples of landscape lighting of the site