Lights for a glowing garden
Aug 27, 2010
WITH many different garden lights, it is challenging to choose which light to put where. Betty Mayanja, a gardener, says gardens can be lit either for security or beauty. “It is the features in your garden such as trees, sculptures and fountains, that determine the best spots for lighting,†she
BYAIDAH NANYONJO
WITH many different garden lights, it is challenging to choose which light to put where. Betty Mayanja, a gardener, says gardens can be lit either for security or beauty. “It is the features in your garden such as trees, sculptures and fountains, that determine the best spots for lighting,†she says.
Although sculptures and fountains are noticeable during daytime, they should also be easily seen at night. Illuminating fountains is easy with special fountain lights. Sculptures, shrubs or any other interesting feature in the garden can be lit up with lights or spotlights mounted on a wall or on the ground depending on the angle and look you are trying to achieve. For example, if you want to focus attention on a sculpture, spotlight that beams directly on it is a good choice.
However, if you want to create a little more drama, then a spotlight at ground level that shines on a sculpture at an angle and casts an elongated shadow behind it will add a little more interest.
Spotlights can also be used to light security obstacles within the garden, while up-lights are mounted below the feature and are usually recessed so that they do not show during the day. The beam of light goes straight up.
Rather than completely illuminating the entire face of a sculpture or feature, the beam comes from below. So the feature is lit up but shadows are cast in the deepest parts, particularly at the top. The lights around the bottom of a tree brighten the trunk and create interest as the light passes through it.
The alternative is mounting light high in the tree to shine down, simulating moonlight coming through the branches. “It is a dramatic form of garden lighting rather than one designed just for illumination,†Mayanja says.
To light walkways in the garden, she says installing solar lights is a great choice provided the solar panels get exposed to the sun. “Light differs not only in shape, style and size but also in the lighting effect, so know how much light you want in the garden,†Mayanja says.
When planning a nighttime garden, one should not forget things like overhead lanterns, coloured lights overhead or hidden lights among the plants and flowers. Small lamps on a patio table or near a garden bench should not be left out since they add the right touch to help set a mood and make the garden beautiful.
The tabletop torch is another very attractive light that create a bright and lovely light in the garden. It is made of clear glass that allows the light of an electric candle to brighten up the garden. Although they are called tabletop, you can put them anywhere in the garden.
WITH many different garden lights, it is challenging to choose which light to put where. Betty Mayanja, a gardener, says gardens can be lit either for security or beauty. “It is the features in your garden such as trees, sculptures and fountains, that determine the best spots for lighting,†she says.
Although sculptures and fountains are noticeable during daytime, they should also be easily seen at night. Illuminating fountains is easy with special fountain lights. Sculptures, shrubs or any other interesting feature in the garden can be lit up with lights or spotlights mounted on a wall or on the ground depending on the angle and look you are trying to achieve. For example, if you want to focus attention on a sculpture, spotlight that beams directly on it is a good choice.
However, if you want to create a little more drama, then a spotlight at ground level that shines on a sculpture at an angle and casts an elongated shadow behind it will add a little more interest.
Spotlights can also be used to light security obstacles within the garden, while up-lights are mounted below the feature and are usually recessed so that they do not show during the day. The beam of light goes straight up.
Rather than completely illuminating the entire face of a sculpture or feature, the beam comes from below. So the feature is lit up but shadows are cast in the deepest parts, particularly at the top. The lights around the bottom of a tree brighten the trunk and create interest as the light passes through it.
The alternative is mounting light high in the tree to shine down, simulating moonlight coming through the branches. “It is a dramatic form of garden lighting rather than one designed just for illumination,†Mayanja says.
To light walkways in the garden, she says installing solar lights is a great choice provided the solar panels get exposed to the sun. “Light differs not only in shape, style and size but also in the lighting effect, so know how much light you want in the garden,†Mayanja says.
When planning a nighttime garden, one should not forget things like overhead lanterns, coloured lights overhead or hidden lights among the plants and flowers. Small lamps on a patio table or near a garden bench should not be left out since they add the right touch to help set a mood and make the garden beautiful.
The tabletop torch is another very attractive light that create a bright and lovely light in the garden. It is made of clear glass that allows the light of an electric candle to brighten up the garden. Although they are called tabletop, you can put them anywhere in the garden.