There are many reasons to consider adding lighting to your overall landscaping plan. Most notably is the need for security and safety, but another reason is to help emphasize the aesthetic and architecture of your home in the evening hours. Light fixtures put in the right places can give your landscaping an extra oomph and help it stand out from the rest of the homes in your neighborhood. It can also help you enjoy your beautiful landscape when you get home from work so you can enjoy a nice dinner on your patio, summer entertaining, or drinks with friends.
Deterring burglars is one of the biggest reasons that you should invest in a light source for your home. When someone is looking to cause trouble or try to steal your things, it is less likely they will attempt to break in to a home with a well-lit path or other lights in the landscaping out of fear someone would see them and report them. You may not be able to completely make your home burglar proof, but using lighting in your landscaping can certainly help reduce the risk of a break in.
Lighting your property can also help you see where you’re walking and contribute to the avoidance of trips and falls in the evenings when you get home from work or running errands. The better lit something is, the better you can see, making it safer for you to walk and help to keep your kids safe if they're playing outside in the evenings. Another benefit of course if you're considering selling your home- know that attractive, well maintained and beautifully designed lighting fixtures can help give it that extra oomph and help your home stand out from the competition in your neighborhood, especially if showings are primarily in the evening. The curb appeal is real when you decide to add landscape lighting!
There are many different types of lights that you can choose from when designing your landscaping, such as solar, LED, and others. Depending on your available light during the day, solar lights may be a great, low-cost option that won’t hike up your electric bill like LEDs or CFLs might, but will be impacted if you have a rainy day or a lot of plants blocking the solar light battery, preventing the sun from reaching it.
LEDs are the most common, trendy ones to use in recent years. They are good for giving just enough light without overdoing it, and they can emphasize certain features of your lawn such as fountains and sculptures.
Another option is a reflector light, which casts a lot of light and is ideal for safety and security purposes. Lastly, low voltage lights are an option and they eliminate the need for deep trenches that hold wiring. They are good for “down lighting” (lighting things from beneath the light source) or for “up lighting,” (lighting things above the light source.)
Lighting can be as creative or as practical as you want it to be, and string lights or “fairy” lights are becoming popular to turn your patio or deck into a little oasis. These types of lights come in solar versions, but in electric versions as well, so the options are pretty open for you to experiment as you wish and do what you like!
If you’re really feeling bold, adding some classic flowers and plants to your yard and trimming back some hedges to emphasize the appearance of your home can really make it stand out from the crowd and we can help and make your lawn something you do want to light up!
As part of our services, we offer both installation of accent lighting as well as maintenance of current lighting, and a turf care program including “a la carte services” such as seeding and turf disease control, keeping your lawn looking it’s best. To learn more about how we can help with your lighting needs, check out our landscape design and construction page here to contact us about these services.
We look forward to working with you!