Landscaping Lights Uplighting, Downlighting, Moonlighting Illuminate Areas for Safety, Security and Aesthetics

Landscape lighting could be one of the least understood and overlooked areas of a home landscape design.

The popularity of outdoor landscape lighting continues to grow. Very often you see outdoor lights commonly know as Malibu landscape lights installed in the "runway effect" or landscape path lights lining a pool walkway. When the sun goes down the solar powered system lights come on. Usually these outdoor fixtures don’t highlight any particular element in the landscape - they just light up.

Landscape lights provide numerous benefits for modern homeowners including safety, energy efficient and economical.

Low voltage landscape lights can increase security outdoors by discouraging potential intruders, light up paths, pools, drives and entry areas. Your landscape design can take on dramatic new "moon lite" looks and showcase architectural features and plant silhouettes with dramatic lighting techniques. The lighting ideas are endless.

One common idea or technique - uplighting - focuses light and directs attention on an object such as a shrub, tree or landscape additions like an arbor or gazebo. Depending on the size, maturity and location of a plant a bullet or well type outdoor lighting fixture could be specified. It all depends on what needs to be illuminated outdoors.

When lighting a landscape path or walkway to an from a deck or patio where safe night access is required outdoors low voltage light fixtures direct light down and outward. To prevent glare the fixtures are shielded on top.

Downlighting, or moonlighting is a design technique that illuminates general outdoor areas for safety, security and aesthetics. Bullet type fixtures and lamps are selected for the required brightness and amount of illumination. These lamps are usually placed above eye level.

Backlighting, or silhouette lighting, gives that "special effect" by illuminating large outdoor surface areas like walls using a wash light fixture. This causes objects in front of the lighting to appear as silhouettes.

Many other installation techniques, placement and combinations can increase home security, safety, enjoyment and value. The practical and aesthetic effects created by landscape lighting are limited only by the existing architectural features, the landscaping and designer creativity.

With landscape lighting your landscape can be enjoyed not only during the day but extending into the evening hours as well.

Related Articles

• Landscape Lighting - Add Security and Accents to Your Home and Landscape - Landscaping lights add a touch of color to your gardens. By using landscape lights in your yard, you not only add security to your home, as well as add beauty and style. You can add lights to any landscape design. Installing solar lights in your front or backyard is an easy chore that almost anyone
• Landscaping Lights Add Security and Accents to Your Home - Landscaping lights add a touch of color to your gardens. By using landscape lights in your yard, you not only add security to your home, you also add beauty and style. You can add lights to any landscape design. Installing lights in your front or backyard is an easy chore that almost anyone can