How to Properly Light Up Your Outdoor Space

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Planning how the space surrounding our house is going to look is just as important as planning the interior. But somehow, we often forget to go into the details of our gardens the same way we do inside the house. And this might be due to the fact that we believe nature can take care of itself outside. This is partially true, but if you want a specific look to your garden. You are going to have to put in some work. This time, we’ll take a closer look at outdoor lighting and all the things you should consider before lighting up your garden.

What’s the purpose?

Not all light is the same, and the first step to figuring out what you need is to know what you need it for. If you have a small garden that is mostly used for sitting on the porch and occasionally on the lawn. Then maybe you don’t need any outdoor lighting at all. Because the light coming from the house will be enough. On the other hand, if you have a large backyard where you often like to host parties and get-togethers. That last well into the night, you want to have a fixture that can provide enough light to make a comfortable environment.

Lastly, you might just want some mood light. Something that will create a nice scene and give you just enough light. So that you can see your beautiful garden even during the night. If you live in a place like Australia where you get a lot of sunshine, small solar lights are perfect for this setup.

Dangers and safety measures

When talking about lights, there are three main types: electrical, natural and solar. The first ones are most complicated since they require bringing power outside to the garden. Find a local electrician in Brisbane or other large city and have them set up the lighting. Because you don’t want to be messing with electrical installations yourself. Especially if they are outside, because a small mistake can be a fire hazard. If you are using natural light sources, like candles, torches or a fire pit, you want to make sure you are following all of the safety procedures, because there are a lot of flammable things around you. Solar lights are the safest of the bunch, but they often provide very little lighting and aren’t the solution for large-scale lighting in a domestic setting.

Planning

There are so many ways you can light up a garden, and if you put some thought into it. Or hire a professional landscape architect. You’ll see that you can light up your whole yard with just a few strategic placements. After all, the focus should be on the greenery, not the lights. A good idea is to make a birds-eye sketch of the garden and mark the spaces where you most often spend time and where you might need lighting. Remember that you don’t need lighting for gardening – because you can simply do it during the day.

Go visit a few gardens you like and pay close attention to what kind of lighting they use. Is it warm or cool light? How strong is it? How high up from the ground is it? All of these little things work together to create the perfectly lit space, so pay attention to the details.

Having lights in your backyard will allow you to get the most out of it, allowing you to use the space during the evenings as well. Just remember to always turn them off when you leave to preserve power and avoid any accidents. Now make an evening tea and sit outside to enjoy it in your perfectly-lit yard.

by Diana Smith