Utilising lighting in your garden plan is an excellent way of bring life to your garden throughout the darker days of the year
Another Summer has almost arrived! From in the middle of April we find ourselves marvelling at ever lengthening days and the benefit of bright hours at the end of the day.
Light has a great effect on our mood and outlook - the result of a bright, sunny day can be directly reflected in the mood and outlook of our family, friends and colleagues. There's not a lot that can't be improved by the sight of blue skies and some sunshine! With this in mind, there are several reasons why we should consider the integration of artificial light into our landscape projects.
Our lovely country experiences many dark months of short dull days. For months the garden space is left alone in this darkness, only to be rediscovered the following spring. For these months we find ourselves hemmed into the four walls of the house, and while it may be cosy for a while; the introduction of lighting in the garden can make an indoor room feel so much larger, in many ways a visual extension to the house. In the same grain, you will find that a well designed garden will look sculptural in appearance, with key features lit within the garden adding depth to the views.
Regardless of budget I find myself urging clients to consider lighting in the early stages of a project. It is worth making allowances even if only to run the ducting beneath paving or any solid infrastructure that you are installing, in order to avoid costly excavations and re-paving at a later date. As with any garden installation, but particularly with electronics, you really do get what you pay for when it comes to lighting the garden. A key point, if purchasing yourself, is to ensure you buy the light unit with the highest IP (Ingress Protection for water and dust). The lowest you should go for is IP45 while the optimum is IP60.
Apart from cost, another important aspect to consider is the lighting concept. By this I mean how you arrange lighting in order to provide some key route lighting, the choice and location of subtle under lighting or spot lighting. In many ways the lighting effect is more important than the appearance of the lamp unit itself.
The incorporation of subtle lighting within the garden allows us to occupy the space during the later hours of the evening. It let’s us move around the space comfortably in the darker hours without the use of the standard yard 'flood or security' light. Equally, the lighting of the garden must be considered in terms of how it is viewed from within the house. It's really important to have a control point located In the house. Just think about those dark months when you'll be able to flick a simple switch, quickly illuminating the outdoor space. I can guarantee that come winter you won't want to be stepping out to turn the lights on!
For further information on garden concepts and ideas you can contact us here at The Pavilion Garden Centre in Cork by visiting our store or call us on 021 4888134 and we would be happy to help and guide you!