Tales of the Trowel
News from Nurtured Vistas Landscape & Design
Can landscape lighting be installed correctly without a professional?
A home gardener can buy and install a low-voltage light kit without hiring an electrician. With some simple math, a few design tips, and the appropriate lights you can do the job. The one thing you should hire someone for is installing an outdoor ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), if you don't have power readily available outdoors. You will probably want an electrician for that.
Which types of lights are recommended for homeowners?
Path lights are always a great addition. They make your garden and home inviting to visitors, and they're also important for safety. There are so many different design options that you can easily find something to match your style including up-lights, underwater lights, floodlights, and solar lights.
Up-lights are designed to light things from below. You can use this to highlight features such as trees or a stone wall. Plants like olive trees and bamboo look nice when you light them from below. Spotlights are perfect for highlighting features in small gardens.
Underwater lights make fountains and water features look great and they can even be used in container water gardens. You don't need to buy expensive lights; cheap solar lights work well. Colored lights aren't always best for the landscape, but they look good underwater, so if you want to add color this is the best way to do it.
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