How To Create A Layered Garden Lighting Scheme
Garden lighting is more than just a decoration for your outdoor space, but a practical addition too. With the right garden lighting scheme, you can set the tone, enhance safety and expand your outdoor living space to be used at all hours of the day.
While many other elements of garden design are considered during a renovation, a lot of homeowners underestimate the power of lighting. There are various ways this can be implemented to suit your outdoor space, property style and overall goals for the garden, with layered lighting schemes often being the most effective.
Layered garden lighting is a technique that combines multiple fixtures of varying brightness, levels, and appearance to create an inviting and accessible outdoor space. As leading garden designers, SilvaTree frequently provides layered garden lighting schemes for our clients and understands what it takes to make these work.
In this post, we are sharing everything you need to know about garden lighting options and how you can create your own layered lighting scheme for both beauty and functionality.
What Is A Layered Garden Lighting Scheme?
Layered garden lighting is a design method that allows you to benefit from multiple forms of illumination, without compromising space or appeal. This is a customisable method that can be used in all kinds of outdoor spaces, no matter the size or garden design.
The main purpose of layered garden lighting is to use a combination of different lighting types, where each offers its own visual appeal and functionality. This is a highly effective design method and a great way to illuminate your outdoor space to offer both beauty and practicality. With multiple forms of lighting, your garden becomes safe, accessible and attractive when the sun goes down.
Layered garden lighting also creates depth, which is why it can be used in gardens of all sizes, and allows you to create an inviting atmosphere across the landscape to accommodate outdoor events.
How To Design A Layered Garden Lighting Scheme For Your Outdoor Space
A layered lighting scheme involves multiple different forms of garden lighting, which are used across the landscape to provide both style and safety. No matter what kind of garden design you have or the size of your landscape, there are various ways you can implement layered lighting.
Most schemes rely on a combination of garden lighting fixtures, such as:
Pathway Lighting: Where Safety Meets Style
The first step in designing a layered garden lighting scheme is with the practical elements. This ensures that your garden is safe and accessible, so you can take advantage of this additional space at all hours of the day.
One of the best options for garden lighting is pathway lights. Lighting fixtures such as bollard lights, recessed ground lights, or stake lights are installed along the garden path. Here, they will illuminate the main route through your garden, keeping it accessible and ensuring the safety of all visitors.
These kinds of lights help guide movement and reduce the risk of injury and tripping when the garden gets dark. While their main purpose is practical, pathway lights can also be a decorative addition to your outdoor space. Using a uniform structure and matching lights down the pathway provides structure to your garden design, as well as keeping the space safe at night.
When designing a layered garden lighting scheme, it is best to start with the practical fixtures like pathway lighting, before moving onto the more decorative additions, as this ensures your garden is both safe and stylish. Pathway lights can be used across all hardscaping areas, such as the garden path, patios, and driveways.
Uplighting: Highlighting Focal Points Throughout The Night
Uplights are a way of drawing attention to key areas within your garden design and ensuring they continue to get the attention they deserve.
Focal points are essential parts of your landscape layout and have likely taken a lot of consideration to get right, so you want them to continue to be appreciated when the sun goes down. Uplighting is a great way to highlight features such as trees, structural plants and sculptures.
These are typically simple lighting fixtures, making them a key part of layered lighting schemes. Small LED spotlights are placed at low angles against your focal points, where they keep the attention on these main decor pieces and create dramatic shadows to add depth to your evening garden.
Uplights can come in a range of colours to complement all garden designs, and are a great way to highlight intricate plants, tall trees, or water features at night.
Ambient And Decorative Lighting: Set The Mood
A primary benefit of garden lighting is the role it plays in ambience. Lighting is a way to set the mood of your landscape and can be used to create any environment to complement your evening activities.
For example, twinkle lights, festoon bulbs, and warm lanterns are great options for seating and dining areas because they create an inviting, cosy atmosphere. Relying on warm-coloured lights creates an intimate and comfortable setting for a range of occasions, which is why these are some of the most popular options for patios, decks, and pergolas.
Within layered garden lighting schemes, decorative and ambient fixtures can help define the zones of your landscape further. Each zone or area of the garden can benefit from its own style of lighting, which collaborates with the rest of your layered lighting used across the landscape.
Based on the style and colour of garden lighting used in each zone, you can create a romantic, festive or fun atmosphere to accommodate all evening events. Not only do these fixtures set the tone for outdoor living spaces, but they also keep these environments comfortable and accessible so the whole family can enjoy them.
Decorative lighting is typically the final stage in a layered garden lighting scheme because it focuses on visual appeal more than anything. With the practical fixtures out of the way, you can rest assured that your garden is safe and accessible, giving you more room to have fun with the decorations and ambient lighting options.
Choosing The Right Garden Lighting For Layered Schemes: Factors To Consider
There are many options for garden lighting fixtures, which means that no matter your garden design, you can create an effective layered scheme. To ensure that you are making the best choice for your outdoor space, consider factors such as:
- Lighting Power Source: Most modern garden lighting relies on solar power because this is effective and affordable. However, some lighting may require additional power, such as batteries or even through a mains connection. The power source of each lighting fixture not only determines how powerful they will be, but also their durability and ease of use.
- LED Bulbs: LED bulbs are some of the best options for outdoor lighting, as they are long-lasting, reliable and bright. These bulbs are especially beneficial for task lighting, such as security or pathway lights, as they keep the space safer for longer.
- Light Colour And Tone: The colour and tone of garden lighting are important for decorative or ambient fixtures. As we have mentioned, warm lighting creates a more inviting and cosy ambience, which is why it is a great option for seating or dining areas. However, cool-toned lights can be brighter, which is why they are usually preferred for practical additions. Colourful twinkle lights or decorative features can add a festive feel to your garden, and draw attention to key areas when the sun goes down.
Conclusion
Garden lighting is more than a practical addition to the garden, as it can also be decorative and engaging. The kind of lighting used and its placement within your landscape are essential to maintaining an effective garden design at night, which is why layered garden lighting schemes are so popular.
With layered garden lighting, you can rely on multiple forms of illumination throughout the garden to experience benefits across both visual appeal and safety. Using a combination of practical lights, such as security and pathway lighting, along with ambient and decorative features such as twinkle lights and lanterns throughout your garden creates an engaging, functional and attractive environment you can enjoy well into the night.
For additional support on garden design and making the most out of your landscape, consider working with professionals like SilvaTree. We are accredited and experienced landscape gardeners who offer a range of services to bring your ideal outdoor space to life.
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FAQs
What’s the best kind of garden lighting for a low-maintenance landscape?
Solar-powered and LED lights are long-lasting, durable and require little upkeep, making them a great option for low-maintenance gardens.
Do I need an electrician to install garden lighting?
Wired systems should be installed and tested by professionals to ensure efficiency and safety; however, solar-powered and battery-operated lights can be installed independently.
Can garden lighting be used all year round?
Yes – by choosing durable fixtures that are specifically designed for the outdoors, meaning they are weatherproof, you can keep your garden stylish and safe all year round.
