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Garden lighting: an independent approach to business. How to organize lighting for the garden: types of illumination of paths, ponds and plants How to make lighting in the garden with your own hands

Garden lighting is performed primarily for practical purposes, as it allows you to comfortably spend time outdoors at night, as well as for aesthetic purposes - the illumination of bushes and trees looks incredibly beautiful. In this article we will consider some features of the organization of garden lighting.

General information

Garden lighting is a creative process, akin to art. With a skillful approach, you can create incredible effects created from a combination of plants and. This allows you to turn the most ordinary and unremarkable garden into a fabulous corner.

In addition, as mentioned above, lighting will allow you to move around the garden at night without fear or even spend time here with your family or, for example, with friends. True, for this you will need another gazebo equipped accordingly.

Depending on location area lighting fixtures and their functions, garden lighting is divided into several types:

Lighting a house or gazebo;
Track lighting;
Illumination of stairs or bridges;
accent lighting;
Festive illumination;
security lighting.

One of the most important conditions for lighting a garden plot is to preserve its aesthetics during the daytime. In other words, the lamps should not disturb the harmony of the garden landscape. However, they can serve as its decoration and addition.

Therefore, the choice of lighting fixtures should be approached wisely.

Types of lighting fixtures for the garden

All outdoor lighting fixtures, regardless of their type, must meet the following requirements:

Waterproof;
Frost resistance;
Corrosion resistance.

I must say that this requirement also applies to switches located on the street, as well as to sockets. The safety of using the system depends on their observance.

Also, when choosing devices, you need to keep in mind that they are of several types:

Advice!
For lighting small areas, it is best to use compact ones with soft, pleasant light.
Devices with a height of more than 60 cm will direct the light flux into the eyes, which will cause discomfort.

Features of garden lighting

Performing decorative lighting for the garden, you should carefully consider the location of all lighting fixtures. Each lantern, as mentioned above, should not only fulfill its main function, but also serve as an element of decor during daylight hours.

It is better to give preference to not very bright and warm light, which is able to create the most comfortable conditions for vision. Sources can be placed between decorative elements and plants. An upward beam should be used to illuminate trees and large bushes, a downward beam is suitable for illuminating small plants.

Path lighting

To illuminate the paths, it is best to use lanterns in the form of small mushrooms. Otherwise, they will illuminate a large area around, but not the paths themselves.

Also, the lighting of paths in the garden can be arranged using light sources built into the path itself, located on both sides of it. They will give only a hint of lighting, however, they will indicate the direction of movement. The advantage of this solution is that the lamps are not visible during the day.

Illumination of the reservoir

Special attention deserves the lighting of the garden pond, if any. The fact is that during the day any pond looks interesting on its own, but with the onset of darkness, its beauty fades. Properly organized lighting will allow the reservoir to serve as a decoration of the garden in the dark.

There are several options for pond lighting:

The most common way is to use flashlights located along the edges of the reservoir, which provides a clear delineation of its boundaries.
Experts recommend focusing on the composition of plants near the coast by installing a lighting fixture right in the thickness of the foliage. Moreover, the light flux should be directed to beating fountains, sculptures or a waterfall.
An interesting and unusual solution is the "light from within". The backlight in this case is installed in the pond. For such purposes, a special lamp with a sealed housing should be used.
Often, landscape designers use floating lights when designing ponds. They can be made in a variety of styles, for example, imitate animals or plants, geometric figures or transparent spheres.

I must say that with the lighting design of the reservoir, you can use all types of lighting at the same time.

In the photo - the illumination of the stairs

Stair lighting

Backlight stairs first of all, it should be of high quality, since the safety of movement depends on it. An excellent option is the installation of fixtures in the steps or in the stairway railing. This approach will give the garden a special romantic entourage.

Note!
When organizing the lighting of the stairs, it is necessary to focus on all the steps, i.e. each step should be equally well lit.

Features of connecting lighting devices

Garden and park lighting can be of several types:

High voltage - 220 Volts;
Low voltage - 12-24 Volts;
On solar batteries.

Depending on the type of lighting, the wiring is laid in different ways.

high voltage lighting

The laying of high-voltage cables is carried out at a depth of about 80-90 cm. The cable for garden lighting should be with double insulated. Moreover, the cables are not laid in the ground, but in metal or polyethylene pipes. When laying the electrical network to the lighting fixtures, it is advisable not to damage the roots of the trees.

Note!
It is unacceptable to lay cables under the foundations of residential buildings.

Lamps powered by a high-voltage network have a strong even light and are able to illuminate the space by 5-6 meters.

True, the nature of lighting largely depends on the type of lamps, which can be:

halogen,
LED;
metal halide, etc.

The choice of the type of lamps depends only on your personal preferences and financial capabilities, since the price for them can vary greatly.

Low voltage lighting

Low voltage lighting is much more financially beneficial and also safer. Low-voltage line cables can be located directly on the ground, the only thing is that they must be masked, for example, with stones or mulch. In addition, in order not to damage the wiring during gardening, wrap it with casings.

The disadvantages of low-voltage lighting devices include the fact that they do not give very much light - they illuminate the space by 1-2 meters. But in order to connect such a lighting system, it is not necessary to have any skills and understand electrics, since the installation instructions for lighting fixtures are extremely simple.

solar powered

Solar-powered garden lighting is attractive because it does not require laying cables and digging trenches. However, in cloudy weather, such devices are practically useless. Therefore, they should hardly be considered as a full-fledged replacement for other types of lighting.

However, solar-powered lamps are quite suitable for decoration. garden paths, backlight artificial reservoirs etc. Since the light from such devices is not very strong, it is better to install them in small groups.

Conclusion

To organize the lighting of the garden with your own hands is within the power of every summer resident or gardener. The main thing is to correctly distribute the lighting fixtures and adhere to the above recommendations.

From the video in this article you can get some Additional information about garden lighting.

Garden lighting is not only beautiful, but also safe. Everyone can be convinced of this by walking at night, for example, through the garden, and holding only a hand-held flashlight in their hands. If you properly equip the garden lighting system, at night it will be possible not only to “easy” move around your own site, but also safely. And if you use decorative lighting for flower beds and flower beds, paths, steps and trees, you can create a wonderful atmosphere in your backyard.

There are two main types of outdoor garden lighting:

functional
decorative

So, let's take a closer look at each of them.

Functional way of lighting

Its main task is to safely move around its land at night. It is enough, at a minimum, to equip the porch of your house with light, near the garage space, parking area or home garden paths.

The most inexpensive way to organize lighting is to place lamps along the path. If the area is rather small, such lighting will be more than enough.

When organizing outdoor garden lighting in a functional way, it is important to consider:

Equipment must be durable. The yoke can be used all year round.
The harmony of lighting between the objects on the site must be observed. For example, too bright light on the path can be a discomfort for you, so you should direct it to the gazebo, shrubs, etc. to focus more attention there.
The facade of your house should be the most illuminated area.
It is desirable that you can view the edges of your site at night in the dark.

Lamps can be used the most common, as well as energy-saving or fluorescent, which are possible different ways mounts. Today, lamps in the form of floor lamps made in high-tech or retro style are gaining more and more popularity.

Looking through the photos of garden lighting, you probably noticed what a variety of ways there are for organizing it.

You can use spherical types of fixtures, which are an organic form of a sphere made of polycarbonate or carbonate. It is equipped with not too powerful lamps, due to which it dimly illuminates the area and performs a decorative function.

Solar powered lighting fixtures. They can only be charged during the daytime. They do not need to be connected to the mains. And the lighting will last all night long.

When arranging lighting for your personal plot, it is important to adhere to the basic rule, according to which lighting devices should still be chosen in concise forms, and also use hidden lighting options if the site is quite diverse, large and has a lot of things on it. If it is small, and there is only a minimum on it, you can choose fancy-shaped lamps that will shine in different colors, or retro versions of lamps.

When choosing lighting equipment, it is important to consider some features:

Ask the seller for a certificate confirming that the product is safe.
Review the document. It should indicate the degree of protection of the goods that you decide to buy.
Be sure to specify how long the warranty period applies to the outer part of the lighting element.
Pay attention to the material used to make the product.

Decorative garden lighting

Any decorative elements lose their appeal with the onset of night. Of course, this can all be so until dawn. But maybe you want to arrange decorative garden lighting, which allows you to emphasize all the charm and beauty of your backyard. For example, you can put small spotlights directly into the ground, which will gracefully illuminate your flower beds.

Garden lighting without luminaires

Using the LED lighting method, you can create a hidden lighting option, without the need to use lamps, spotlights or fixtures.

This option can be organized in an original and fascinating way with the help of multi-colored lighting, but if you use a monochromatic one, the reservoir will look noble and meaningful.

Designer ways to decorate the garden

Landscaping of your own site can be made out different ways, which you have already seen in the photo of garden lighting presented on our website. But you can not only buy lamps of the most unusual shapes, but also make them yourself!

When decorating a garden plot, you need to know that:

If the site is large enough, the correct use of lighting fixtures will make it possible to zoning the garden. If the area is small, you can expand its edges.
In the place where you have organized a place to relax, soft lighting is best.
When using multi-colored lamps, they should complement each other.
You can also use garlands or LED strips if you need to create a festive atmosphere.

During the daytime, walks in the garden do not cause difficulties, you can freely enjoy the beauty of every corner and freely get to all functional objects. Well, in the evening, on a site with an ill-conceived garden lighting system, you have to wander through the dark nooks and crannies, illuminating the path with a flashlight, and admiring the beauties is out of the question. Therefore, you should take care of high-quality lighting of the garden area.

The main tasks and types of garden lighting

Working with lighting is quite an important part of the landscape design of any site. All garden lighting elements can be divided into two conditional groups - functional and decorative.

Functional or utility lighting

The main lighting is designed to ensure the safety and convenience of walking in the dark, this includes the front and entrance areas, as well as the main paths of the site. When designing utility lighting, there are several aspects to consider:

choose high-quality, durable and frost-resistant equipment, it should be convenient and easy to use;
keep the harmony between the lighting of the paths and the rest of the garden objects: it is extremely inconvenient to move along the path filled with bright light to the front entrance with subdued lighting. It is more comfortable to go from a shaded place to a light object. The maximum level of lighting is more appropriate on accent elements - the facade of the building, gazebos, patios or decorative compositions;
arrange lighting fixtures so that the boundaries of the site, even in the darkest time, are easily visible, this creates psychological comfort.

decorative lighting

Night in the garden can be incredibly beautiful - a well-organized, well-thought-out lighting system gives the site a special charm, transforms the unique beauty of nature, creates a unique image of the garden, which is absolutely different from the view of the courtyard in the daytime.

The main task of decorative lighting is clear, the rest depends on your desires and the style of the site, but consider the following points:

with the help of lighting, you can zone a spacious area, and visually expand the boundaries in a small area. When planning the power supply and selecting lighting fixtures, pay attention to this nuance - warm light brings the object closer, and cold light moves it away;
it is better to provide resting places with soft diffused light, create an atmosphere of comfort;
if you want to use multi-colored lamps in lighting, limit yourself to two or three colors that complement each other. Bright, white light can take the life out of your garden, use it carefully. Red and brown light is also better to use dosed;
Various garlands and LED strips will help create a festive atmosphere, however, it is advisable to decorate individual objects with them and not oversaturate the space.

Purposes and objects of garden lighting

Why, in general, you need to illuminate the site, we figured it out, now we will note what exactly should be illuminated, and also highlight the options for highlighting various objects.

Facade

The house is the starting point for the design of the site, the main building influences design solution for the entire territory, and a lot depends on how we allocate it. Now the decoration of the facade with light is gaining more and more popularity, because dark walls with light squares of windows rather tired.

Vacation home it is not necessary to highlight with a powerful spotlight, the artistic aspect can be put in the foreground, determined by the harmony between spot and flood light. Special elements of the facade (columns, front door, stucco, etc.) can be highlighted with accent lighting. Thanks to the correct selection of accents, even the smallest and most inconspicuous house will take on a three-dimensional look.

To illuminate the facade, focusing and diffusing devices can be used, and the light sources themselves can be visible - wall or ordinary lanterns or hidden - when it is not clear where the light comes from (from the ground or from under the eaves).

Garden path lighting

Accompanying lighting of garden paths, paths, bridges and other paths is one of the main elements of the overall lighting picture of the site, they should be taken care of in the first place. It combines decorative and functional aspects.

Most often, low (no more than a meter) lamps on columns are used, and it is advisable to select models with matte light diffusers or directing light downwards. By the way, there are special park lamps pathlights, the luminous flux of which is directed downwards. Devices should be located on both sides and preferably in a checkerboard pattern.

Trees, shrubs and small architectural forms

You need to approach the lighting of the garden itself with imagination, here it is possible various options practically without restrictions. As always, we remember about harmony and conformity to style. You can install a lantern near any element or place a lighting fixture high on a tree, illuminating several objects or a three-dimensional composition with it at once. Trees and shrubs are best illuminated from below.

Try to correctly place accents, dream up, highlight those objects that remain inconspicuous during the day, and you will see what amazing colors the space will sparkle with, the night garden will acquire an individual look.

Which lighting fixture to choose, where to place it is up to you, but remember, there is a significant difference between how the lamp looks in the summer and how it looks in the winter: snow reflects light in a completely different way, so take care of the moddability of the lighting system in advance.

Water bodies and functional zones

The easiest way to highlight a body of water is to illuminate it with sealed halogen lamps equipped with green or blue filters to color the water.

The requirements for lighting the reservoir itself and the surrounding area are simple, they relate to safety and comfort. Guests often gather here, and garden lighting has a festive character, and instead of the usual lamps, it is better to use fiber-optic and LED lighting systems, which make it possible to create unique light compositions.

LED and fiber optic lighting systems do an excellent job of dividing the site into functional zones, a big plus of such systems is the simple control of the degree of illumination and color. In general, new technologies provide a lot of opportunities and options in terms of site lighting, so consider several options at once, coordinate them with the overall style of the site.

Types of street lamps

As already mentioned, of course, you can choose any lighting fixtures based on your taste. But, for example, ordinary park lights look great during the day, and at night they lose their view a little. professional work with landscape lighting involves the use of special lighting equipment, which can be divided into three conditional groups.

Lighting stairs and various fences. Ordinary matte lamps are quite suitable, but now you can increasingly find hidden lighting.
Underwater lights. All of them have protection that allows the device to stay under water for a long time.

Accompanying lighting and highlighting objects. This includes spotlights for directional illumination of objects. They come in two types - downlight (upper illumination) and uplight (lower illumination).
- Top illumination mounted on hills, most often used as emergency lighting or highlighting for facade elements. Downlights should be used carefully, installed so as not to create a dazzling effect, choose medium or low power, soft light is always perceived easier.
- Applies ideal for illuminating rooftops, facade elements and highlighting key garden objects - bushes, trees, arbors, playgrounds, etc. By illuminating an object from the bottom up, uplights highlight it. You can install such lamps directly into the ground, the position and direction can be easily adjusted.

Original lamps for the garden

Human fantasy has no limits, enumerate unique, original variants lighting fixtures are endless, we will highlight the two most popular types.

Floor lamps mounted vertically and equipped with matte light diffusers. Floor lamps in high-tech and retro styles are very popular.
Spherical lamps from carbonate or polycarbonate give a subdued light, fit perfectly into almost any style of landscape design, and in areas of different sizes.

Choose from a huge variety of solar lights suitable option not easy, rely on the specific requirements for it, and on the function that it will perform. In general, all lamps on solar battery mobile, they can be moved from one place to another.
Due to the peculiarities of the climate, the use of luminaires recessed into the ground is difficult, in some places they will have to be abandoned.
Motion sensors are useful devices to save energy, but if there are animals in the yard, the sensors should be placed higher than the height of the animal.
If design is in the first place, give up ordinary lamps, come up with something on your own, look interesting options in different stores, now you can find really unique pieces, or order what you need from specialists in this field.
To implement compositions from colored lighting, use LEDs, they allow you to create original lighting effects.
For garden lighting winter period overhead light or lighting fixtures towering above the snow cover are suitable.

It is advisable to think over the lighting system of the garden area initial stage site design, then it will be more difficult, but not so much as to refuse to supply the site with light decor. Look at the proposed photos, mentally transfer some of the options to your garden, is it really possible to refuse such beauty?

With the onset of summer, many people move to summer cottages. We have been waiting for warmth and sun for so long that now we strive to spend as much time as possible in nature, on fresh air. Sometimes country parties go on until early in the morning, so the lighting suburban area, garden, veranda becomes an urgent issue. It is generally accepted that the lighting of the dacha ends with a garden lamp standing on the table and “Ilyich’s light bulb” at the entrance. Otherwise, you should prepare for huge expenses: we have all been to garden supermarkets and seen how much beautiful garden lamps and lamps cost. More or less affordable flashlights can be found in some online stores.

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Garlands

They can be found absolutely in any hypermarket for the home, they are usually quite inexpensive, but what a wonderful atmosphere you can create with their help on the country veranda! For a porch and veranda closed from the rain, New Year's garlands are perfect, gathering dust all summer around in closets and on the mezzanine.

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To save energy, you don't have to turn them on every night, but if you're inviting friends to a fun summer party or celebrating an important event with your family, a garland is an indispensable thing to create a festive mood!

You can improve the garland with your own hands.

Create cute ceiling balloons from threads, twine, white clothesline: inflate small balloons, wrap a rope around them, smeared with PVA glue, after the glue dries, burst and take out the balloon. We pass a wire with a light bulb - beautiful home-made shades are ready!

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An alternative to rope balls is glass shades from cans. Good for garlands with large bulbs.

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For a long garland of small light bulbs, you can create a wire frame ball:

A multi-colored New Year's garland can simply be placed in a bottle or jar - you get an elegant lamp that can be easily moved to any place near the outlet.

Candles

Candles give a little light, but only they have that special charm that creates a romantic atmosphere. Candles are indispensable if you are celebrating a wedding or arranging a dinner for two in your backyard.

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You can also make lanterns for candles with your own hands from improvised means. You will need wire or rope, as well as glass jars. Sand or small pebbles can be poured at the bottom of the jars - in this case it will be easier for you to change the candles, and the wax will not stain the bottom of the jars.

These lanterns can be made from old tin cans. A great way to keep the kids busy!

Having shown imagination, you can come up with a lot of different ways to decorate a house or cottage with candles.

Lanterns

These lights already require some investment, but they look incredibly impressive!

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Another one interesting idea – kerosene lamps from bottles. It will require some labor, but the result will be unusual and budgetary.

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An option that I really like: ceiling lamps from an old chandelier + simple street lamps or garlands - and stylish lamps are ready.

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Neon lights

A simple but effective lighting option is a waterproof LED strip. She can highlight steps, benches, the facade of the house.

If you do not have a dacha, then, of course, you can successfully implement all these techniques on your balcony. You can read about the design of open balconies.

Beautiful lighting in a summer cottage is an integral part comfortable rest that you will remember on long winter evenings. I hope that my tips will be useful to you in creating a romantic atmosphere in the garden or on the veranda.

After dark, move around garden plot becomes more complicated, and all its decorative elements, created by the owner with such awe and love, lose their clear outlines. Moreover, at night the territory becomes more vulnerable to intruders. Properly organized site lighting helps to solve all these problems at once.

No. 1. Basic requirements for site lighting

On the diagram, it is necessary to note where the lamps will be located, how many there will be, and what function they will be assigned to, you can also indicate the size and style of execution. Now being compiled wiring diagram: for those who are at least a little versed in electrics, this is an easy task. It is better to entrust the installation of the entire lighting system, since, first of all, it should be as safe as possible for the owners of the site.

When planning your lighting plan, keep in mind that be sure to highlight the entrance to the house, gate or gate, the perimeter of the site, as well as the most dangerous places on the territory, incl. stairs and bridges. It is not recommended to backlight the house with, as a dazzling effect is created in this way. When preparing a lighting scheme, it is important not to forget about the climatic features of the region. For example, the height of the lamps should be such that they perform their functions under the maximum possible layer of snow.

No. 3. Types of site lighting

Lighting suburban area performs several functions at once, and for each of them it is better to provide a separate type of fixtures.

The main types of garden lighting:

general or functional lighting is necessary for safe movement around the territory after dark, to perform certain work and have a good rest in the evening. General lighting fixtures, first of all, are installed at the entrance to the site, in parking lots, near the entrance to. They are also necessary for lighting garden paths and;
marking of site elements- This is a special case of general lighting. The main function of the marking light is to indicate some objects, for example, the boundaries of the parking lot, the location of the gate, steps, etc. In this case, you can use small lamps and even "luminous" stones;
automatic lighting systems enhancing the security of the area. Due to the presence of a time relay or motion sensors, one or more lighting elements can turn on at nightfall or when intruders appear at their summer cottage. Similar elements can also be used to scare away animals and birds by creating the effect of presence;
decorative lighting. This includes lamps that are designed to decorate and draw attention to interesting elements of the landscape more than to give full light. Alpine slides, ponds, tree crowns, recreation areas are equipped with such lighting, and for this they use flashlights, garden figures with built-in lamps, lamps that can shine different color, and other elements.

No. 4. Features of functional lighting of the site

The tasks of functional lighting are simple and clear. If decorative lighting can not be used in every summer cottage, then it is impossible to do without general lighting. Highlighting all the important elements in order to increase the safety of movement around the territory, it is worth remembering that highlights in lighting it is necessary to put it on, a patio, a house and other buildings - they should not be flooded with too bright light, otherwise the person walking along them will experience great discomfort. The most illuminated place on the site - this and: it will be more comfortable to move from less lit areas to brighter ones. It is important that even in the dead of night, functional lighting allows see the boundaries of the site.

It is also necessary to highlight stairs, bridges and other most dangerous objects. Along the paths, the lamps must be evenly spaced. Lanterns, floor lamps with frosted glass diffusers, bright spotlights, spherical lamps and other elements can serve as light sources.

No. 5. decorative lighting

Decorative lighting needed for recreation areas and objects that you want to admire even after dark. Usually additional illumination is provided , trees, shrubs, fountains, ponds, alpine slides, garden sculptures , as well as gazebos, patios and. Decorative lighting complements the main and gives a soft light, creating a romantic and slightly mysterious atmosphere. There are a lot of ways to organize it - it all depends on the style of the site and the imagination of the owner.

To make no mistake with the choice of style of lamps for the site, you can use simple rule. The more artsy and multifaceted landscape design garden, the more simple and concise lighting should be. If the style of the site is close to minimalism, then you can use lamps of the most bizarre and non-standard forms, focusing on them in decorating the garden.

No. 7. Types of street lamps at the place of installation

All the huge variety of lamps designed to illuminate the suburban and summer cottages can be divided into several groups:

floor lamps, which include lanterns of different heights;
wall lights used to illuminate the house or, they can be hung on the wall at any height;
pendant lamps include lanterns and garlands that can be hung from tree branches or ceilings in gazebos;
When buying, it is worth checking whether the inside of the lamp mount is painted. If not, then you should not count on special durability. Luminaires made of stainless steel and aluminum alloys showed themselves best in operation. Do not forget to find out about the warranty period, and also ask the seller certificate of safety where the degree of protection should be indicated.