Outdoor lighting offers a way to show off your lovely landscape design, even after the sun goes down. As you work toward convincing your customers that outdoor lighting deserves to be considered in your next landscape project in the Lancaster, PA, area, you will also want to know the variety of lighting options you have at your disposal. A visit to the landscape supply can be invaluable in the early stages of any outdoor living space project. Here are some tips for choosing the best outdoor lighting for the job:

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Consider the Space

Unlike times when you have been focused on making improvements only to one area of the landscape, this is a time to take a holistic view. Lights that will be too bright can be overpowering and not be conducive to spending long hours outside by the beautiful fire pit you will be building. Long stretches of darkness can have a similar effect. The idea is to create inviting outdoor living areas that can be visited and enjoyed, night after night. The fire pit or outdoor fireplace can help to provide additional light, but really it will be your outdoor lighting scheme that keeps the homeowners and their guests active and using the landscape to its fullest potential.

Bright Lights or Low Level Lighting

The brightness of the outdoor lights also matters. You want to choose a brightness level that will suit the space. For example, if you want the lighting to be subtle, such as adding outdoor lights to flower-filled garden areas, you should choose a low level lighting option. On the other hand, if you’re adding spotlights to an expansive backyard for yard games after the sun goes down, a brighter outdoor lighting option may be ideal. Modern outdoor lighting can give homeowners control over the level of brightness on any given night.

Outdoor Lights That Match the Landscape

You may want to create a unified outdoor lighting scheme throughout the property, by choosing the same type of lights for around the paver driveway as you do around the backyard patio. Recessed lighting is often a preferred option, for example, if the goal is to be discreet with fixtures, particularly during the day, and also minimize the workarounds that need to occur when maintaining the space. Recessed lighting is mowing-friendly, after all.

Outdoor Lighting to Highlight Landscape Features

While outdoor lighting is often installed specifically to create a particular ambience within an outdoor living space—whether that is to initiate quiet conversations on the patio or encourage mingling during an outdoor party—it can also be strategically used to shine attention on favored landscape features, including some of your best work, such as a water fountain or the movement of ornamental grass in a landscape bed. Spotlights can bring out the beautiful textures within a stone wall, for instance, while moonlighting can brighten up the beauty of a specimen tree that was previously not noticed once the sun set.

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