Outdoor Landscape Lighting Ideas
Outdoor landscape lighting ideas are abundant on this page. You may be wondering: What is the best Outdoor Landscape Lighting product for me? Should I start with the front yard landscape lighting or just the backyard? Do I need accent lighting for the structure of my house or only for the landscape beds, shrubs, and trees? And what about the walkway and driveway? What is the best outdoor landscape lighting ideas for security purposes? You are not the only one with so many questions! There are many people in your shoes. As experts in our field, Houston Landscape Pros would like to put all your questions to rest. Moreover, in solving your landscape lighting ideas, we only use the best products for our clients. We will design the best look for your home and will guarantee satisfaction for many years to come.
Where to Place Landscape Lighting
Understanding where to place landscape lighting like a pro takes experience and skill; hence we recommend hiring a landscape lighting contractor before attempting a DIY.
Every house is different in design; however, our HLP lighting team follows two essential landscape lighting rules. The first rule concerns aesthetics, perhaps the most important to a customer. We achieve this by focusing the beams on favorable landscaping, hardscapes, or water fountains. As a result, you end up with an ambient array of light and shadows. On the other hand, the second rule deals with technical issues. A landscape lighting contractor will understand complex problems like correlated color temperature (CCT). In addition, a professional will follow construction codes and know how to plan wires by creating zones to ensure the system is not overloaded. They will also focus on preventing future problems like accidental wire cuts from other contractors.
Front Yard Landscape Lighting Ideas
All front yard landscape lighting ideas aim to improve the visibility of the home while focusing on landscape and structural features. The design of the landscape determines the lighting placement. For instance, we focus on the structure of the house when the landscape consists of groundcovers and small shrubs. In this case, we use what pros call Wall Wash lighting fixtures to highlight the color and texture of the homes. Likewise, there are different techniques used in our outdoor landscape lighting ideas which we list below:
- Cross Lighting
- Wall Washing
- Accent Lighting
- Grazing
- Silhouette Lighting
- Shadowing
- Moon Lighting
- Path & Spread Lighting
Backyard Landscape Lighting Ideas
Backyard Landscape Lighting ideas are all about making your backyard space just as enjoyable at night as it is during the day. These ideas increase outdoor living in two basic ways. First, it will make the area visible and ready for hosting. Second, it will show off your beautiful backyard landscaping features. However, there are many ways of achieving these goals. For example, pathway lighting is a type of outdoor landscape lighting with many different options. There are different pathways themselves, such as decks, stairs, or sidewalks. To conclude, the right mix of these ideas will create the perfect brightness and mood for your backyard. Below, we list a variety of backyard landscape lighting ideas:
- Mirror Lighting
- Underwater & Water Accents
- Moon Lighting
- Step Lighting
- Hardscape Lighting
- Walkway Lighting
Tree lighting Fixture Ideas
Uplighting trees is an art form that the Outdoor Landscape Lighting Contractor has mastered through experience. It requires knowing the shape of the tree and its growth patterns. This technique works for both front and backyard lighting. Moreover, it requires attention to detail and design. A tree’s position within the landscape design will affect the lighting process. Since no two trees are the same, pros developed some basic rules that are helpful to reference when lighting any tree. Small deciduous trees, also known as evergreen trees, usually call for only one outdoor lighting fixture. By contrast, a large tree (60-100 feet) needs a mixture of accent lights from different angles. The picture on the right gives an idea of how pros place Outdoor Lighting fixtures depending on tree size. Our outdoor lighting company’s primary goal is for your landscape lighting to look good the first time.
Small Tree Lighting
Small Tree Landscape Lighting
Outdoor Lighting: Small Tree
- Single accent 35°: Most small, deciduous trees only need one accent light, but it’s essential to take the viewing angle into account. For example, if there are two viewing angles, then the tree may benefit from two accent lights.
- Canopy-aimed: The fixture should graze the trunk but most importantly point upwards into the canopy for maximum effect.
- Recommended fixture: Small VLO accent 35°
LED Lighting: Medium Tree
- Cross-lighting: While it is possible to use one 60° accent, it is better in most cases to use two 35° lights because they will direct more concentrated light into the canopy.
- Position: Place the accent lights so that they graze the trunk. Then make sure that they still focus on the canopy.
- Recommended fixtures: One small VLO 60° or two small VLO 35°
Medium Tree Lighting
Medium Tree Landscape Lighting
Large Tree Lighting
Large landscape Tree Lighting
LED Lighting: Large Tree
Indeed, a tree-mount junction box required for a large tree: For each light in the canopy, use a tree-mount junction box (15609AZT) with stand-off screws, so the tree has room to grow. These boxes will provide a mounting location for one accent light. Next, run the wire up the non-visible or least-visible side of the trunk and fasten it to the trunk with cable clamps. However, make sure that the wire can still move with the tree. Lastly, leave some extra wire at the base of the tree to allow for tree growth. Here is a list of essential aspects of lighting up a large tree.
- Different angles: A large tree (60-100 feet) will require a combination of accent lights with different angles.
- For Street View: Place one 15° accent light at the base of the tree, highlighting the trunk up to the point where the branches begin.
- To Capture All Angles: Place 2-3 accent lights (35° or 60°) away from the trunk, pointing into the canopy.
- Greater Branch Visibility: 1-2 accent lights in the canopy, pointing up.
- Recommended fixtures: Large VLO 15° for the trunk, large VLO 35° or 60° for the canopy
LED Lighting: Upright Cone
- Total capture: Two accent lights with a 60° beam spread to light up the tree on two sides, creating 360° of visual interest.
- Greater distance: With firs, the fixtures should be placed farther away from the base and should shine directly onto the tree (rather than aiming up into the canopy).
- Recommended fixtures: Small or large VLO accent 35° or 60°
