With low voltage outdoor lighting, you can extend the enjoyment you receive from your home and garden. Safe, properly designed and installed outdoor lighting provides additional opportunities to dine on the patio, relax by the pool and entertain friends and neighbors well into the night.
Low-voltage lighting uses less electricity than house current, typically 12 or 24 volts. If you don’t feel comfortable installing your own lighting, you should do some research on the types of lights that are available and where you want them. This will help both you and your contractor spend your money and time wisely. When shopping for the lighting look you want, consider copper and brass fixtures for longevity or even solar lights that require no electricity at all.
To decide which areas of your landscape to light, begin by viewing your yard at dusk. Make note of particular areas and features that will need to be illuminated. Look for focal points in the landscape to showcase. Any area of your home; deck, patio, pool, trees, or gardens can be transformed into an after-dark feature. Walk through the zones leading to and from your home or a special part of your garden. Consider other traffic areas. A quick sketch of the areas you want to highlight will come in handy when finalizing your plan.

You will need different lighting fixtures, depending on what you are trying to illuminate. Two main ways of lighting are downlighting and uplighting.
Downlighting illuminates the surrounding ground, and includes path lighting along a walkway or driveway. These lights mount in the soil and light the walkway for safety as well as highlighting surrounding plants and shrubbery.
When uplighting or spotlighting, lights are also placed in the ground and aimed upwards or angled to highlight a tree, a statue, or garden ornament. Even the side of your home can create a dramatic focal point. Entry garden specimen trees or espaliered trees on house walls make especially good uplighting focal points. Uplighting should never be aimed toward steps or walks where it could interfere with the vision of passers-by.

Landscape lighting can also be extended to include pond lights, either fixed or floating. Even a small water feature will be enhanced by the addition of dramatic night lighting. Pond lighting is especially interesting when moving water keeps the nuances of light changing. Pond lighting is effective when lights are used both in and by the water.

For driveways or out-of-the-way parts of your property, look into motion sensor lights to replace fixed spotlights. The motion sensor light comes on only when something crosses its path, providing light when and where you need it.

Landscape lighting beautifies your home and gives a welcoming feel. It extends your outdoor recreationand entertaining hours in summer and lights the early night in winter. Carefully planned lighting also provides security and peace of mind. Landscape lighting is the important, but often overlooked, finishing touch in the landscape.

Robin Milliken is a Landscape Specialist and Master Gardener
The Master Gardener appears monthly in The Olathe Daily News.
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