Lighting Seen From The House

If you don’t go into the garden at night but want to be able to admire it from indoors or from the patio, you do not need to light the paths and can concentrate mainly on the picture from the windows.

Highlight decorative foliage, sculptures and garden furniture. You will probably find that individual branches you have not really noticed before will respond like magic to being lit at night and will become positively sculptural when individually highlighted.

Positioning Garden Lighting

A little lighting if well positioned can have a tremendous impact. Avoid dazzle and glare by keeping fittings and bulbs hidden. There are all sorts of places where you can do this, such as behind tree trunks or walls, or behind plant containers or large leaved shrubs. Try out their positions by placing lights temporarily and then walk around the garden to check that the light source is properly concealed from all angles.

Spike lamps are useful because they can be moved around but they should be regared as temporary only and not for permanent installation. The plug should be removed from its socket and the lamp taken into the house when not being used. As with all lamps, it is important to use the bulb recommended by the manufacturer or there may not be a watertight seal and the lamp might shatter.