Garden with lighting will look different at night. Nothing can stop you from enjoying the panoramic view in your garden at night if proper lighting is installed. Lamps not only illuminate but also produce beautiful views and full of drama. Excellent lighting for a garden is easy to make by establishing criteria for focal points such as plants, pergola or fountain. However, conceals the source of the lighting as much as you can so that the lighting can be more expressive and maximize.

Most popular lamps are the one with soft illumination effects rather than spotlight lamps. The reason is this type of lamp is not straining on the eyes and makes the garden look very serene and calm for relaxing in the garden.

Types of lamps

1. Electrical lamps are very popular because its availability and safe. Some are made of iron wrought, stone, metal, cromm or alloy with different shapes and designs. Putting it in the middle of the trees can produce amazing effects.

2. Candle can also be used to illuminate the garden, but it's not a favorite. The special feature of candle is the ability to produce a romantic and exotic environment. Besides having some varieties of shapes, color and aroma of the candle, you can change it according to the situations.

3. Lantern is one of the favorite choices for lighting the garden. You can hang it at the arbor or pergola. The special effects are very astonishing.

Lighting effects

Create different lighting effects in every corner of the garden using trial and error method. Varies illumination rates, position, and color can produce an amazing results.

* Up lighting - with the source of the lighting comes from underneath the trees to create a dramatic effect. This type of lamp was used to illuminate arc, object's surface, and trees

* down lighting - with the source of the lighting shoot directly on the object from above to exaggerate the shape and used to brighten up the trees, verandah and balcony.

* Shadowy - a stripe of light being targeted on the ground or at a certain angle to leave behind an interesting shadowy effect. Normally it is used to illuminate the trees or shrubs with different shapes.

* Focal - to illuminate small objects like decor or small tree

* Mirror - waterfall during night time can be like a mirror through light reflection. The effect can be achieved by placing a lamp behind the waterfall.

Guidelines

1. Install a spotlight on the lawn and direct the light towards the trees as a focal point.

2. Install lamps with lighting upwards to focus on arbor or pergola that brighten up the wall with light flooding the whole ceiling. This method softly reflected the light to the floor making it suitable to have a party.

3. Add lighting crossing the pond to create an interesting frame pattern.

4. Hide the spotlight and direct the lighting upwards as to have the mood of the situations. Terracotta vase and chairs can be put in front of the spotlight as to have an overall effect that reflected softly and misty.

5. Low lamp on the stairs gives emphasize on the pathway at the garden. It brightens up the pathway as a step of safety besides easing the walking from one garden corner to another.

Resource:

1) Anjung Seri (Bonus 2004)
2) Anjung Seri (Dec 2005)