728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
Get Pregnancy Information
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Grandparent Home and Garden › London Charm

London Charm

European Landscape Lights Add a Quaint Touch to Any Yard

By Suzy Feine

Pages:  1  

Formal gardens have been a popular element of the home landscape for centuries in Europe. Medieval herb gardens, kitchen gardens and beautiful flower gardens graced many European homes, adding to their elegance and beauty. Garden accessories, such as lights, benches and statues, enhanced the appeal and charm, transforming a simple plot of land into an outdoor sanctuary. These great gardens of Europe have been the inspiration for landscape designers and home gardeners alike for centuries.

Gardeners today can quickly and easily emulate the gardens of Europe by installing European landscape lights. Fixtures crafted in the vintage style and forged from aluminum, copper or wrought iron bring charm to the urban design. A mixture of European-style lights and lighting effects combine to "mise-en-scene" or "set the stage." Wall lanterns mounted on the home's exterior add a touch of Europe to any architectural style; fixtures suspended from the eves of a pergola enhance the beauty of an outdoor dining area; tall pedestal or street lanterns installed at the foot of a driveway mark the entryway to your home, similar to the streets of London.

Outdoor lighting is both functional and beautifying to the home. Functional, for it adds a sense of security by eliminating large areas of darkness, lighting your home and yard as nighttime falls. Beautifying, for it showcases your yard as day turns to dusk, illuminating elements you wish to remain seen throughout the night. But more importantly, landscape lighting can, when used effectively, create dramatic effects in your home environment.

Lighting Effects

Good lighting depends on the size of the light, the placement of the light and the beam angle. Here you'll find a few lighting terms to help create the ambiance you seek.

Spotlighting
Draw attention to a particular feature with a spotlight. A ground-level spotlight aimed up at a statue, large tree or other garden element will create dramatic effects in your yard.

Downlighting
Lighting an item from above can create equally dramatic effects. Attach small lights to trees or tops of walls and aim the light down, illuminating the ground, a garden path or the remainder of the tree or wall.

Uplighting
This method is used with large trees or shrubs. Set the lights at ground level and aim the beam into the branches, illuminating the tree's canopy against the evening sky. Similar to spotlighting, this method will also add height to your garden.

Path Lighting
Garden lights that cast a downward glow are ideal for path lights. Place a series of path lights along a walkway or next to steps to guide visitors through your yard. Solar-powered lights are ideal for using along a path to eliminate the need for power cords.

Silhouetting
When plants or garden accessories are placed in front of a wall or fence, silhouetting can add interest to these items using shadows. Place the light at ground level in front of the object. Once lit, the light will not only draw attention to the object, it will create a shadow behind the object, giving it a contrasting backdrop. For added effect, paint the wall or fence a bright color.

Grazing
Used primarily to light structures such as arbors, walls or fences, grazing complements the garden by highlighting something other than plants. Small, in-ground lights can be placed at the base of structures to give stability and strength to the garden.

Underwater Lighting
Any water element, whether it be a pond, waterfall or fountain, should be highlighted to accentuate its beauty. Waterproof lights set within the water can achieve this focus by emphasizing the water from beneath. Colored underwater lights in shades of blue, green or purple can add interest to your water feature.

Pages:  1  


Want to see more?