Which garden lights you put and how can greatly affect the entire feel and look of your garden area. Therefore, prior to installing garden lighting system, it is important that you spend some time planning what you want to achieve. Think about the focal points of your garden that you would like to highlight. Which areas you would like to illuminate? Do you want romantic and subtle ambience or you want something dramatic and magical?

Remember that garden lighting is not all about making a home aesthetically pleasant. It is also used to ensure the safety of inhabitants. It helps avoid instances of thefts and accidents, for example, tripping and damage to vehicles, by properly illuminating the front and driveway of home. Therefore, while installing an outdoor lighting system, you should aim to strike the balance between practicality and aesthetics.

Once you are sure of what you want, you should do some research on the types of garden lights available in the market. Different lights serve different purposes. Garden spotlights are used to highlight an object. LEDs and low-wattage lamps are used for illuminating an area. Floodlights are for highlighting large areas like home front and trees. Footlights are used for illuminating steps in garden and patio areas. Glow lamps are for soft lighting. Depending upon your need, you should choose suitable lamps for a given area.

Make sure that the lights do not overpower your garden. They should make the landscape of your garden visible and beautiful, but they should not attract attention toward them. The light emanated by them should be soft. It should not cause glare. Moreover, it should not cause inconvenience to your neighbors.

Utmost care has to be taken while installing a garden lighting system. You should make sure that the wires are properly insulated and you have a circuit breaker system to prevent damage in event of overloading and short circuit. If you are not well-versed with installing electrical systems, it is best to take the help of a licensed electrician.

The main issue faced while installing a garden and outdoor lighting system is how to keep all the wires and electrical equipment out of sight. One way of doing away with the hassles of wiring is to use solar lights. But, the only problem with them is that they can be used in the areas that receive sufficient amount of sunlight. They are more appropriate for the areas that require low-wattage lamps for lighting. If solar lights are not sufficient and you intend to use conventional lamps, you should hide all sources of light and electrical equipment behind the shrubs. This would not only help avoid clutter, but also avoid accidents due to tripping over wires.

If the task of designing and installing a garden lighting system seems overwhelming to you, you should take the help of a security lighting or patio lighting expert. They check the landscape of your garden area, understand your needs and tastes, and accordingly plan the entire lighting system for your outdoors.