Outdoor garden lighting is often used to accentuate the best features of a landscape and create a unique landscape environment. There are several garden lighting techniques that can be used in a landscape lighting scheme.  Garden lighting shows off a landscape’s focal features at night and is a great way to create a welcoming feeling for guests.

Garden Lighting with Cross Beams

When planning a garden lighting layout, a variety of methods should be considered and a focal point or a few focal points should be selected. If garden shrubs are lit, the light source should be concealed as possible. Be careful not to use too much light or too little light. Dark spaces should be avoided in the layout as well as excessively bright spaces.

Cross outdoor garden lighting uses two spotlights on either side of an object to be illuminated. Having multiple beams of light will show a higher level of detail and creates a unique shadow scheme that cannot be created with a single light. Cross garden lighting creates a soft effect that brings out a three dimensional object in a bolder way.

Multiple light streams show the shadows of an object and intricate details in a better way than a single light can. Cross garden lighting is a great option for detailed statues and sculptures that are used as focal points and benefit from the extra illumination. Be careful when cross lighting to not overdo the effect; it is easy to have too much illumination when multiple light sources are used.

Accent lights or spot lights are often used for garden lighting. These lights are more versatile for up lighting objects when they are on the ground or down lighting when they are mounted higher up. Up lighting is used to create a dramatic effect in a cross garden lighting layout similar to a theater.

Certain objects will look more appealing with an up lighting scheme, but some areas are better for down lighting. Down lighting casts light over a wider area and is a good lighting option for outdoor events or for lighting a wide garden. There are many more styles of lighting that can be used to illuminate a landscape, and a unique combination of these styles can be used to create a visually appealing and welcoming landscape.