Unless you choose to use solar garden lights, most garden lighting requires some kind of electrical cabling, so it would be wise to keep your lights away from areas that you’ll often be digging in or around. For example, you probably shouldn’t put lights in or right around areas where you’ll be planting and maintaining annual or bulb flowers.

When you get to the point when you’re ready to choose your lighting, think about what you’re trying to achieve. Do you want the beautiful tree in the middle of your garden to stand out more than the rest? Do you want some spindly plant silhouetted in light from the back? Do you want your garden lit from above, below, behind or in front? These are all things to consider. Here are some types of lighting to give you an idea of your options:

• Up Lighting – this is achieved by placing lights at the base of a plant, tree or architectural feature and can be very artistic.
• Down Lighting – this is a common form of lighting. It can be created by placing the lights higher up so that they illuminate an area of plants or other feature from above.
• Shadow Lighting – place lights at angles in front of a plant or structure to cast a shadow on a wall. This type of lighting can be very dramatic if done well.
• Silhouetted Lighting – this is the opposite of shadow lighting, which is achieved by placing a light behind a plant or landscape feature to silhouette it as you look toward it.
• Illumination Lighting – there is still a need for illumination in the garden so that visitors can find paths, navigate steps and stairs, and walk freely without falling victim to a hazardous toy left by your 3-year old child.
• Lighting for Water Features – there are so many options for lighting your ponds, fountains, waterfalls, and other water features. Many are easy to install and only run on 12 volts.

There are as many options available as there are ideas you could come up with. Why not turn your garden into something you don’t have to enjoy only in the daylight? You better get started!