Street lighting of the suburban area, types of lighting and selection of fixtures. How to organize street lighting in the country or in a country house? Ideas for lighting in the backyard

street lighting suburban area is a popular way of landscaping, capable of simultaneously solving a number of diverse tasks. The article will introduce you to the features of functional, decorative and security lighting, point out the basic requirements for a lighting system. You will learn what is included in the lighting scheme, and which lighting fixtures function in outdoor conditions in the best way.

Comfort and practicality of evening lighting

Countryside lighting: types and features

In the evenings, after sunset, the yard and garden fade into twilight, and you can no longer distinguish anything at a distance of ten meters. Moving around your own site, you sometimes do not notice where the lawn ends and the beds begin. Get rid of the problems associated with the onset of darkness, will help competently organized lighting suburban area. Such outdoor lighting is implemented in different ways; Depending on the purpose, the following types of lighting are distinguished:

1. Functional lighting

The purpose of organizing functional lighting is to ensure comfortable and safe movement around the site; for this highlight the following elements home and garden:

Gates and gates. They are conveniently illuminated with manual or automatic lamps located on lampposts. Lamps located at a considerable height (from 2 to 4 m) illuminate large area, including part of the track. Before installation, make sure that the light does not disturb those inside the house.

Entrance area lighting

Front doors, entrance to the terrace or a veranda is equipped with wall lamps or street sconces. This solution will add elegance to any exterior; lamps fill the space with soft light. Thanks to this feature, they will be able to perform an additional, decorative function, participating in facade lighting.

Main garden path, driveway to garage, parking area. It is recommended to illuminate the main transit zones with lanterns on poles 70-140 cm high. Long-lasting gas-discharge light sources of various power are used for them. Such devices allow you to achieve uniform illumination of a large area; their power is selected depending on the width of the tracks and the frequency of installation of devices. Backlight garden paths can be controlled manually or automatically, programmed by time, or by relay, triggered at dusk.

Safety at night

Buildings of the economic zone. If you plan to do business after sunset, practical solution will be the installation of a floodlight (one or more) controlled by a knife switch. Such a spotlight will bring maximum benefit if it is mounted on a high support or on the roof of a building.

Garage. Convenient solution will be the use of wall lamps marking the boundaries of entry. Such lighting devices (as a rule, these are low-power energy-saving lamps) are lit along with the rest of the system elements or are triggered by a motion sensor.

Alcove. The optimal solution for this garden structure is a garland or ceiling lamp located in the center of the ceiling. Plafond is better to choose matte; such material makes the light soft and does not distort colors. The switch is mounted in the gazebo itself or in the house (if the gazebo is wooden).

Lighting design of the gazebo

2. Decorative lighting

If you want to add expressiveness to a country house and landscape, you should think about organizing decorative lighting. It is controlled from a remote control located in a residential building, creates a romantic and sometimes fabulous atmosphere and is formally divided into two parts:

architectural lighting(facade of the house). General or spot lighting is used, and the sources are located on the building or next to it. The main (besides the visual effect) requirement is that the light should not cause inconvenience to the residents in the house.

garden lighting. Landscape lighting is ideal for creating accents. You can illuminate a flower bed, pond and ornamental shrub, to envelop with light a garden sculpture, a bench or an alpine slide. Part of the problem is solved thanks to architectural lighting. But, in order to get a truly spectacular view, lanterns-columns and point (dug-in and decorative) light sources are placed on the territory. The programmable remote allows you to set automatic switch on various components of the system.

Illumination of the facade of the house

Festive. The most common option is New Year's illumination. Perhaps you also decorate the garden for the birthday of your loved ones and other events.

3. Marking lighting

It is both part of decorative and functional lighting. Its role is to make the movement of people and cars safe. The following objects are marked with light:

Stair steps(both located in the garden and external staircases of a residential building). Models intended for outdoor use (seasonal or year-round) are selected. They are made from impact-resistant materials and are designed to last for many years.

The edges of the playground, the boundaries of the recreation area or tracks. For this role, universal lamps are selected that are resistant to temperature extremes, atmospheric moisture and dust.

Leisure area marking

4. Security (duty) lighting

Security lighting is part of the security system; it is designed to play a purely functional role - to report an illegal intrusion into the homestead territory. security lighting garden plot has the following characteristics:

Consists of separately located gas-discharge light sources equipped with motion sensors (SNiP 23-05-95 recommends sodium and halogen lamps, incandescent lamps and LEDs are also acceptable).

Locations of lamps are chosen in such a way that the sensors block all approaches to the doors.

When installing check for dead zones where there is no sensor action. Lamps are installed to the left or right of the camera lens, which allows you to get more uniform illumination when the image is perceived by the camera.

The system is triggered(spotlights and lamps turn on) automatically, when a moving object is in the coverage area, and turns off (goes out) after a few minutes (the interval is configured at the request of the owners and can be from five to thirty minutes).

Emergency lighting

Security lighting can play the role of an escort and be used for occasional lighting of paths or outbuildings. This is convenient because the owners do not have to spend time turning the lights on and off or keep them on all the time.

On our site you can find contacts of construction companies that offer landscaping and electrical services. You can directly communicate with representatives by visiting the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".

Lighting a suburban area: requirements for the organization

When organizing lighting, it is necessary to adhere to the rules related to both the safety of use and the aesthetic qualities of the system. Conditions to be set include the following:

Wiring. Taking into account the installation rules will make it safe for the residents of the house. An RCD is certainly added to the circuit and circuit breakers; this will help protect the network from short circuit and de-energize it (in automatic mode) if overload occurs.

Protection. All elements of the system intended for outdoor use must be protected from mechanical damage and dust. The supply cable is laid in a corrugation or plastic pipe; light sources, sockets and switches are used, additionally protected from moisture.

Video description

About the choice of street lighting in the following video:

Ease of control. The owners should have free access to all elements of the system and the possibility of local or emergency shutdown of any light source.

Saving. For savings best solution will be the use of energy-saving lamps: LED and solar-powered. Installing such devices will save from 40 to 70% of electricity.

Site lighting scheme. It is compiled in advance and implemented before the start. landscape works. Otherwise, there is a great risk of spoiling the work of a landscape designer by laying underground cables through ready-made lawns and flower beds.

About the lighting scheme of a suburban area

If you do not want to be the owner of a chaotic, poorly performing collection of lamps, the question of lighting household territory should be treated systematically.

Lighting scheme for a summer cottage

To do this, it is not enough just to choose the lamps you like; prior to the start of installation work is compiled detailed plan lighting, including the following information:

Plan-scheme with markup the location of all light sources, the zone of necessary illumination and the routes of underground cables. In order not to have to spend time and money on rework, the locations of the fixtures are applied to the site plan, which shows all existing (and future) buildings and landscape elements. The places of many lighting fixtures can be outlined only after the project of the terrace, garden paths, gazebos is ready.

Connection points for lamps and connection of individual power lines. Depending on the ease of use, a place is chosen for the location of switches and waterproof sockets.

Specify the type, size and style of lighting fixtures taking into account climatic features (lighting for the garden should perform its functions all year round, with any frost and snow cover).

Video description

About the street lighting of the Smart Home system in the following video:

Developed circuit diagram connections. To ensure that the system does not cause trouble in the future and is as safe as possible, it is recommended to entrust its installation to a specialist.

What to choose for garden lighting

Manufacturers offer a huge number of lamps designed for outdoor use; they are classified according to the place of installation in the following way:

Street lights and bollards different heights . Such products attract attention with their elegance and practicality.

street pendant lamps, garlands and sconces. They decorate the gazebo, the entrance to the house, tree branches; there are original fiber optic varieties.

Wall lights . Available in classic and modern style, which allows you to choose such a lighting device for any facade.

Facade lighting. Such lanterns have a reflector that directs the flow of light in the direction you need (up or down).

street garland

Recessed luminaires. They are used for hidden lighting, mounted in holes in walls or roofs, where they are almost invisible.

Recessed luminaires. They are designed for installation in soil, track material or asphalt pavement. Path lighting in the country can be complemented by spectacular lighting of the porch, pool, fountain or flower beds.

Floodlights and luminaires with motion sensor. Such electrical appliances, equipped with powerful lamps, are often installed at ground level. With their help, you can get a bright, narrow beam of light that will effectively highlight a building or a beautiful tree.

Video description

About the visualization of the area lighting in the following video:

Decorative lamps. In addition to the usual traditional models, there are many bright solutions with custom design. Modern or high-tech options are popular, as well as in the form of sculptures that give the setting a sophisticated look.

Lamps operating outdoors all year round must have certain performance characteristics, do not be afraid high humidity and temperature fluctuations. To work in such rather harsh conditions, several types of lamps are suitable, which include:

Incandescent lamps. One of the most common lighting methods. Products have a low cost and a service life of several thousand hours; The disadvantage is low efficiency and heating, which imposes requirements on the heat resistance of the lamp material.

LED sources and strips. They give bright light, last a long time, and consume little electricity. Some varieties are equipped with brightness control.

Vintage lamps on a pole

Halogen and fluorescent. Compared to an incandescent lamp, they last much longer, have a high light output, and consume much less electricity, which ensures savings in operation. Fluorescent lamps have a limit on the number of on-off switches, therefore they are not recommended for use in a circuit with motion sensors.

Fiber optic systems. In fact, this is a cable that can be pulled in a place inaccessible to other lighting fixtures.

Sodium lamps. They are characterized by a pleasant warm spectrum and a long service life (about 30 thousand hours).

Solar lamps. Non-volatile devices accumulate during the day solar energy(they are also charged in cloudy weather), and with the onset of twilight they emit a soft diffused light. They work for 8-10 hours, are convenient simple installation and unpretentiousness in service; arrangement if necessary spot lighting easy to change.

Solar Landscape Lights

Conclusion

The owners who decided to arrange on their site modern system lighting, should choose fixtures based on their purpose. When improving the habitable space, the widespread use of built-in and fixed light sources is allowed. For landscape lighting of a new land plot, it is advisable to choose sources on vertical supports (columns). This foresight will allow you to change the location of the lamps as the garden grows.

With the onset of darkness, it becomes more difficult to move around the garden plot, and all its decorative elements, created by the owner with such awe and love, lose their clear outlines. Moreover, at night the territory becomes more vulnerable to intruders. Properly organized site lighting helps to solve all these problems at once.

No. 1. Basic requirements for site lighting

On the diagram, it is necessary to note where the lamps will be located, how many there will be, and what function they will be assigned to, you can also indicate the size and style of execution. Now being compiled wiring diagram: for those who are at least a little versed in electrics, this is an easy task. It is better to entrust the installation of the entire lighting system, since, first of all, it should be as safe as possible for the owners of the site.

When planning your lighting plan, keep in mind that be sure to highlight the entrance to the house, gate or gate, the perimeter of the site, as well as the most dangerous places on the territory, incl. stairs and bridges. It is not recommended to backlight the house with, as a dazzling effect is created in this way. When preparing a lighting scheme, it is important not to forget about the climatic features of the region. For example, the height of the lamps should be such that under the maximum possible layer of snow they perform their functions.

No. 3. Types of site lighting

Lighting a suburban area performs several functions at once, and for each of them it is better to provide a separate type of lamps.

The main types of garden lighting:

• general or functional lighting is necessary for safe movement around the territory after dark, to perform certain work and have a good rest in the evening. General lighting fixtures are primarily installed at the entrance to the site, in parking lots, near the entrance to. They are also necessary for lighting garden paths and;
• marking of site elements- This is a special case of general lighting. The main function of the marking light is to indicate some objects, for example, the boundaries of the parking lot, the location of the gate, steps, etc. In this case, you can use small lamps and even "luminous" stones;
  
• automatic lighting systems enhancing the security of the area. Due to the presence of a time relay or motion sensors, one or more lighting elements can turn on at nightfall or when intruders appear at their summer cottage. Similar elements can also be used to scare away animals and birds by creating the effect of presence;
• decorative lighting. This includes lamps that are designed to decorate and draw attention to interesting elements of the landscape more than to give full light. Alpine slides, ponds, tree crowns, recreation areas are equipped with such lighting, and flashlights are used for this, garden figures with built-in lights, lamps that can shine different color, and other elements.
  

No. 4. Features of functional lighting of the site

The tasks of functional lighting are simple and clear. If decorative lighting can not be used in every summer cottage, then it is impossible to do without general lighting. Lighting up everything important elements In order to improve the safety of movement around the territory, it is worth remembering that highlights in lighting it is necessary to put it on, a patio, a house and other buildings - they should not be flooded with too bright light, otherwise the person walking along them will experience great discomfort. The most illuminated place on the site - this and: it will be more comfortable to move from less lit areas to brighter ones. It is important that even in the dead of night, functional lighting allows see the boundaries of the site.

It is also necessary to highlight stairs, bridges and other most dangerous objects. Along the paths, the lamps must be evenly spaced. Lanterns, floor lamps with frosted glass diffusers, bright spotlights, spherical lamps and other elements can serve as light sources.

No. 5. decorative lighting

Decorative lighting needed for recreation areas and objects that you want to admire even after dark. Usually additional illumination is provided , trees, shrubs, fountains, ponds, alpine slides, garden sculptures, as well as gazebos, patios and. Decorative lighting complements the main and gives a soft light, creating a romantic and slightly mysterious atmosphere. There are a lot of ways to organize it - it all depends on the style of the site and the imagination of the owner.

To make no mistake with the choice of style of lamps for the site, you can use simple rule. The more elaborate and multi-faceted landscape design of the garden, the more simple and concise lighting should be. If the style of the site is close to minimalism, then you can use lamps of the most bizarre and non-standard forms, focusing on them in decorating the garden.

No. 7. Types of street lamps at the place of installation

All the huge variety of lamps designed to illuminate the suburban and summer cottages can be divided into several groups:

• floor lamps, which include lanterns of different heights;
• wall lights used to illuminate the house or, they can be hung on the wall at any height;
• pendant lamps include lanterns and garlands that can be hung from tree branches or ceilings in gazebos;

  When buying, it is worth checking whether the inside of the lamp mount is painted. If not, then you should not count on special durability. Luminaires made of stainless steel and aluminum alloys. Do not forget to find out about the warranty period, and also ask the seller certificate of safety where the degree of protection should be indicated.

light in dark time days is a comfortable movement around the yard and garden. It creates a cozy and romantic atmosphere in the recreation areas, and competent lighting of the garden will turn it into a fairy-tale kingdom.

But light is primarily electricity, the consumption of which is limited by the capabilities of the transformer and your budget. That is, when planning the illumination of the site, first of all, it must be made functional and economical, and after that, pay attention to the decorative part.

FUNCTIONAL AREAS LIGHTING

Nobody argues about the aesthetic side of the issue: in this regard, the broadest the lineup luminaires for outdoor lighting with a waterproof housing. These are wall, floor and ceiling instances that require a power source to connect.

The important thing is where to place them and what type of lamps to choose in order to ensure the most convenient movement around the site and rational energy consumption. The shape and size of the yard can vary greatly, so it is customary to install the light based on individual needs. But there are places where it must be.

! Lighting the entrance to the yard (gate, gate) is your protection against injuries and the safety of the house from unauthorized intrusion. The intensity of illumination in this zone is chosen moderate.

! Shine in the area of ​​​​the porch and the front door, and in such a way that shadows do not form on the steps, otherwise the descent from them may end in a fall (there is additional side lighting for this). Here you can set the average intensity of evening lighting and additional bright light for the moments when you need to open and close the door with a key.

Make visible outbuildings and approach to them. This technique will protect their integrity and the safety of the content. The intensity of the light must be sufficient to see what is happening around them.

It is customary to combine such local lighting with perimeter lighting, and if the latter is usually on constantly during the night, then the local light is turned on only as needed.

There are several ways to turn the light on and off: manually by installing a relay on the switch and using infrared sensors.

With manual lighting control, switches for all points are installed inside the house, and the control of the illumination of the porch, main path and gate is regulated at the entrance to the yard. It works like this:

• leaving the house in the evening, you turn on the lighting around the perimeter and illuminate the way to the exit;
• having closed the doors, before leaving the gate, you turn off the local light with one movement, and the perimeter will act as general lighting;
• when you return home, you turn on the light on the way to the house, and turn it off only when you enter the room.

Lighting of outbuildings is best controlled from the house and switches located inside them.

Motion sensors will help replace manual activation. There is no need to flip the switch: as soon as the door or gate opens and the movement around the yard begins, the infrared device will work and turn on the desired lamp. The sensitivity of the sensors can be adjusted, so fears about cats and dogs in the yard are in vain. With a well-adjusted adjustment, you can exclude them from the "list of incoming".

And for general illumination of the perimeter, the installation of an automatic relay is suitable. It works when the level of daylight decreases and turns on the necessary lighting, and extinguishes it in the morning.

The choice of the type of lamps for functional lighting of the yard and garden will be discussed later.

DECORATIVE LIGHTING OF THE AREA

Light on the site is not only a necessity caused by security, but also a luxurious element of decorating the yard, garden and building facade.

The complexity of decorative lighting lies in its design solution: the compatibility of the style of the lamp and its location.

A garden bench can be illuminated with a garland of small lamps (by no means an LED tape - here it will look cold and uncomfortable) wrapped around standing next to deciduous tree and sometimes hanging from the branches. Leaves will mask light bulbs and mysteriously shimmer in the dark with flickering light.

Lanterns are hung on a tree by wrapping an electric cable in a thick winding around a branch or trunk. The other end of the cable is connected to the wiring (read later in the article).

Ground lamps-balls with matte shades look luxurious and modern. Their light will not hurt the eyes and favorably illuminate the surrounding area.

To illuminate the water surface, floating and underwater lamps are suitable, built into the bottom of the pond even at the stage of its laying. Water gratefully accepts the color change, so you can safely experiment with the evening coloring of the surface of the pond.

In my opinion, floating lamps most effectively illuminate the calm expanse of the pond.

Underwater lighting is especially good at illuminating a waterfall. It is directed from bottom to top along the line of falling water or behind a water screen.

The pool or bathing pond is illuminated so that its edges (outdoor lighting) and the bottom of the reservoir (underwater lights) are clearly visible.

You can entrust the installation of such lighting only to specialists involved in this type of activity.

A separate story is the lighting of plants. There is no point in singling out each. In the garden, several of the most spectacular trees, shrubs, tall grasses are selected and illuminated from below.

The easiest way is to illuminate the garden paths: ceiling lamps on the posts will look beautiful and natural in this role, they are made either from frosted glass, or they direct the light down so as not to blind the eyes. Patios and terraces are decorated with the same lamps.

Avoid holding electrical work solar-powered lamps will help in the garden - their light is not bright, but sufficient for decorative purposes and lasts until the morning.

Small lamps with low power scattered around the garden look charming, tearing fragments of a mixborder from the paws of darkness, garden sculptures, stone placers.

LAMP TYPES

It goes without saying that only street lamps in a waterproof case are suitable for outdoor lighting. Any initiative in this regard is punishable by accidents.

Incandescent lamps have long passed into the category of endangered specimens, since their use is completely uneconomical. Most best performance rationality of LED (light-emitting diode) lamps. Despite their high cost, they are the lowest energy-consuming and practically eternal (11-15 years of operation - such an indicator cannot but cause respect).

LED tapes are hidden under lower part benches, gazebos, road decking. When the light is turned on, the effect of soaring and weightlessness of the structure appears.

If LEDs seem expensive to you, opt for less economical, but optimally priced compact fluorescent lamps. Their place is where there are doors and it takes a lot good degree illumination.

But halogen lamps have reflectors, which is only appropriate when illuminating the porch, steps, facade and tall objects - where you need to give a long light beam.

Avoid placing lamps with reflectors around the perimeter of the site, especially if their light can be directed into the eyes. You are not guarding a food warehouse, but decorating your beloved yard with light!

The convenience of solar-powered lamps has already been described above, but they have one more undeniable dignity- you do not need complex verified calculations of the power supply location. You can improvise with their location as long as you like until you find the best placements. By the way, this is a great tool for learning the tricks of light decoration. Minus - fragility.

POWER SUPPLY

So, the supply of electricity on the site can be ground and underground. In the first case, it is mandatory to hide it in an insulated and impact-resistant box and lead it to those places where walking is excluded.

During the daytime, walks in the garden do not cause difficulties, you can freely enjoy the beauty of every corner and freely reach all functional objects. Well, in the evening, on a site with an ill-conceived system garden lighting you have to wander through the dark back streets, illuminating the path with a flashlight, and admiring the beauties is out of the question. Therefore, you should take care of high-quality lighting of the garden area.

The main tasks and types of garden lighting

Working with lighting is quite an important part of the landscape design of any site. All garden lighting elements can be divided into two conditional groups - functional and decorative.

Functional or utility lighting

The main lighting is designed to ensure the safety and convenience of walking in the dark, this includes the front and entrance areas, as well as the main paths of the site. When designing utility lighting, there are several aspects to consider:

• choose high-quality, durable and frost-resistant equipment, it should be convenient and easy to use;
• observe the harmony between the lighting of the paths and the rest of the garden objects: it is extremely inconvenient to move along the path filled with bright light to the front entrance with subdued lighting. It is more comfortable to go from a shaded place to a light object. The maximum level of lighting is more appropriate on accent elements - the facade of the building, gazebos, patios or decorative compositions;
• arrange lighting fixtures so that the boundaries of the site, even in the darkest time, are easily visible, this creates psychological comfort.

decorative lighting

Night in the garden can be incredibly beautiful - a well-organized, well-thought-out lighting system gives the site a special charm, transforms the unique beauty of nature, creates a unique image of the garden, which is absolutely different from the view of the courtyard in the daytime.

The main task of decorative lighting is clear, the rest depends on your desires and the style of the site, but consider the following points:

• with the help of lighting, you can zone a spacious area, and visually expand the boundaries in a small area. When planning the power supply and selecting lighting fixtures, pay attention to this nuance - warm light brings the object closer, and cold light moves it away;
• it is better to provide resting places with soft diffused light, create an atmosphere of comfort;
• if you want to use multi-colored lamps in lighting, limit yourself to two or three colors that complement each other. Bright, white light can take the life out of your garden, use it carefully. Red and brown light is also better to use dosed;
• Various garlands and LED strips will help create a festive atmosphere, however, it is advisable to decorate individual objects with them and not oversaturate the space.

Purposes and objects of garden lighting

Why, in general, you need lighting for the site, we figured it out, now we’ll note what exactly should be illuminated, and also highlight lighting options various objects.

Facade

House - the starting point site design, the main building affects the design solution for the entire territory, and a lot depends on how we allocate it. Now the decoration of the facade with light is gaining more and more popularity, because dark walls with light squares of windows are rather tired.

A country house does not have to be highlighted with a powerful spotlight; an artistic aspect can be put in the foreground, determined by the harmony between point and flood light. Special elements of the facade (columns, front door, stucco, etc.) can be highlighted with accent lighting. Thanks to the correct selection of accents, even the smallest and most inconspicuous house will gain three-dimensional view.

To illuminate the facade, focusing and diffusing devices can be used, and the light sources themselves can be visible - wall or ordinary lanterns or hidden - when it is not clear where the light comes from (from the ground or from under the eaves).

Garden path lighting

Accompanying lighting of garden paths, paths, bridges and other paths is one of the main elements of the overall lighting picture of the site, they should be taken care of in the first place. It combines decorative and functional aspects.

Most often, low (no more than a meter) lamps on columns are used, and it is advisable to select models with matte light diffusers or directing light downwards. By the way, there are special park lamps pathlights, the luminous flux of which is directed downwards. Devices should be located on both sides and preferably in a checkerboard pattern.

Trees, shrubs and small architectural forms

You need to approach the lighting of the garden itself with imagination, here it is possible various options practically without restrictions. As always, we remember about harmony and conformity to style. You can install a lantern near any element or place a lighting fixture high on a tree, illuminating several objects or a three-dimensional composition with it at once. Trees and shrubs are best illuminated from below.

Try to correctly place accents, dream up, highlight those objects that remain inconspicuous during the day, and you will see what amazing colors the space will sparkle with, the night garden will acquire an individual look.

Which lighting fixture to choose, where to place it is up to you, but remember, there is a significant difference between how the lamp looks in the summer and how it looks in the winter: snow reflects light in a completely different way, so take care of the moddability of the lighting system in advance.

Water bodies and functional zones

The easiest way to highlight a body of water is to illuminate it with sealed halogen lamps equipped with green or blue filters to color the water.

The requirements for lighting the reservoir itself and the surrounding area are simple, they relate to safety and comfort. Guests often gather here, and garden lighting has a festive character, and instead of the usual lamps, it is better to use fiber-optic and LED lighting systems, which make it possible to create unique light compositions.

LED and fiber optic lighting systems do an excellent job of dividing the site into functional zones, a big plus of such systems is the simple control of the degree of illumination and color. In general, new technologies provide a lot of opportunities and options in terms of site lighting, so consider several options at once, coordinate them with common style site.

Types of street lamps

As already mentioned, of course, you can choose any lighting fixtures based on your taste. But, for example, ordinary park lights look great during the day, and at night they lose their view a little. Professional work with landscape lighting involves the use of special lighting equipment, which can be divided into three conditional groups.

• Lighting stairs and various fences. Ordinary matte lamps are quite suitable, but now you can increasingly find hidden lighting.
• Underwater lights. All of them have protection that allows the device to stay under water for a long time.

• Accompanying lighting and highlighting objects. This includes spotlights for directional illumination of objects. They come in two types - downlight (upper illumination) and uplight (lower illumination).
  • Top illumination mounted on hills, most often used as emergency lighting or highlighting for facade elements. Downlights should be used carefully, installed so as not to create a dazzling effect, choose medium or low power, soft light is always perceived easier.
  • Applies ideal for illuminating rooftops, facade elements and highlighting key garden objects - bushes, trees, arbors, playgrounds, etc. By illuminating an object from the bottom up, uplights highlight it. You can install such lamps directly into the ground, the position and direction can be easily adjusted.

Original lamps for the garden

Human fantasy has no limits, enumerate unique, original variants lighting fixtures are endless, we will highlight the two most popular types.

• Floor lamps mounted vertically and equipped with matte light diffusers. Floor lamps in high-tech and retro styles are very popular.
• Spherical lamps made of carbonate or polycarbonate give a subdued light, fit perfectly into almost any style landscape design, and in areas of different sizes.

• Choose from a huge variety of solar lights suitable option not easy, rely on the specific requirements for it, and on the function that it will perform. Basically, all solar-powered lamps are mobile, they can be moved from one place to another.
• Due to the peculiarities of the climate, the use of luminaires recessed into the ground is difficult, in some places they will have to be abandoned.
• Motion sensors are useful devices to save energy, but if there are animals in the yard, the sensors should be placed higher than the height of the animal.
• If design is in the first place, give up ordinary lamps, come up with something on your own, look interesting options in different stores, now you can find really unique pieces, or order what you need from specialists in this field.
• To implement compositions from colored lighting, use LEDs, they allow you to create original lighting effects.
• For garden lighting winter period overhead light or lighting fixtures towering above the snow cover are suitable.

It is desirable to think over the lighting system of the garden area at the initial stage of designing the site, then it will be more difficult, but not so much as to refuse to supply the site with light decor. Look at the proposed photos, mentally transfer some of the options to your garden, is it really possible to refuse such beauty?

Garden lighting is performed primarily for practical purposes, as it allows you to comfortably spend time outdoors at night, as well as for aesthetic purposes - the illumination of bushes and trees looks incredibly beautiful. In this article we will consider some features of the organization of garden lighting.

General information

Garden lighting is a creative process, akin to art. With a skillful approach, you can create incredible effects created from a combination of plants and. This allows you to turn the most ordinary and unremarkable garden into a fabulous corner.

In addition, as mentioned above, lighting will allow you to move around the garden at night without fear or even spend time here with your family or, for example, with friends. True, for this you will need another gazebo equipped accordingly.

Depending on the area where lighting devices are located and their functions, garden lighting is divided into several types:

• Lighting a house or gazebo;
• Track lighting;
• Illumination of stairs or bridges;
• accent lighting;
• Festive illumination;
• security lighting.

One of the most important conditions for lighting a garden plot is to preserve its aesthetics during the daytime. In other words, the lamps should not disturb the harmony of the garden landscape. However, they can serve as its decoration and addition.

Therefore, the choice of lighting fixtures should be approached wisely.

Types of lighting fixtures for the garden

All outdoor lighting fixtures, regardless of their type, must meet the following requirements:

• Waterproof;
• Frost resistance;
• Corrosion resistance.

I must say that this requirement also applies to switches located on the street, as well as to sockets. The safety of using the system depends on their observance.

Also, when choosing devices, you need to keep in mind that they are of several types:

Advice!
For lighting small areas, it is best to use compact ones with soft, pleasant light.
Devices with a height of more than 60 cm will direct the light flux into the eyes, which will cause discomfort.

Features of garden lighting

Performing decorative lighting for the garden, you should carefully consider the location of all lighting fixtures. Each lantern, as mentioned above, should not only fulfill its main function, but also serve as an element of decor during daylight hours.

It is better to give preference to not very bright and warm light, which is able to create the most comfortable conditions for vision. Sources can be placed between decorative elements and plants. An upward beam should be used to illuminate trees and large bushes, a downward beam is suitable for illuminating small plants.

Path lighting

To illuminate the paths, it is best to use lanterns in the form of fungi. small size. Otherwise, they will illuminate a large area around, but not the paths themselves.

Also, the lighting of paths in the garden can be arranged using light sources built into the path itself, located on both sides of it. They will give only a hint of lighting, however, they will indicate the direction of movement. The advantage of this solution is that the lamps are not visible during the day.

Illumination of the reservoir

Special attention deserves the lighting of the garden pond, if any. The fact is that during the day any pond looks interesting on its own, but with the onset of darkness, its beauty fades. Properly organized lighting will allow the reservoir to serve as a decoration of the garden in the dark.

There are several options for pond lighting:

• The most common way is to use flashlights located along the edges of the reservoir, which provides a clear delineation of its boundaries.
• Experts recommend focusing on the composition of plants near the coast by installing a lighting fixture right in the thickness of the foliage. Moreover, the light flux should be directed to beating fountains, sculptures or a waterfall.
• interesting and unusual solution is the light from within. The backlight in this case is installed in the pond. For such purposes, a special lamp with a sealed housing should be used.
• Often, landscape designers use floating lights when designing ponds. They can be made in a variety of styles, for example, imitate animals or plants, geometric figures or transparent spheres.

I must say that with the lighting design of the reservoir, you can use all types of lighting at the same time.

In the photo - the illumination of the stairs

Stair lighting

Backlight stairs first of all, it should be of high quality, since the safety of movement depends on it. An excellent option is the installation of fixtures in the steps or in the stairway railing. This approach will give the garden a special romantic entourage.

Note!
When organizing the lighting of the stairs, it is necessary to focus on all the steps, i.e. each step should be equally well lit.

Features of connecting lighting devices

Garden and park lighting can be of several types:

• High voltage - 220 Volts;
• Low voltage - 12-24 Volts;
• On solar batteries.

Depending on the type of lighting, the wiring is laid in different ways.

high voltage lighting

Laying of high voltage cables is carried out at a depth of about 80-90 cm. The cable for garden lighting must be double insulated. Moreover, the cables are not laid in the ground, but in metal or polyethylene pipes. When laying the electrical network to the lighting fixtures, it is advisable not to damage the roots of the trees.

Note!
It is unacceptable to lay cables under the foundations of residential buildings.

Lamps powered by a high-voltage network have a strong even light and are able to illuminate the space by 5-6 meters.

True, the nature of lighting largely depends on the type of lamps, which can be:

• halogen,
• LED;
• metal halide, etc.

The choice of the type of lamps depends only on your personal preferences and financial capabilities, since the price for them can vary greatly.

Low voltage lighting

Low voltage lighting is much more financially beneficial and also safer. Low-voltage line cables can be located directly on the ground, the only thing is that they must be masked, for example, with stones or mulch. In addition, in order not to damage the wiring during garden work, it should be wrapped with casings.

The disadvantages of low-voltage lighting devices include the fact that they do not give very much light - they illuminate the space by 1-2 meters. But in order to connect such a lighting system, it is not necessary to have any skills and understand electrics, since the installation instructions for lighting fixtures are extremely simple.

solar powered

Solar-powered garden lighting is attractive because it does not require laying cables and digging trenches. However, in cloudy weather, such devices are practically useless. Therefore, they should hardly be considered as a full-fledged replacement for other types of lighting.

However, solar-powered lamps are quite suitable for decorating garden paths, lighting artificial reservoirs etc. Since the light from such devices is not very strong, it is better to install them in small groups.

Conclusion

To organize the lighting of the garden with your own hands is within the power of every summer resident or gardener. The main thing is to correctly distribute the lighting fixtures and adhere to the above recommendations.

From the video in this article you can get some additional information on the topic of garden lighting.