Lighting adds interest to your landscape at night

A daytime landscape is a lot of things. It can be subdued and restful or vibrant and cheerful -- the trees arched over the lawn, the neat symmetry of hedges and the many colors of brilliant flowers. But the sun illuminates it; nothing can hide.

At night, the same garden can become a mystery. Shadows highlight some parts and hide others. Trees loom like gnarled titans above the grass. The moonlight captures the varied textures of flowers.

Every visit to a night-lit landscape is a new experience for me. "Lightscaping" creates interest, wonderment, warmth, coolness, surprises, shadows, images, shapes, colors and forms not seen in the unlit landscape. It enables me to enjoy landscapes so much more.

I recall approaching a homeowner's front door and noticing a large African sumac with its twisted branches lit by a blue fluorescent light. Blue immediately cooled me this hot summer eve. The same light reflected onto a nearby eucalyptus tree to accentuate the purplish leaves even more.

Nearby was a small palm tree lit up by a small amber light directed through the palms onto the house wall. As its fronds fluttered in the breezes, its wall shadows reminded me of a nervous bird trying to flee my presence.

Night-lit palms can play a dominant role in landscapes. I recall a white light at the base of a group of palms. This light directed my eyes up their trunks, bringing out every intimate detail. It looked like the frond stems were carefully braided, much like we braided May Day flagpoles during my grade school days. The light brought out their rich, creamy-brown colors wrapped around the trunks.

Farther up, fronds expanded into the midnight sky. The light picked up the glistening white cast along each frond's crease, which led my eyes back to the heart of each leaf's bull's-eye. As the breezes gently moved the fronds, the extending slender leaves reminded me of a spider's legs trying to grab onto something.

Hanging from the flowering fronds were feathery, creamy white flowers. As the canes waved, flower petals rained down, taking their place on the stilled swimming pool below. Of course, the pool owner didn't like it, but I was enjoying my eye-catching experience.

Lightscaping enables you to bring your night garden alive. It makes a small garden seem spacious and attractive, or a large estate intimate and comfortable. Subdued lights invite you to relax, entertain, play or just stroll around.

Outdoor lighting falls into two basic categories: functional and aesthetic.

Functional lighting includes light for security and safety purposes. Strategically placed security lights and spotlights in the yard guard against intruders. Place safety lights at doors, along walks and driveways, and anyplace where obstacles might trip someone.

Aesthetic lighting is strictly for looks, focusing a spotlight against your home to emphasize its architectural detail; accenting a garden, tree or statue with smaller mood lights; or for recreational use, lighting patios, pools and decks during the evening.

You don't have to be a professional to create a professional-looking lightscape. To help get the professional look, draw your yard on graph paper. Note paths, gardens, plantings or anything you want highlighted to enjoy during the evening. Also note things you'd prefer to hide.

The market is full of low-voltage systems, most of which do-it-yourselfers can install. However, when dealing with more sophisticated high voltage systems, it's wise to have a qualified electrician install them.

Gardeners often get impatient. They buy a system and install it quickly and are done with it. Resist this impulse.

When setting lights, study their overall effect from your main vantage point. This might be the patio or living room or wherever you'll spend your viewing time.

Experiment with each light to achieve the maximum impact. Place the light in one position and study it for three or four nights. Move it to other locations and continue until you get the desired effect. You'll need four or five 100-foot extension cords while testing. Lighting kits are easy to install once you know where you want to place the light fixtures.

Realtors say lighting makes economic sense. An attractive landscape adds 15 percent to a home's value. Add lightscaping to those outdoor assets and increase that return even more.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Sunday. You can reach him at linn.mills@springspreserve.org or call him at 822-7754.