Hardscape Lighting in Your Landscape

Congratulations! You’ve done a fantastic job of incorporating just the right elements into your landscape. You’ve managed to achieve the perfect balance of foliage, shrubbery, softscapes, water features and hardscapes to create a stunning oasis that you thoroughly enjoy and are proud to share with your friends and family. But, have you overlooked hardscape lighting options? Not to worry, you’ll find the tips you need to understand how and when to install hardscape lighting to your outdoor space to further perfect your home’s exterior when it matters most – after the sun has gone down.

What is hardscape lighting?

Hardscapes are used for design and function and can be comprised of natural and man-made materials. Examples of hardscapes might include walkways made of stone or concrete, decks and patios, retaining walls, planters, etc. Hardscapes can be comprised of materials like stone, wood, brick or metal or even natural materials. Your hardscape features, without the help of strategic lighting placement, can be missed after the sun sets. These highlights of your garden deserve to be enjoyed and illuminated to their fullest extent. Hardscape lighting serves many purposes; it can be utilized to call attention to the beauty, shine light on walking areas or even provide an added layer of security.

Next, let’s make sure we know when to use hardscape lighting.

Hardscape is a general term that can range from a garden gazebo to a retaining wall to a stone staircase. The landscape lighting you choose to light up your hardscapes is dependent on the specifics of your unique home and its mix of hardscapes. You may use hardscape lights to:

• Light up a favorite spot of your home’s exterior such as a patio, a sitting wall or an inviting pergola.
• Provide safe passage through walkways connecting areas of your landscape.
• Create ambiance and add subtle flair to your overall outdoor lighting plan.
• Draw attention to special water features even after sundown.

So, what are the different kinds of hardscape lighting?

The choices of landscape lighting you’ll find for lighting up your hardscapes are practically endless. Some of the lighting examples used for hardscapes include:

• Path lighting that can help provide sure footing and set the mood for after hour strolls.
• Postmount lights to light up your home’s exterior which are typically used for entries, archways or retaining walls.
• Patio lighting to brighten up steps leading to your patio and set the mood in one of the most popular areas of your home’s exterior.

A Note About LED Hardscape Lighting: LED hardscape lighting is a top choice for homeowners who love the ease and affordability that LED technology provides. LED hardscape lighting requires little energy usage, lower your energy costs and reducing your carbon footprint. LED lighting offers many colorful and creative options that can add unique touches to your hardscapes with bulbs that may last a lifetime.

Why is landscape lighting so important?

Landscape lighting is more than just the icing on the cake. It’s more like the glue that bonds your entire landscape together once the sun’s light is no longer available. Your exterior lighting plan serves many purposes that include impressing your house guests, improving your own enjoyment of your home, lighting up walkways to prevent accidents, setting the romantic mood and even deterring potential break-ins. Use landscape lighting to show your style, accentuate your garden’s best features and light up entryways and built-in furniture. Lighting is an essential component to the enjoyment of your landscape after dark.

Learn how to install hardscape lighting.

If you are planning to add a hardscape to your garden, that is the optimal time to work in your plans for hardscape lighting. You can, however, go back and add lighting to your hardscape after-the-fact as well. Some things are better left to lighting professionals when it comes to installing outdoor lighting, but others can easily be accomplished by anyone.

Low-voltage landscape lighting can be easily added to your home’s exterior and make a huge improvement. These type of lights will typically require only a transformer, low-voltage electrical cable and, of course, your choice of lighting fixtures.

You’ve most likely invested a significant amount of time and money in planning and creating the perfect outdoor oasis that includes multiple hardscapes. Your hardscape features deserve to receive endless attention and enjoyment even after the sun goes down and the right mix of lighting can help you optimize your exterior’s best features. You may have multiple goals to accomplish with your landscape lighting including mood-setting, additional security, and safety as well as merely providing the opportunity to enjoy your hardscapes to their fullest potential.