5 Tips for Landscape Lighting This Fall
You can enjoy landscape lighting throughout the changing seasons at any time of the year. Autumn is the perfect time to add to your outdoor lighting. With fall heralding the coming of the winter chill and signifying the end of summer, it is time to begin a new chapter in your life, added with the scents of pumpkin and the beauty of crimson and auburn autumn leaves.
Most important in illuminating your home is that the fall season also means earlier sunsets, late sunrises, and much-anticipated cooler evenings. Autumn is here, and now it will only get darker faster. However, just because the clocks change doesn’t mean you must stop enjoying your outdoor space. Landscape lighting is the perfect must-have at this time of year to continue to enjoy your landscape during the fall and winter seasons.
Here are some landscape lighting tips and ideas for the fall season.
1. Start using low-voltage LED lights
One of the best ways to save power is to use low-voltage LED lighting. Whether you are putting in landscape lighting for the first time or want to upgrade older halogen lights in your yard, the arrival of fall is the perfect time to do this. You will use the sunshine more on shorter days, and the energy savings from LED lights can significantly save your power bill.
LED lighting not only lasts longer but also requires far lesser maintenance. They also do not pose any fire hazard like the halogen bulbs, especially in the fall, and neither do they go 'pop' once the temperatures drop.
2. Install a timer
Nothing is more tedious than turning your yard lights on and off continuously day and night. If you have to do this, you will ultimately stop using your outdoor lighting altogether. Not to mention the energy bills you will run up if you leave the lights on longer than needed.
Putting a timer in your landscape lights is the best way to solve this issue. Most landscape lighting timers automatically turn on the outdoor lights as it becomes dusk and then turn them off again automatically after a certain amount of time which you can set. You can even set the timer to switch off the landscape lights just before sunrise, thus always ensuring there is some welcome light outside your home. Putting in a timer is a straightforward process and does not require you to punch a hole in your wallet, either.
If you already have a timer, the fall season is the best time to check and ensure that the timer is adjusted to the changing daylight hours.
3. Switch to color-changing lights
If you have been using landscape lights for some time, fall is the perfect time to make things fun as the festivities roll in. Think about switching to color-changing lights at this time to celebrate everything from Halloween to Christmas Day.
Using colors strategically can help you develop various lighting effects that will set your landscape apart. For example, placing red lights in the yard at a distance will lend an illusion of firelight, or using green/blue lights to enhance the foliage colors are also a great idea. The great idea is to use seasonal colors for Halloween or Christmas, or you can design your color palette to celebrate another holiday or event, such as a birthday.
Some people also prefer to choose just one single color or allow the lights to change color on their own as set by the system. If you have a water source or feature in the yard, adding color-changing lights can help you bring focus to these structures.
4. Choose a naturalistic approach to landscape lighting
When lighting up the pathway, most people tend to put lights in one line, like soldiers standing in a military formation. This has become such an everyday look that the majority of landscapes you see will have lights set up in this way. Choosing a naturalistic approach to lighting can be a better way to change things up and set your yard apart from others. This means putting lights at less regular intervals and less formally, perhaps even diagonally.
Whether you use ground lighting or stake lights, consider placing them at some distance from one another along the pathway and walkway. Offset the fixtures and leave some space between each one. You can also consider lighting the garden beds to light up the plants. Remember that there is no need to create a runway of sunlight to allow people to navigate through. You only need to shine enough light, so people don't fall and stumble.
5. Add some moonlight to your landscape
As fall turns into winter, you will find the nights getting darker. And the great idea is to add landscape moonlighting to transform your landscape into a charming midnight garden. Installing lights high up in the trees and keeping the fixtures hidden will make the lighting appear diffused through the branches and leaves of the trees. This creates a beautiful woodland effect and also illuminates the area without needing to install pathway lighting. For those who don't have tall trees, think about putting the lighting into pergolas or under eaves while installing a dimmer switch to bring down the light when you get up close to it.