Video - D.I.Y. Tips - Installing Garden Lighting

This short video gives you a good idea of the various types of outdoor garden lighting that are available, and provides some helpful tips for what types of lighting to use, and how to determine placement. This will make it easy to choose what lights you need, and how to figure out where to put them. He also gives some tips on what other equipment and tools you will need, and how to install your new lighting solution.

How to Install Outdoor Lighting for Gardens, Patios and Paths
Make your yard beautiful during the day and by night from dusk to dawn with landscape lighting. Adding spotlights or flood lights to your landscape can make ...


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Choosing Lighting Accents for Your Garden

Strategically placed garden lighting is a great way to make use of your garden at night and to add an impressive display to your outdoor living areas. Most garden lighting options are very affordable these days and many of the products that are on the market can be installed quite easily by the home gardener.

Cover of Garden Lighting

You can light areas where you will be sitting, or outdoor dining areas, or you might just want the lighting for effect where you can shine the light on feature trees or plants in the garden.

Garden lighting can also add a degree of safety to your property by lighting steps and walking areas. You can use this lighting to assist people to find entrances to your house and even use it for security purposes where the lights can come on automatically if there are intruders on the property.

The range of lighting equipment that is available these days will allow you to create almost any effect that you desire in your garden.

Before buying any lighting for your garden it is best to decide what the purpose of your lights will be. You will need to create a plan that will determine which areas need lighting for safety and where you want lights for dramatic effect such as up lights on a specimen tree.

Once you have a plan for the lights you will be ready to choose and decide on what style suits the style of your house and garden.

You can get professional help or install the lighting yourself as most garden lighting runs on low voltage for safety and there are kits that make installation very easy. Many garden lighting solutions now come in solar-powered options, so you don't even need an outlet and won't affect your electricity bills.

If you want the lighting for ponds and pools then additional care will be needed as safety is a concern with water and electricity and in these situations it is wise to get a professional to do the installation.

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Garden Planning: Using Topiary In Your Garden

Topiary can be a fun addition to your garden or growing space if you have an imagination and some patience. Topiary is the art of shaping trees and shrubs into shapes of all types and sizes.

There have been some quite outstanding topiary shapes created by garden artists over the years and many people get pleasure from practicing this art in home gardens across the country.

While it is not quite as popular as it once was it is still something that can create a focal point in any garden and is an alternative to other forms of garden sculpture.

A topiary dinosaur. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you decide to try your hand at topiary you will need to have the right plants for the job.

The best plants to use are those that are evergreen. The plants should also have small leaves and the foliage should be as dense as possible to make shaping easier and the final result will look more professional.

From there it is time to start shaping the plant using your cutting shears. As this is generally done freehand it can take some time to get the experience needed to create even lines and curves. Until you have the experience to do this, many people use shaped wires to assist as a guide.

You will need to be patient and only cut off small amounts while you let the shape develop, as a cut too large will result in delays while the plant grows back again.

There is an alternative method that some people use in their garden where the shape is already determined by the use of a wire cage and plants such as ivy are left to grow over the wire giving the impression that it is topiary. This is the easy alternative but you will have to wait for the ivy to completely cover the cage before you have the desired effect.

The benefit of using this method is the fact that you have a lot more control over the shape of the structure and there is less skill involved other than creating the wire cage.

Even just a couple of topiary plants can be a uniquely fun and whimsical way to add visual interest to your garden area.

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Garden Planning Tips: 6 Ways to Add Visual Interest to Your Garden

When planning how to lay out your garden space, here are many creative ways of adding visual interest to a garden. Anything that becomes a focal point in the garden will add interest. That can range from garden sculptures to the particular types of plants that you choose. Here are six helpful ideas, from popular to unique, for making your garden stand out.

#1: Block planting of a particular specimen can become a focal point in the garden. Even adding areas of variegated foliage can have the desired effect.

(Photo credit: jo.marshall)

#2: Seats are another item that can easily add interest to your garden. Additionally, of course, they offer a nice place to rest and relax while you admire your work!

#3: Mirrors that are strategically placed can enhance the garden, although they do require periodic cleaning. They can bring reflected light to dark corners. They can also give the impression that the garden is bigger than it really is, or they can offer the same benefit for a particular area of the garden.

Placed at strategic angles, mirrors can add a lot of fun and interest to a garden and help to lead a visitor through to other areas, giving a magical, whimsical feel to the space.

#4. Consider planting low hedges to add interest to the garden while offering protection to the plants, especially when growing shade-loving crops. Higher hedges can be used to divide a large garden. Hedges are also an excellent way to gain privacy without feeling claustrophobic.

#5. Water features are a favorite for many people. The sound of running water in one corner can make the garden feel calm and relaxing.

Water features can also be good for the birds in the garden particularly in the summer months when they might find it difficult to find water lying around to suit their needs.

# 6: Like sculptures, stones, rocks and pebbles can add interest. You can also create paths from them so that you can walk around even when the surrounding ground is too wet. Shells can also be used on the ground for bordering paths and beds.

There is such a wide variety of items that you put in your garden to add interest, you are limited only by your imagination! Everything from old cartwheels to wind chimes, aviaries or anything else that strikes your fancy, can be used to make your garden a unique and even magical place to spend time.