Advice · Outdoor lighting · 5 min read
Lighting your garden:where to begin.
A well-lit garden is not judged by the number of spotlights, but by what it reveals at night. Here is how to think about garden lighting before choosing a single fitting.
Maxime LyonsElectrician in La Croix-Valmer
Start by looking at the garden at night
The best time to imagine the lighting is at dusk. Where do you see the garden from? The terrace, the living room, the entrance? Those viewpoints decide what needs lighting.
Three uses, three kinds of light
- Showcasing: an umbrella pine uplit from below, an olive tree, a stone façade
- Moving around safely: bollards along a path, highlighted steps
- Living outdoors: soft light on the terrace, a pool that glows
A single colour of light
Warm light, around 2 700 K, brings out the best in plants and stone. Above all, keep the same colour temperature throughout: mixing cool and warm whites breaks the harmony of the garden.
Fewer light points, better placed: that is often what separates a garden that is merely lit from one that is truly brought to life.
Fittings made for outdoors
By the sea, salt air and humidity take their toll on equipment. You need floodlights with a high protection rating, watertight connections and cables buried in ducting, with dedicated protection at the panel.
Think about the controls
Switch, timer, motion sensor or dusk sensor: depending on the area, the garden can light up on its own at nightfall, or only when someone walks by.
