Lighting your garden
Proper lighting can create the right atmosphere for entertaining and relaxing in your garden. It is also important for safety reasons.

• Plan your lighting properly
• Draw a plan of your garden, its features and landscaping. Include the paths and entertainment area and any water or other feature that you would wish to be highlighted.
• Mark in where you would like the lights and calculate how many you will need.
  
• Bring light to the dark spots and eliminate the danger of hazardous steps with backlights.
  
• Use bollards to highlight walkways and driveways.
  
• Eliminate dark areas around windows and doors by using spotlights for backlighting.
• Consider adding sensors, which can automatically turn on lights when movement is detected.
  
• Calculate the wattages of your lights and make sure that you buy a transformer that can cope with the load.
  
• You may need two to three transformers at different points.
  
• Calculate the length of cable that you will require.

Lighting effects

• Add warm, glowing upward lights to accent a garden area.
  
• Light a pathway with soft downward lights.
• Backlight from spotlights highlights walls and eaves.
• Use bollard walk lights to line a driveway.
• Use up-lights to dramatically highlight a beautiful tree.
• Down-light the steps at your entrance and backlight the shrubs to create an impressive entrance.

Installing the lighting system

Always get a licensed electrician to install fixed wire products such as 240V outdoor lighting. switches and power points. You will need an outdoor power point.

Extra low voltage garden lighting does not have to be installed by a licensed electrician. You will need a transformer to reduce the 240V mains electricity to extra low 12V for the garden lighting. The transformer should have a higher rating than your lighting wattage. Remember to turn off the power when connecting , dismantling or cleaning lights.