Spotlights are among the most popular ways to light up the landscape around your property. Why? Because there are many ways to use it. You can use one spotlight in different ways to produce varying effects. By simply changing its position, you can effectively change the ambiance outside your home.
There’s so much more to learn when it comes to the application of landscape spotlights. The more you know about the options, the better choices you can make in illuminating the outdoor area of your property.
About landscape spotlights
Landscape spotlights are versatile enough to have different applications.
In truth, lighting up your landscape can happen using different fixtures. You have spotlights, in-ground lights, path lights, post lights, floodlights, and even accent lights. Each of these light fixtures creates a specific effect or mood that will bring character to your outdoors.
Of these options, only the spotlights and in-ground lights can achieve different lighting effects. But unlike in-ground lights, spotlights are above ground. That means you have the liberty to move it. If you suddenly decide to achieve a different lighting effect, you can point it in a different direction.
This is what makes landscape spotlights an incredible fixture to use in your landscape design.
Spotlights VS floodlights
There’s a bit of confusion between spotlights and floodlights. Technically, these two are the same. The difference lies in the beam angle that they emit.
Spotlights have more focus. That means it casts a narrower beam of light. It’s usually 45 degrees or less. This makes it a great option if you need to concentrate the light beam in a small space. So if you want to illuminate specific objects, architectural details, or landscape features, this is the light fixture you want to use.
Floodlights, on the other hand, cast a wider beam of light. It can go as wide as 120 degrees. This makes it an ideal fixture for lighting up larger surfaces like walls, driveways, etc.
There’s one thing you need to know about these two. When using the same amount of wattage, spotlights and floodlights provide that same brightness. However, floodlights appear to give a more powerful illumination because of the coverage of light that it provides.
Using LED landscape spotlights
When choosing spotlights, it’s best to use LED lights. Why? Because it’s economical, durable, and energy-efficient.
Some people will hesitate because LED lights will cost more to buy. But if you think about what you’ll get when you install it, you’ll realize that it’s worth it.
First of all, this light has a very long lifespan. It’s not just because of the durable materials that it uses. The way it produces light makes it last longer. It does not use filaments as incandescent bulbs do. These bulbs heat these filaments, and it produces the light. Because of that, you can expect that these filaments will burn out over time.
Since LED lights don’t use these, it’s bound to last longer. An LED bulb produces light when an electric current passes through a diode, which emits the photons that provide illumination. This process is also safer because it does not emit ultraviolet or infrared radiation.
Another benefit of using LED spotlights is they can emit brighter light without using as much electricity as halogen lights and other light fixtures. This will save you a lot of money on your electric bill. Add that to the fact that you don’t have to replace these lights after a very long time (up to 100,000 hours). You can see how economical this can be.
Five incredible ways to use landscape spotlights
When deciding on using these lights, you have to consider what you’re trying to illuminate. You have to ensure that you’re using it the right way. Otherwise, you might fail to achieve the lighting effect or mood that you want to have.
You should also remember that these spotlights aren’t meant to overpower your landscape. It’s just there to highlight the beauty of whatever is already existing.
These lights also have another use – albeit indirectly. The illumination it provides can give you an extra layer of safety and protection. A well-lit landscape means you can spot trespassers easily. This will discourage them from going to your property without permission. Not only that, if you have guests, they’ll know where they should or shouldn’t walk.
It’s important to keep these in mind as you decide how to use landscape spotlights.
Now that you know this, here are the different applications of spotlights.
Uplighting
This is certainly one of the basic applications of landscape spotlights. As the name suggests, the direction of the light fixture is to provide an upward lighting effect. The position of the spotlight is somewhere lower so it can cast its light upwards. This makes it perfect for illuminating trees or anything that has sufficient height from the ground.
Sometimes, uplighting can also use in-ground lights. But there are applications when only spotlights can give the dramatic effect—for instance, flower and garden beds. If you use in-ground lights, the growth of the plants might cover it – compromising the brightness of the lights. In this case, using spotlights is certainly better.
What else can benefit from uplighting? Architectural designs and structures like columns, fountains, and statues will benefit from an LED landscape spotlight. It can make these features come alive and appear dramatic and mysterious – depending on how you position the light fixture.
Silhouetting
This lighting effect positions the landscape spotlight behind a tree, plant, or any structure outdoors. It casts the light from the back to illuminate the shape of the one in front. Sometimes, the position of the spotlight is towards the side. What’s important is the light should have an even distribution when casting the silhouette. The light should also be close enough to a wall to reflect the light to achieve this effect.
In most cases, designers use this to achieve two things. One is to highlight something, and the other is to show the contrast between the light and the darker background.
Admittedly, not all landscapes can make this happen. This is a bit harder to implement compared to uplighting. There’s a thin line between making the silhouette appear mysterious and spooky. But if you do it right, it can create an amazing atmosphere outdoors. It’s like revealing shapes and profiles that aren’t obvious during the day.
Shadowing
Shadowing is the opposite of silhouetting. Instead of placing the spotlight behind the landscape feature, you place it in front. Or, more specifically, in the middle of the vantage point and the one you want to feature. So it could be between a pathway and a tree that you want to illuminate.
To achieve a great shadow effect, the feature should be in front of a flat surface like a wall. Otherwise, nothing will catch the shadow that you’re trying to project.
When using this technique, remember that what you’re trying to create is an art form. Since you can adjust landscape spotlights, angle them to create the shadow form you want to achieve in the background.
Apart from that, there are other ways to achieve the shadow effect.
One is by creating shadows on hardscaping. If you have a textured wall or column or even a fireplace, use downlighting to create a shadowing effect.
Moonlighting
Moonlighting is the use of a downlighting effect to mimic shadows from natural light sources. At night, that means mimicking the light from the moon. This means the landscape spotlight has to be in a high position. You can place the spotlight on high branches of trees or very high wall or column structures. It’s perfect for trees with open branches.
What makes this effect impressive is it helps eliminate dark areas – specifically long paths or stairs. That means it makes the area safe for people to walk around.
This is also a lighting technique that you can use to create a dramatic effect for low-growing plants. At least, those that can’t benefit from uplighting because they’re not high enough.
Sometimes, the landscape spotlights have a blue-ish tint to add to the ethereal effect of moonlight. With very large trees or even huge walls, you can combine moonlighting with uplighting. The effect will make the tree or structure look dramatic.
Washing
Landscape spotlights are also great for creating ambient lighting. But wall washing? This seems like something that floodlights can do better. After all, it casts a wider beam of light.
But if you want a dramatic effect, you can also use spotlights to achieve a washing effect. You can do this on walls or even hedges. Just make sure you position the light fixture property to cover more space with light.
Just remember that the goal of washing is to eliminate shadows on the wall. The idea is to make it look well-lit, so it feels like space is bigger. So if you’re going to use spotlights, you probably have to use more – especially if you want to light up a bigger vertical surface.
What to consider when using landscape spotlights?
Since there are many landscape spotlights and applications to choose from, it’s important to avoid rushing your decision. Make sure you consider everything before settling on the spotlight you’ll use to illuminate your landscape.
Here are five considerations that you have to think about before you make a decision.
Ownership
When deciding on how to put landscape spotlights, consider the ownership of the property. If you live in a property where you own the landscape around it, then by all means. You can decide to put as many spotlights as you want. Of course, this still has to be within reason. You want to ensure that you won’t angle the lights, so it reflects on your neighbor’s windows.
But if you live in dwelling places where you have to share the outdoors with other people, you need to get their consent. If you live in an apartment building, townhouse, or multi-family home, don’t be too quick to install landscape lights. Make sure it won’t appear too bright for the other people using that outdoor space.
Number of lights
The second consideration is the number of lights that you’ll use. A major factor here is the size of the landscape that you want to illuminate. In particular, think about the specific areas that you want to light. While landscape spotlights have several applications, you don’t have to use just this type of light fixture. If you want to light up pathways, use path lights. Mix and match the fixture to have variety in your landscape. The more variety you have, the fewer spotlight you’ll use.
You should also consider the wattage that you’ll buy. If you plan to use brighter lights, you might need fewer fixtures.
Placement
This is in connection with the number of spotlights that you’ll use. When you’re trying to determine how many lights you’ll use, you have to think about the placement first. How many trees will you light up? Remember, there are different fixtures you can use to light up a tree – the same is true for walls or ponds or any other structure that you want to illuminate.
If you can plot specifically where you’ll put the landscape spotlights, it’ll be easier to know how many lights you need.
Illumination mood
While illuminating your landscape is great for keeping you safe from trespassers, you don’t want it to be too bright. That’ll only cost a lot of money in terms of your electric bill.
Go for a more dramatic effect. For example, if you want to illuminate the pool area in your backyard, you don’t want it to be too bright. This is especially true if you already have underwater lights.
The trees you want to illuminate and the foliage – think about the type of mood you want to set. If it’s dramatic, romantic, mysterious – decide on that mood before buying the lights. If anything, it’ll help you determine the number of spotlights you have to buy.
It’ll probably help if you buy spotlights that’ll allow you to control the brightness. That way, you can choose to make it brighter when you have guests over at night. Then you can make it dimmer when nothing is going on outdoors.
Colors
You don’t have to stick to one color when choosing landscape spotlights. Take moonlighting as an example. To make it look like the light is coming from the moon, having a blue tint is a great option.
Feel free to play with the colors and tints to make your landscape come alive at night. Some spotlights allow you to control how the colors change. That’ll be a great way to liven up outdoor parties if you decide to host them.
Benefits of using landscape spotlights
Using landscape spotlights comes with a lot of benefits. If you’re wondering why you should invest in a good spotlight for your outdoors, here are some of the best reasons why it’s worth it.
Visibility
A well-lit home keeps it safe and secure. Even if you know your way around your property, you still need enough light so you can move around without tripping or hurting yourself. It’s even more important when you have guests over. Since the outdoors is safe, you can enjoy lounging and hang out even after dark.
Protection
The lights in your landscape will make trespassers easier to spot. It’ll be hard for intruders to hide even behind the trees or the foliage if you have spotlights on it. Even your neighbors can help look out for you if there’s enough light.
Visual appeal
Would you spend a fortune making your landscape look beautiful only to have it disappear at night? Because that’s what will happen if you don’t install enough lights. Don’t waste the beauty of your outdoors at night. Use the right type of light to enhance its beauty. Who knows? It might appear even more breathtaking once you turn on the lights. It won’t just improve the visual appeal. It will also increase the curb appeal and value of the property.
Mood
With the outdoors looking very beautiful, it will improve the mood around your home. We all love to come home to a beautiful property. If you install the right lights and use spotlights to highlight the best parts of your landscape, that would improve anyone’s mood – even those who are just passing by.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to apply landscape spotlights to make your outdoors beautiful. You can use uplighting, silhouetting, shadowing, moonlighting, and washing. If you choose the right light fixture and lighting technique, it can dramatically improve the mood and appeal of your property.
