Garden lamp - criteria and nuances of choice

Today we will deal with varieties of such an element of landscape design as a garden lamp. Namely: what it is for, assortment, selection criteria. In fact, garden lighting is a huge variety, in which it is very easy to get lost, much less find something suitable. Therefore, we consider all the proposed varieties, give them the final characteristics and be sure to consider by what criteria it is better to choose lamps.

What is necessary for night garden lighting

It’s not for nothing that all cats are said to darkness seem gray. All the same with the garden, which plunged into darkness. No matter how hard the landscape designer tried, the beauty of the local area was not visible in the evening.

Moreover, not all projects that are made in 3D are actually ideal. In reality, this is sometimes a completely different look, in which not everything that was intended is visible. Therefore, the lamps in the garden - it is not only lighting, which is used after sunset. In some cases, they are not turned off even during the day to emphasize one or another design element, to highlight the texture of a stone or a plant, that is, to increase the effect.

Designers create the so-called light scenarios, which include lamps of different sizes and shapes, the strength of the set and determine the installation site for each. In this case, the entire lighting system is constructed under the same idea, concept. That is, it is not just a chaotic arrangement of lamps, it is a peculiar design that emphasizes the overall landscape.

Classification of garden lamps

All lighting fixtures used in landscape design, divided into two main groups (meaning functional features):

1. Themselves garden lamps of different sizes and shapes.

2. Searchlights with the help of which directional light beams are created.

As practice shows, today the elements of the first group are not only a lighting system, they perform the functions of the elements of the design itself, even in the daytime. Therefore, it is their choice that is approached thoroughly. Moreover, in the modern market there is plenty to choose from.

Dividing by purpose

A huge variety of garden lighting fixtures is not chaos. This is a clear distribution of their styles and purpose. According to the last criterion, lamps are divided into five groups:

1. Illumination for facades of buildings and small architectural forms.

2. The backlight duty . These are small devices that are installed along the tracks and on the platforms near the house.

3. Illumination landscape . This is a system of instruments with the help of which they carry out zoning of the garden or place accents of large areas.

4. Underwater models . With their help, they emphasize one or another element of landscape design, which is an artificial or natural reservoir: stream, pond, pool, and so on.

5. Decorative . So that you understand what it is about, look at the photo below. This is the decorative lighting.

For apparent comprehension, the purpose of each group is not all consumers understand in the right way. For example, duty lights. They do not carry decorative fullness, their task:

• to highlight the keyhole , so that at night you could easily get into it with a key;

• illuminate the threshold so as not to stumble;

• organize the lighting of the track or the area for the car.

Such lamps are produced by manufacturers with reflected light. This is important, because their main function is to give a person in their own suburban area free and safe to move. This is especially true of the area near the entrance door and at the gate. Here they install powerful wall-mounted devices.

This group includes so-called path (road) lamps. With their help, illuminate the garden paths. They have their own purely design features. Rays of light are always downward. This is convenient for a person walking along the path, because in this way his eyes are not blinded by the light. Yes, and the path itself is clearly visible.

Today, manufacturers offer unique outdoor devices with a motion sensor. This is convenient in that the entire track is not illuminated. There is an energy saving. The sensor turns on the lamp only if a person or an animal approaches it. And turns off when the object has left the zone of the sensor (reflector). Designers call this lighting system a sliding one.

Road lights for the garden are several varieties in terms of their location. For example, the photo below shows the lower lighting. This is a recessed lighting fixtures illuminating the alley. Luminaires of overhead lighting are columns of different heights and decorative fullness.

Separately, it is necessary to tell about landscape (spatial) illumination. With its help achieves the underlined depth of the night garden. First, some of the lamps are arranged as they are removed in height. Another depth. Particular attention is the second part, where the bulbs are located in relation to a person at different distances. Here it is important to ensure that all devices are combined in the light flux. For example, those closest to a person should be less bright, farther with greater light intensity.

Although there is an opposite option to this. That is, the muffled light of distant lamps emphasizes the comfort of the garden in depth. It is as if in a fog, that is, in a blurred state, which leads to blurring of clear lines. Hence the comfort and cosiness of the zone.

Division by coverage of the light zone

As already mentioned with the path models, there are street garden lamps with top lighting and bottom. The former are used as standby or security lighting. Their main task is to replace sunlight at night. All over the world such lighting devices are classified as "Up lighting".

With their help they try to illuminate large areas. The main task is not to blind people. Therefore, in the designs there are various grilles, visors, curtains and others. Today, increasingly, lamps of this type are supplied with dimmers to adjust the brightness of the glow.

But with the help of lamps from the category of "Down lighting", that is, the lower light, it is better to design separate small architectural forms, sculptures or trees.

Underwater group

These lamps stand as a separate group to destination, and on design features. The main requirement for them is complete tightness so that water does not penetrate. And here it does not matter if they are installed in the water or near the pond or river.

The main task of the lamps of this group is to highlight either the entire reservoir, or part of it, with an emphasis on some element. Therefore, they are selected according to the spectrum of light. Today more and more often fiber optic lighting is used to illuminate water. With their help, it is easy to frame the same pond around the perimeter or to create a decorative luminous structure at the bottom. This group of lamps belongs to the category of "Down lighting".

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Spotlight

This lighting system is very popular today. She herself represents small lamps that wink and resemble fireflies in the night or flying luminous butterflies. These devices belong to the category of decorative lighting. But the most important thing is that this system is wireless, that is, wires are not brought to the luminaires, because they are powered by solar batteries. In the daytime, the batteries are charged, and with the arrival of the night, the lamps automatically turn on. The same thing, just the opposite, happens in the morning

Designers love to use this type of backlight, because they are not limited to some purely technical obstacles. Devices can be installed anywhere at any height level, without thinking about how to conduct cable routing, where to hide it, and whether its length is enough. At the same time, the lighting devices themselves are easily installed, the main task is to solve the question of how to properly form the lighting in order to emphasize the garden design or to highlight some of its elements. And at once it will be noted that in this group there are lamps for both the lower illumination and the upper one.

Division according to the color spectrum

Garden and garden lamps (decorative) - These are devices that are represented on the market by a huge variety of colors. And the difficulty of the choice lies in correctly placing accents for each zone, area or element. Because the color in this regard plays an important role.

For example, highlighting a pool or a pond in yellow is not recommended. Because from this shade the water seems muddy. The same goes for red. But for yellow trees, on the contrary, a great option.Because this color spectrum is warm, hence the softness of the lighting.

Particular attention should be paid to the backlight for the flower beds. It is important not to spoil the shades of the colors themselves, especially expensive ones. At best, their colors will simply become different, at worst - they will simply seem to be withered. Therefore, the advice - for flower beds it is better to use the backlight in yellow or white.

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Environmental and Energy Division

The second question after creating a project for filling the night garden is electrification of the lighting system. Therefore, simply buying garden lamps does not mean that the whole thing is done.

At the design project development stage, we will have to create an electrical wire distribution scheme. It will be a complicated scheme that is recommended to be simplified. This is usually done in the following way: garden lamps are distributed over zones, to each of which there is a common train. And already inside the site conduct distribution of electrical to each lighting device.

As for the question of how many lamps are needed to illuminate the night garden, everything depends on from the territory that the garden occupies. But there is one principle that landscape designers use - the more garden lamps, the more favorable the garden can be shown. The smaller the devices, the cozier the garden area can be decorated. Now choose what is preferable for you.

But even regardless of this principle, it will be necessary to use lamps of different purposes, light intensity, sizes and shapes. And here we cannot do without professionals. The designer must form the illumination of the garden, as well as pick up the lamps according to the above criteria, and the electrician conduct the layout taking into account the number of devices. This refers to the ratio of power consumption to the cross section of an electrical cable. Immediately make a reservation that all cabling is carried out in the ground at a depth of 50-70 cm.

With regard to power consumption, as one of the important modern criteria for the selection of electrical devices, it is better to give preference to LED. But manufacturers offer a good range in this regard, and not all of the lamps are LED. To the question: "Why?", You can answer this way - LED lamps do not always meet the design requirements. Some elements and zones require a completely different spectrum of light, its dispersion and strength.

The video shows a variety of solar-powered LED garden lights:

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Dividing according to aesthetics and form

Manufacturers made sure that the choice of lamps for the night garden made it possible to approach its design in a variety of ways. Therefore, such a variety of products on the market. The points:

1. Floor Lamps . These are luminaires on racks or poles of different heights (up to 5 m), which are installed for illuminating paths and grounds.

2. Suspended . They are installed most often at the entrance to the house or on the territory of the site. Often used for lighting terraces and gazebos.

3. Illumination . One of the most popular forms of lighting today is the local area. More recently, it was used only on holidays, today it is an everyday form of illumination. Colorful, bright, emphasizing the mood of the owners of the house, it helps not only to create a sense of celebration, such a system perfectly illuminates the garden.

4. Wall . Typically, these devices are installed on the walls of the house, hence, in principle, and the name on the columns and other architectural delights of a country building.

5. Built-in lights . They are classified as decorative. These are small-sized devices that fit inside small architectural forms, sculptures, small decorative elements.

The video shows a variety of fixtures in form and aesthetics:

Division by practicality

Any Garden lighting is not a problem to buy today. But, starting to choose it, we recommend to pay attention to what materials the devices are made of. After all, they are operated on the street under natural rainfall, winds, sunlight. And all these products must withstand for many years, without losing their appearance and technical characteristics. Therefore, a few useful tips:

1. Lamps should be made of anti-vandal plastic or glass.

2. The remaining elements are either stainless steel or aluminum alloys or high-quality plastic .

3. Tightness of construction , electrical protection is two important parameters. In luminaires, they must comply with the coefficient IP23, with the spotlights IP55. As for electrical insulation, choose them in class "I".

Fashion and style

Difficult to carry out division of garden lighting according to the criterion of fashion. Most likely, it requires a choice of styling. And in this regard, everyone decides for himself what he wants to see in his garden. There are many directions, and every designer always has several suggestions.

Spotlights

To begin with, spotlights do not have any decorative function. Their task is to highlight a part of a zone or a separate element. Most often, the spotlights are hidden so that they are not visible. The main thing is to correctly direct their luminous flux to the required place. And since the devices are not visible, they do not bother above their external appearance. Hence, the cheapness of the devices in comparison with decorative lamps.

The luminous flux from the searchlight is the frame of the picture. That is, it is not sent directly to the object, they are highlighted by contours. Therefore, trees and shrubs hooked by searchlights have a color crown. What favorably distinguishes them from other design elements.

In this case, the searchlights easily change the visual geometry of the object. For example, a small tree in a night garden may seem quite tall and branchy. This effect is called the play of light and shadow.

The video shows how to create evening garden lighting:

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Conclusion on the topic

So, we have tried to touch upon the rather extensive topic of garden lamps. As you understand, this is a large layer of landscape design, where one cannot figure it out without a specialist. Therefore, do not be wisely independent research, connecting their imagination. Take for granted that the night garden is not just trees and other green spaces illuminated by light. This is a territory that should look harmonious.