Lighting that looks like moonlight, not a parking lot

In an Idaho summer, the best hours to be outside come after sunset. Lighting is what makes those hours usable: steps you can see, a patio you can stay on, and trees and walls that still look good at night. Done well, you notice the landscape, not the lights. I design lighting as part of the whole outdoor living space, so the wire and fixtures go in while the ground is open, not bolted on afterward.

What I light, and why

• Paths and steps, for safety. Low fixtures that put light on the ground where you walk, and step lights set into walls and risers.
• Trees and specimen plants. Uplighting shows off a trunk and canopy; moonlighting from up in a tree casts soft, dappled light on the ground below.
• Walls, fences and the house. Grazing light close to a textured surface brings out stone and siding; wall washing gives an even, quiet glow.
• Patios and kitchens. Downlighting from structures or trees for dining, and task light where you cook.
• Water features. A few well-placed lights make moving water one of the best things in the yard at night. See water features.

Good lighting is mostly restraint

The most common lighting mistake is too much of it: every shrub lit, fixtures pointed at eyes and windows, and a yard that glows like a car lot. I light in layers and leave some dark between them, because contrast is what makes a lit tree look dramatic. You should see the effect, not the bulb. That means shielded fixtures, careful aiming away from neighbors and the street, and warm white light, typically 2700K to 3000K, that flatters plants, stone and skin. Cooler light reads harsh and clinical outdoors.

How a system is built

Low-voltage LED

I install 12-volt LED systems. Low voltage is safer to run through planting beds, easy to adjust as plants grow, and LED uses a fraction of the power older halogen systems did. A transformer plugs into an outdoor GFCI outlet and steps the power down for the fixtures.

Even light at every fixture

Voltage drops over long wire runs, which is why cheap systems have bright fixtures near the transformer and dim ones at the end. I size the wire to the load and lay it out in hubs, so each group of fixtures gets the same voltage. Cable is buried below the beds and lawn, and anywhere it crosses under hardscape, it runs in conduit.

Fixtures that last

Boise's sun, freeze-thaw and sprinkler water are hard on fixtures. I prefer solid brass and copper, which weather to a natural patina and hold up for years, over the painted aluminum and plastic fixtures that fade, corrode and crack.

Controls

An astronomical timer turns the lights on at dusk and adjusts through the year as the days change, so you never reset it. Many systems can also be split into zones and controlled from your phone, so the patio can stay on after the front yard goes dark.

Plan it with the hardscape

The cheapest time to add lighting is before the patio is laid and the walls are built. Conduit sleeves under the pavers and wire run inside walls for step and cap lights take an hour during construction and a day of demolition later. If you're adding a fire feature or an outdoor kitchen, the lighting and electrical get planned together in the same trenches. Existing landscapes can still be lit; crossing under finished patios and walks just takes more work.

Lighting techniques and what each one does

Good landscape lighting is a combination of a few techniques, each used where it fits:

Uplighting

A fixture at the base of a tree, column or wall aimed up. It's the most dramatic effect and the one that makes a property feel finished from the street. Tall trees take a narrow beam to reach the canopy, while broad, low trees look better with a wider spread or two fixtures.

Downlighting and moonlighting

Fixtures mounted high in a mature tree or under eaves and pergolas shine down. Mounted in a tree, the light filters through the branches and casts soft, moving shadows on the patio or lawn below, like moonlight. It's the most natural-looking technique and great over dining and seating areas.

Path and area lighting

Low fixtures that spread light across a walkway or planting bed. Staggered along a path rather than lined up like a runway, they guide people without looking like an airport.

Grazing, washing and silhouetting

Light placed close to a textured stone wall or chimney grazes across it and brings out every edge. Set farther back, a wider beam washes a smooth surface evenly. Lighting the wall behind a sculptural plant turns the plant into a silhouette.

Hardscape and step lights

Low-profile fixtures tucked under the cap of a seat wall or retaining wall, or recessed into a step riser, light the ground without showing the source. They're the cleanest way to make grade changes safe at night.

Front yard lighting and curb appeal

The front of the house is where lighting does the most for curb appeal. A few uplights on the facade and front trees, soft light on the entry walk and steps, and a light on the address number make a home look welcoming and easy to find. I keep front yard lighting balanced so the house doesn't look like a stage set, with the brightest light at the front door and less everywhere else.

Safety and security

Most landscape lighting starts with safety: steps, grade changes, the walk from the driveway and the path to the side gate. Steady, even light also helps security. It removes dark corners where someone could stand unseen and makes the property look lived in. Glare works against both. A bright, unshielded fixture blinds you to everything behind it, which is why I use shielded fixtures aimed away from where people look.

Transformers, zones and wire

A low-voltage system runs from a transformer that steps household current down to 12 volts. I size the transformer for the full fixture load with headroom left over, so adding a few lights later doesn't mean replacing it. Splitting the system into zones lets the front yard, back yard and patio run on different schedules, and a patio zone can be switched or dimmed separately for evenings outside.

Wire runs are planned so fixtures at the far end of a run get the same voltage as the ones near the transformer. Connections are made with waterproof connectors and buried at a proper depth, with spare wire left at each fixture so it can be moved as plants grow.

Beam spread and brightness

Two settings decide how each fixture looks: how wide the light spreads and how bright it is. Narrow beams reach up tall trunks and columns. Wide beams wash walls and broad shrubs. Most residential landscape lights need far less brightness than people expect, because the eye adjusts to darkness and a little light goes a long way at night. Keeping the color warm, in the 2700K to 3000K range, makes plants, stone and wood look natural.

Lighting through Boise's seasons

A lighting design should look good in January, not just June. Deciduous trees look completely different once the leaves drop, and uplit branches against a winter sky can be the best view in the yard. Evergreens and ornamental grasses carry the design through winter, and snow reflects light, so a system that looks right in summer can feel brighter in December. The astronomical timer handles the changing sunset times on its own, including the jump at daylight saving.

Dark skies and good neighbors

Light that spills into a neighbor's bedroom window or shines straight up into the sky is wasted light. I aim fixtures at what they're meant to light, use shields and glare guards, and keep brightness modest. On foothill and rural properties, where night skies are darker, that restraint matters even more.

Keeping a lighting system looking right

LED systems need very little maintenance. Once a year, it's worth wiping dirt and hard water spots off the lenses, trimming plants that have grown over fixtures and adjusting the aim on lights that have been bumped by a mower or a dog. As trees mature, uplights may need to move back or switch to a wider beam. Lighting works best as part of a complete outdoor living plan, where the patio, kitchen, fire feature and planting are designed with the lighting from the start.

Outdoor audio

If you want music outside, the same trenches can carry speaker wire. Several small landscape speakers spread around the patio at low volume sound better, and bother the neighbors less, than one pair turned up loud. Like the lighting, it's far easier to plan in than to add later.

Hockema Landscape Design & Build is an Idaho licensed contractor (license 6871843), bonded and insured, with 15 years of experience building landscapes across the Treasure Valley.