Light the Landscape

May 11--You could say the sky is the limit when it comes to lighting your yard, although your neighbors might not like it if you light up the horizon.

Or you could do what a growing number of homeowners are now doing. They're lighting their yards using gorgeous fixtures like outdoor chandeliers on patios and decks, and using low-wattage exterior lights to highlight their home's architectural features, statuary, trees and bushes, flower gardens, ponds and walkways.

And in so doing, this visual feast of lighting increases their home's curb appeal as well as its security.

Bob Bonner, vice president of Bonner Lawn and Landscape LLC in Cottage Grove, goes so far as to say, "A home without landscape lighting is like having a cake without frosting."

Bonner's company builds patios, garden walls, and courtyards from various rock and stone and then adds just the right touch of lighting.

"Outdoor lighting highlights different colors and textures in rocks and flowers, and the result is just spectacular."

Still, not every homeowner has gotten in on lighting bandwagon.

"Outdoor lighting is still relatively unique in this area of the country," notes Tom Woodward, owner and president of Madison Lighting. "In Florida, for example it's commonplace to see palm trees everywhere lit with up lights -- lights that showcase the natural beauty of the outdoors."

But many people are thinking ahead and putting in outdoor lighting when they build a home. "If they haven't factored it in at the outset, its easy to add later on to new or older homes," Woodward says.

Those who understand the uniqueness of exterior lighting aren't talking about "runway lights" that define the limits of your driveway and are portable units that you stick in the ground.

They are talking about landscape lighting systems that expand homeowners' sense of space by making the property feel and look bigger and more exciting. Today's systems are easier to install than you might think.

Hot buttons

One of the perks of implementing new lighting, is the chance to light up dark areas before you even set foot in them.

"Outdoor, as well as indoor lighting, changes the space with the touch of switch," says Woodward. "Technology allows your to turn on lights in your home or along a dark walkway by touching a remote switch in your car."

Also coming soon are more energy-efficient LED lights for exterior use. "The new technology is more expensive," says Woodward, "but they will allow homeowners to have controlled beams of light without having dark sky pollution."

If you have a fancy dining room with an ornate light fixture hanging over your dining room table, chances are you can emulate that look on your porch, patio or deck.

"Outdoor rooms are becoming a very popular place to entertain and enjoy time with your family," Woodward says.

So many choices

One of the biggest changes in exterior lighting is the enormous range of lighting that is now available.

"If you're thinking of outdoor lighting as spotlights or coach lamps, you're in for a surprise when you start shopping around," says Bonner. "The world of outdoor lighting is unbelievable today. Lighting is the piece de resistance when it comes to decorating your home's exterior."

Homeowners can choose from Old World fixtures, sleek modern designs, and everything in between. "We just finished installing an old cottage series' of lights that looks like it could have come from Old England with thatched roofed homes," Bonner adds.

These and other designs come in a wide range of styles from coach lights to pole and pedestal lights to pathway lights.

Patricia Blair, president of Blair Lawn & Landscape Inc., knows a thing or two about lighting up the outdoors. Her business was one of the outdoor lighting contractors that helped install Olbrich Gardens exterior lights in 2005.

"It was one of the largest and most unique jobs we've worked on," she says. "Olbrich has over 200 exterior lights and over 30 transformers."

A transformer, for the uninitiated, is the "brains" or control center of the lighting operation.

Blair says customers who try the company's landscape lighting demo kit' love the change in their home environment.

"Almost everyone who tries it, keeps it. Of those who don't purchase outdoor lighting immediately after theyve tried it, its usually a matter of time and budget before they incorporate it into their landscape."

The entry level package that Blair is referring to costs $800 and includes four basic, standard-sized fixtures with a transformer that comes with a life-time warranty.

"The package includes any combination of four, such as two up lights and two path lights or one up light and three path lights," Blair says.

She notes that if you don't have a ground fault outlet or an exterior outlet in existence, you need to factor in the additional cost to have that installed.

A transformer, about the size of a shoebox, is typically installed within three feet of an outlet. Blair says you don't have to be locked into a starter kit with four lights in your yard.

The beauty of purchasing a starter kit is that once you have a transformer in place, you can add other fixtures down the road.

On a typical visit to Blair's business, customers discuss lighting ideas and are given referrals so they can drive by homes to see the night-lit results.

With all the possibilities for outdoor lighting that might throw big beams of light across yards, do beautifully lit yards make good neighbors?

Surprisingly, you can add showy exterior lighting without adding glare bombs. "It's not an issue if you plan out what youre doing," Blair says. "You can use different size beam spreads so you don't hit the neighbors' windows."

Contact Sharyn Alden through daybreak@madison.com.

-----

Copyright (c) 2007, The Wisconsin State Journal

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Euronext:3260,