LIGHTBULB MOMENTS Expert advice on creating an outdoor lighting scheme

AN OUTDOOR LIGHTING SCHEME IS ALL ABOUT CREATING A BALANCED GLOW WITHIN THE GARDEN SO WE ASKED THE EXPERTS FOR THEIR TOP TIPS

KEY DECISIONS Luke Thomas, design director at John Cullen Lighting, advises that in order to create depth in a scheme, deciding what to leave in darkness is just as important as making a decision on what is lit up. If we were to light all aspects of a feature, for example a topiary box ball, the look would fall flat, but lighting just one side creates a striking contrast.

COMBINING LIGHTING WITH WATER FEATURES Sara Jane Rothwell of London Garden Designer uses lighting to enhance water features. Light is given movement as the flow of water reflects dancing shadows at night-time. Corten steel can be a stunning choice as it creates a warm glow as light bounces off the surface.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? When it comes to exterior lighting, James Bassant, who is co-founder and design director at Astro, says that quality and clever placement is far more important than quantity. A more considered use of lighting for a specific feature can have much greater impact. Whether picking out the route of a path, a gentle wash of light over a surface or highlighting a distant object to draw the eye, it can be surprising how little light you may need to create a sophisticated look.

ENHANCING ARTWORK A sculpture will have its own character that can be highlighted by good lighting. Award-winning sculptor David

Harber explains that when lighting any sculpture it’s important to respect the subtleties of surface and texture. Powerfully swamping something in light may destroy all the nuances of the piece and inappropriately-placed lighting could create shadows and highlight areas that change the sculpture’s personality completely. David recommends spending ten minutes with a torch, which will be illuminating in terms of what could be achieved, and says that more often than not, less is more.

LIGHTING DIFFERENT AREAS When asked about creating different light zones in the garden, designer Charlotte Rowe told us that these don’t work in the same way as with interior lighting. If there are zones or separate areas in a garden, we might perhaps treat them as such but it is difficult as light leaks out across the space. It would be better to look at how certain garden elements can be lit.

For example, by uplighting trees or lighting the trunks and underside of a tree canopy, you create a delineated and defined space within the garden.

“HEDGING IS HARD TO LIGHT SUCCESSFULLY – INSTEAD,

PLANT TREES WITHIN AN ENCLOSED HEDGED SPACE

AND UPLIGHT THEM”

GARDEN DESIGNER Charlotte Rowe