Garden Lighting Tips
By Sian Parsons, Senior Designer at John Cullen Lighting
G
ardens in the UK
are so often a fair
weather space, only
to be enjoyed for our
brief summers and rare warm
evenings. But we are missing
a trick – with lighting they can
become another ‘room’ for year
round enjoyment.
Here are my tips for maximising
your enjoyment in your garden:-
To draw your eye out into the
garden, the first step is literally
the simplest one - ceiling
recessed or wall mounted
spotlights set above glass doors
help pool light down onto the
floor surface. And making the
floor the same inside and out
really helps extend the size of
the interior space.
The next thing to think about
is drawing the eye out past the
immediate area and on into the
garden. This project perfectly
illustrates how lighting the
garden extends the internal
space. The layering of wall
mounted spotlights give light
to the external eating area, and
64 Landscape & Urban Design
spiked lights in the planting
create beautiful shadows on
the rendered walls. These
perimeter lights add an almost
lamp light quality to the garden.
It is possible source external
lanterns. These beautiful
electified storm lanterns mean
no more faffing around for
candles and matches. At a flick
of a switch they illuminate,
washing the floor with a gentle
glow, and creating a lovely
evening ambiance to enjoy.
It’s not just external sofas that
make external living more
enticing. You should consider
a dedicated dining area to take
full advantage of those warmer
evenings. Here the garden view
is framed by the internal wall