hardscape
Enjoy your outdoor living spaces after dusk by illuminating your landscape features with a lighting system. Being able to see at night provides increased safety and security.
A well-illuminated home will decrease the risk of crime and increase the safety of potentially injury-prone areas like stairs and pathways so that you don’t trip and fall when you’re out at night. Installing landscape lighting will also increase your home’s value as it delivers the perception of extending the feeling of your space, making it feel larger and more encompassing. Homes with landscape lighting also stand apart from others and feel more sophisticated and well-maintained. Existing landscape lighting systems are attractive features to potential homebuyers.
At Merrifield Garden Center, we most commonly work with homeowners to install a landscape lighting system as part of their overall landscape planting and hardscape projects. In this case, we work hand in hand with the landscape designer and homeowner to create a plan that addresses their unique spaces and needs. We can also work directly with you to install a landscape lighting system in your existing outdoor space. If you’d like to make an appointment for a landscape lighting design and installation project, please book a Full Service Landscape Appointment.
Here are some of the most popular types of landscape lighting that we offer and how to work with our team to make your lighting dreams come true.
There are many different ways to illuminate your garden, from uplighting trees to installing dainty string lights above patios or adding lights on stairs to help you navigate your property in the dark. Here are some of our most popular landscape lighting options to implement in your own garden.
We know that installing a specimen plant, fountain, pergola or statue is a big investment in time and space. By also installing up-lighting you can showcase your new feature and enjoy it at all times of day. Uplights are installed on the ground and pointed upward, illuminating the gorgeous branches and foliage or the detail and form of your hardscape element. Uplighting these pieces will also provide a sophisticated feel to your garden as you walk around your property at night. Some of the best trees to uplight include birches, crape myrtles and maples because of their branching structure and foliage. You can also uplight columns or other architectural features of your home, showcasing your property and helping it stand out from others in the neighborhood.
Path lights are crucial for your safety when traversing your landscape in the dark. They provide general area light and do not showcase a particular feature like uplights do. They’re installed either on the ground or placed on a short pole to be around 18 to 20” off the ground. We recommend installing these along driveways or on paths that twist and turn.
Similar to path lights, step lights are used for safety when walking up and down stairs on your property. These are either installed on walls beside the stairs or on the vertical face of the stairs themselves and illuminate each step. In our area, building code often requires that you include lights on your stairs. There are various styles and approaches to accomplish this, and our landscape design team can work with you to select a fixture that compliments your outdoor space and style. You will often also see step lights used on hardscape features, such as low retaining walls, benches and fire pit surrounds. In this application, the step lights illuminate the landscape feature so you can see it and provide ambient light.
String lights, also known as café lights or patio lights, provide ambiance and soft, delicate overhead light often placed over patios and outdoor dining or living spaces. These lights come on a black wire with exposed bulbs every 1 to 2 feet. They also look lovely strung from tree to tree on your property and can give off a whimsical and playful vibe, almost like the feeling of fireflies flying around your yard.
The opposite of uplighting, downlights are placed within the canopy of the tree, pointing down onto the pathways or areas below the trees. They will illuminate the ground on your property, adding aesthetic appeal and increasing safety as you walk through your yard. We also downlight from the corners of a house, known as soffit or eave lighting to illuminate pathways from above. These lights can also be set to motion activated to respond to people or animals entering an area at night.
Book an appointment with our landscape lighting experts today
Schedule an AppointmentIf you’d like to get started designing a landscape lighting system for your space, please book a Full Service Landscape Appointment. If you’re already working with a Merrifield Garden Center landscape designer, ask them about a lighting approach for your new space. Our first appointment will take place during the day to evaluate your space and discuss your goals. We will also evaluate the space at night to see how the lighting will work in the dark. When we’re ready to install, we will first set the lighting up temporarily, with the wiring above ground for you to enjoy it for a few nights and make sure it accomplishes your goals. If all is well with the demo, we will schedule a time to come out and install the fixtures permanently. All of our work is done in house, so you won’t have to contact a separate lighting company–we will get it all done for you. We look forward to the opportunity to talk with you about your landscape lighting project.
