Larsen Landscape | Blog

OUTDOOR LIGHTING: INEXPENSIVE SECOND LANDSCAPING

When they are properly lit, landscapes tend to look completely different at night than they do during the sunlight hours.  I don’t remember ever installing a lighting system where the client wasn’t pleasantly surprised the first time the timer kicked the system on.  One way to look at it is a really inexpensive way to get a second landscape.

Most of the lighting we install is done in low voltage.  We often adapt fixtures such as lampposts and pilaster lights to be on the low voltage system as well as the smaller fixtures that throw light up into the trees and onto walls.  This is done by simply changing the bulbs used in the fixtures and wiring them into the system.  The low voltage systems are 12 volts so it is only necessary to get a bulb that is rated at 12 volts instead of the usual 120 volts.  The wattage is a different thing and this will also be printed on the box that contains the light bulb.

Outdoor Patio Lighting

When you get a bulb to use in the house, you can get a 25 watt bulb if you want a dim light or a 75 watt bulb if you want a bright light.  In a 12 volt system, a 20 watt bulb is pretty bright – bright enough to light up a small tree, hence the savings in electricity.

Typically, you get two or three times the amount of light for the same number of watts you would use on a high voltage system such as the lighting inside a house.  Since the electric company charges by the watt, this makes the low voltage system a lot less expensive to use.  It is also faster to install since it uses direct burial type wire that doesn’t need to be in conduit.  This feature also makes it more flexible since it is easy to move the location of any given fixture.  In terms of construction, faster translates to less expensive for the homeowner.  With high voltage, one would typically have to bury conduit at least a foot deep everywhere it goes through the yard, usually get an electrical permit from the city and have it inspected twice and if another light needs to be added later, or if a light needs to be moved, it is a major hassle.

This landscaping project in Thousand Oaks, California shows some great examples of how landscape design can be done in unique ways.

Repurposed Fountain

The front entry had been an overgrown jungle with an old, tired concrete entry walk.  The solution was to change the entry walk to flagstone and to create a very unique water feature to go with it.  The water feature consists of 5 basalt columns of varying heights, each with a hole drilled through the center and each with its own separate pump.  The pumps are underground and the appearance is that the water just disappears into the pebbles that cover the ground.

The old water fountain that used to be near the front entry was recycled as a custom flower planter and moved to one of the gardens on the side of the house.  It was a little outdated and didn’t really match the house after the new stucco finish, but as a planter, it is just a little quirky and breaks up the garden with a splash of color.

Pool with Slide in Thousand Oaks

Another fairly unique feature is the custom built water slide.  When theswimming pool was redone, this slide/waterfall combination was built to give the area some extra character.  It also makes it a lot more fun for the kids and grandkids when they visit.