When you are planting trees, shrubs and flowers in your yard, you are working to create a peaceful and colorful outside space for you to relax in. During the daylight hours, you and your neighbors can visually look at the beauty of the landscaping but once the sun has gone down, this investment fades. If you consider including landscape lighting in the exterior atmosphere of your home, you can turn the beauty of a daytime yard into a magical place at night.

Plan out your lighting as you would your plants and shrubs. Keep in mind the driveways, walkways, steps,  patios, beds and large trees that you might want to highlight.  Use LED lights for long term life and put them on timers to come on at specific times of the evening. Combine task and accent lighting for your project, highlighting certain areas with flood lights and accent lighting to highlight a specific element of the yard. You can also use down lighting, uplighting and cross-lighting to create a bold, dramatic feeling.

When you are landscaping your yard with plants and shrubs, take a little time and add in landscape lighting for a truly long-lasting effect!