4 Creative Ways To Light The Trees In Your Yard
Trees ensconce our homes in soft, billowing folds of leaves, and add visual interest to stretches of land. They treat us to fiery displays in autumn, and in winter we see their intricate webs of naked twigs and branches. But, all that is in daylight.
We all know that age-old question, “If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Well, I have a different question: If you let beautiful trees recede into darkness, do they make an impact?
Probably not.
Why not light up your trees at night to make your yard stunning, safe, and inviting all the time?
Here are a few ways to use light on your trees:
1. Silhouetting
This simple, sexy method highlights any tree’s natural beauty. Take a wide-beamed floodlight to place behind the tree and angle it up into the canopy. Check if it the lighting is bright enough. If it isn’t, consider using Olympia Lighting’s metal halide LED replacements or some other stronger light. Once you’ve got a light strong enough to your liking, place it in the ideal spot. The tree will have a rim of light along the edges, or in winter, a tangle of exquisite shadows.
2. Shadowing
For this technique, place a light up in the canopy and angle it down. LEDs are great for this task because they don’t emit as much heat, and they’re more durable. The right light will highlight the tree and the path below.
3. Wrapping
If you have a back patio, fire pit, or clearing in your yard surrounded by trees, wrap the trunks a few feet high with rope lights or even white Christmas lights for a cheerful lighting option. Every night, it will transform your backyard into a fanciful oasis! However, it should not be overlooked that having a fire pit in the middle of the trees can be hazardous and might cause a fire. So, before you plan to do anything else, it might be a good idea to prepare your home for fire defense. For example, you could choose to apply fire retardent coats to your home’s walls, install a fire extinguisher, install smoke detectors, and so on. And then you can go on to decorate your house, with lighting and other things.
4. Colors
Colored lights are a great way to express your style – they’re not limited to the holidays! Of course, you can use red and green filters and string lights for yuletide merriment, and paint trees purple and orange for Thanksgiving and Halloween. But, you can also light things up pink and yellow in spring, or green and blue in summer, whatever you like!
Bio: Annie Josey is a blogger for Pegasus Lighting, an online lighting retailer dedicated to helping everyone find life-enhancing lights. To learn more about outdoor landscape lighting, you can visit the Pegasus Lighting website, or connect with Annie on Google +.
