Has this ever happened to you? You’re entertaining some friends and family out on the patio, enjoying some delicious food and refreshing drinks, and before too long the day turns to night. Everyone is enjoying the fresh air, the good company, and the great outdoors, but you’re starting to lose the light, and the party, frankly, is not ready to move indoors. 

Unfortunately, your patio isn’t really set up for a nighttime get together mood. It’s either darkness, or it’s porch lights, and neither option is really the vibe you’re going for. So choose porch lights. After all, the people have got to see, right? And sure, it didn’t ruin the party, but it certainly didn’t enhance anything either. 

Next time, you need the right lights and the right arrangement of lights for your outdoor space so that the environment can adapt right along with you and those you’re entertaining, even if that means more solitary activities that could benefit from enhanced lighting.

But the benefits of the right lighting configuration aren’t limited to entertainment. Lighting can expand the way you use your yard and for how long throughout the year you choose to use it.

At Greenhaven, we’re incredibly passionate about the work we do for our clients because we don’t see the yard as an afterthought. To us, and to so many of our clients, a yard is an extension of the home. Just like your kitchen or your family or dining rooms have their own specific purposes and feels, your yard has the potential to be one of your family’s most-used spaces already living inside of it, and lighting is just one way that we can draw out its character. 

Here are some of Greenhaven’s favorite lighting options for your outdoor space

UP LIGHTS

One of the things we love when it comes to lighting outdoor spaces is the simple but effective ways in which you can add drama and beauty to your existing yard with the right imagination. One of the most effective ways to do this is through what is called “uplighting.” 

Essentially, the name uplighting refers to the way in which the lights are mounted. When used in the landscaping context, uplights are usually mounted at a lower level and pointed upward. We say usually because the desired effect of the uplight is achieved when the light is mounted under the objects intended to be illuminated. 

Imagine your favorite trees, flowers, garden beds, or even interesting architectural elements of your home enhanced by this type of light. The combination of light and shadows creates drama, depth, and the sort of mood making that can only be achieved through this technique, leaving some folks wishing it was dark outside all the time!

POND AND WATER FEATURE LIGHTS

Dark pools of water? Well, they’re interesting in movies, but in the context of your yard, they can be downright dangerous. Lighting ponds and fountains and waterfalls makes for a safer haven for you and your guests, but fewer homeowner’s insurance claims are far from the only reason we love lighting for ponds and water features. 

There’s simply nothing like the way that water can make you feel, especially when you’re in need of something relaxing, refreshing, and reinvigorating. Similarly, the feeling that a water feature with the right lighting can provide is unlike any other. 

Adding lights to your pond, waterfall, or fountain increases your yard’s safety, to be sure, but it also adds an air of romance and excitement, and extends your ability to enjoy them across the seasons. 

PATH LIGHTS

So, path lighting on the surface sounds more practical than anything else, and it is practical. After all, you don’t want your loved ones or visitors to fall and hurt themselves after the sun goes down, but within the practicality of path lighting still lies a great deal of imagination and creativity. 

When the Greenhaven team is working with clients on a particular project, no matter if it’s lighting your pathways or your entire yard, we strive to bring to you the most creative solutions possible that reflect your style and the way you want to enjoy your yard. 

We can follow the lines of your sidewalks, garden beds, backlight raised beds, and, depending on the configuration of your yard, create recommendations that we have yet to ever design before. That’s how versatile we always aim to be.

You can have safety, you can have style, and you can have the serenity that only the right lighting solution can provide. 

Are you ready to learn more about how lighting will enhance your landscape experience?

Remember: It’s not just a yard, It’s an extension of your home. Why not make the most of it? At Greenhaven Landscapes, we have nearly a quarter century of experience in helping your friends and neighbors in the great Portland and Southwest Washington areas enjoy the landscapes of their dreams.

You work hard. You deserve to be able to walk out your back door into a paradise that is uniquely yours. Why not call our team of landscape dream specialists to see how we can bring your vision to life?

Call Greenhaven today for your lighting quote!