Light up your garden this spring

90 mallinson road london sw11 1bn

tel: 020 7924 1421

mob: 07866 724718

This month: Garden Lighting

Steve Bishop is a qualified electrician

and a member of NAPIT.

Welcome to Circuit Shorts

A monthly email offering advice on all

things electrical around your home. If

you would like to discuss any of the

topics we cover please get in touch.

To receive Circuit Shorts by email, or to

see previous mailings please go to

www.swbishop.co.uk/circuitshorts.

Oh no! Where to start?

It's been a wet and windy winter but spring is finally just around the corner. First comes

the spring-cleaning followed by the shock when you look through your freshly polished

windows at the windswept, waterlogged eyesore that used to be your garden.

As well as getting your spade out, this is the perfect time to think about introducing some

garden lighting. Imagine... balmy evenings, long after the sun has set, reclining with

friends in your subtly illuminated garden.

So where do you start? The first step is to decide what kind of lights you would like in your

garden and where they should be positioned to bring out your garden’s natural loveliness.

Garden lighting is not only an effective security & safety measure, but the illusions it can

create are amazing - the right lighting can make a small garden seem spacious while a

larger area can become intimate and cosy.

Gentle, glowy illumination or dramatic, theatrical magnificence?

There are a multitude of different lights and lighting ideas out there. Here is a brief guide

to our favourites at S W Bishop Electrical. For a more detailed summary of different

lighting effects please see attached sheet.

Uplighting is fantastic for illuminating fences, walls and trees. Throwing light

upwards can add vertical emphasis and a dramatic theatre-like feel. This lighting

effect also creates shadows from plants which can really set the mood in your garden as

well as giving the illusion of space. These can be wall/fence mounted, in-ground or spike.

Downlighting picks out features such a tree or place above a table to give you more light

when you are eating. These are usually wall/fence mounted. Strong up lighting should be

avoided in these areas as will tend to dazzle and diminish the overall effect.

Path lighting can turn even the simplest path into an enchanting evening walkway. Never

put lights too close together, as this can give the effect of a runway. They are also good

for safety reasons, bringing attention to path edges and uneven paving. You don’t want to

be tripping up in the dark clutching a tray of Prosseco. These are usually in-ground or

bollard style.

Step lighting can look amazing because the geometry of garden steps also makes them

perfect for dramatic lighting. Choosing lights without glare is important for safety

reasons. These are usually recessed into the step or wall.

Water and pond lighting are a must for highlighting underwater objects or designs. Water

features are also transformed with a touch of clever lighting. The use of flowing water adds

movement to the light and adds a perfect dramatic centre piece to your garden.

What lamps to use?

Here at S W Bishop Electrical we always recommend mains voltage LED lamps. (see our

previous Circuit Shorts on LED lighting at www.swbishop.co.uk/circuitshorts). They are

long lasting and energy efficient as welling being much cooler than other lamps so they

won’t burn foliage or bare feet. Experiment with coloured lamps for magical

effects. Installing garden lighting can be as simple as sticking some solar lights on spikes

into your flowerbeds, but if you want something a bit more imaginative, you'll need to

employ a qualified electrician.

Fancy something special?

If you love a bit of opulence, we at S W Bishop Electrical recommend a wireless box to

control all your, water features, electric shutters and even gates. Once the box is

programmed you can control all this from anywhere in your house or garden. It even

comes with a handy key fob controller. Please call me on my mobile or email us if you

would like any more details.

At S W Bishop Electrical we suggest experimenting with weird and wonderful shadow

effects. Try throwing shadow onto walls by placing lights in front of objects. Moving

directional fittings thereby adjusting the size of the shadows can be a very effective way to

evoke strong moods in the night-time garden. The possibilities are endless...

The legal and safety bits!

One thing to bear in mind when choosing the lights for your garden is to make sure you

don't go over the top. The last thing you want is angry neighbours. Find out more about

government legislation regarding light pollution at https://www.gov.uk/local-environmental-quality .

Of course, mixing electricity with the elements is a risky business and should be carried out

by a Part P approved electrician who is registered with a government approved body, such

as NAPIT. Outdoor electrics should ALWAYS be RCD protected (see our previous Circuit

Shorts about RCD at www.swbishop.co.uk/circuitshorts).

I hope this month's Circuit Shorts, has answered any questions you have about garden

lighting. We at S W Bishop Electrical have chosen to mainly cover the effects you can

achieve and we have touched briefly on the types of fittings you would require for these

effects. If you would like more details about the fittings, BEW Electrical Wholesalers have a

good selection on their website at www.bewdirect.co.uk/home/m/Shop/c/14/ .

If you would like to make an appointment for a garden lighting design consultation or you

would just like pointing in the right direction with some advice, please either call me or drop

us a line.

Next month: Electrical installations, certificates and your responsibility.

Steve Bishop Mob: 07866 724718 steve@swbishop.co.uk www.swbishop.co.uk

The best garden lighting effects

and how to achieve them

www.swbishop.co.uk

Accent lighting This method uses directional lighting to emphasise individual features in your garden. The light is usually in or just above the ground and below the object you are lighting. This is a great way to highlight elements in your garden such as large flowering shrubs or trees. You can this effect from: spike or wall spotlights, recessed uplights.

Uplighting This method throws light up from the ground creating an even light when viewed from any side. In-ground fixtures are often used. This is a fantastic way to highlight elements in your garden with dramatic, theatre-like effect such as walls, fences, large plants or trees. You can get this effect from: spike spotlights, recessed uplights.

Moonlighting This technique is achieved by placing low power lights on tree branches thereby subtly illuminating some of the branches with a dapple effect and shadowing others. This will cast unique shadows in your garden and give off an enchanting moonlight glow. You can get this effect from: tree-mounted spotlights, hanging lights.

Silhouette lighting This technique involves lighting a wall or surface behind your tree or feature giving the object in question a dark outline, By placing the lighting between the object and the wall or surface, you can achieve the same enchanting effect as viewing the object silhouetted against the sky at dusk. You can get this effect from: spike spotlights, recessed lights.

www.swbishop.co.uk

Spotlighting This effect is achieved by placing the directional narrow beamed light some distance from the object, focusing a controlled intense beam to highlight the focal points in your garden such as flowers, small shrubs and statues. This creates vibrant pools of interest in your garden and also brings a sense of safety to a dark garden You can get this effect from: spike and wall spotlights.

Spread lighting Spread lights are used to provide light for areas of low plantings, producing circular patterns of light. This style of lighting will cover a wide area with low-level, softly diffused illumination and is perfect for showing off paths, lawns, low growing shrubs, or flowerbeds You can get this effect from: spread lights.

Path lighting Path lighting should provide a safe, secure and visible path for walking at night primarily, but the right lighting can give your path an enchanting glow. Path lights are similar to spread lights and should not be placed too close together to avoid a “runway” effect. You can get this effect from: bollard and post lights, recessed lights.

Step lighting Obviously steps are functional and, as with paths, lighting is required for safety reasons. However, the symmetry of steps can look quite beautiful with the right lighting. They can be fixed onto the walls either side or recessed into the rise of the step. You can get this effect from: Recessed or surface mounted step lights.

Wall lighting This technique enhances structural elements in your garden. Elements that were not noticed during the day can play a dramatic role in your landscape at night. Chimneys, fencing, retaining walls, and structure walls are all transformed by the right wall lighting. You can get this effect from: spotlights, wall wash lights, uplights.