First let me say that I've successfully used Volt products in my front yard for path lighting and uplighting on the columns of my house. That project was pretty straight forward. Now comes the backyard, which (to me) is more complicated in that it involves a section of two tiers created by a retaining wall, with the upper portion only having short to medium plants like barrel cacti, firesticks, and kangaroo paws. The lower portion of that tier has citrus trees and possibly the yuccas shown. Next, I have an L shaped run of various height trees from 20ft plus queen palms to new 4ft triangle palms, to birds of paradise and some shrubs. The patio it surrounds, has a firepit and a bar that I already installed your brass puck LEDs into for down lighting. Pictures are attached, because in this case, they are probably worth more than a thousand words. Anyway, I know you do not provide full design service, but can you help me with ideas for the tiered area, how to handle the slope, and what to do knowing the back drop for everything is a light beige fence that I'm not sure I want to highlight. Also, when calculating the size of the transformer needed, do I take the length of the runs into account or simply add each LED used along the way?
Hey TJ, I'd be happy to make some recommendations! I took the liberty of attaching some photos to help illustrate. With your layout, I would simply recommend a combination of spotlights and path lights. I myself am not too keen on lighting up a fence for a sake of illumination; I prefer to highlight the natural beauty of the landscape which in this case would be spotlighting your trees. They appear to have been recently planted so, be sure to account for the future growth of those smaller trees. I marked some potential spots for path lights as well; these are always handy for providing area light for your outdoor living spaces. For sizing your transformer, the total combined wattage of all your fixtures is the most important determiner. It is also important to remember that most manufacturers recommend only a certain % of a transformer's max capacity be used (we recommend no more than 80%). However, the gauge of the cable is also somewhat important because it is important to purchase a transformer which can accept the gauge of cable you need to use for your yard. I am not quite sure what you mean by handling the slope, perhaps some photos from different angles could help to clarify?
Evan, Thanks for the response. The picture does't show it well, but the area above the retaining wall with the low-lying plants is sloped "up" to the fence. You added some path lights to the photo, which was something I was considering. Another thought I has was to place a spot light at ground level and aim it right at the plants to cast shadows against the fence backdrop.
Understood! Floodlights would be ideal for that (creating a shadowing effect with the low-lying foliage.) While spotlights with wider beam spread could be used, the diffused light from a flood light can blanket an area with a more natural feel. I would recommend the Gentle Splash Flood Light for illumination on that raised garden bed.
