Replacing old, no-longer-functional lighting before we start seasonal planting (veggies in the corner behind the pool and flowers along the edge of planting beds). I like the look of the Sedona Path & Area lights, but I'm concerned about whether they might throw out too much light. Thinking I might put path lights along the beds (as previously existed - some are still visible in the photo of the pool area; set at 16 foot intervals), and maybe some up-lights on the citrus trees behind the pool, some of the trees/shrubs behind the lawn, and the plum tree off the end of the patio. A friends suggested as many as 14 path lights around the pool, rose-bed and lawn areas, with 7 up-lights. Would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions on design and products to consider.
Hi, Sue. Love your pool and back yard. I see you have some challenges but I also see a wealth of opportunities for creativity. If you have a chance, please check out the gallery linked below. These photos demonstrate the different shapes, lighting output, and effects created by different kinds of fixtures. I think you may find that some of the projects shown are a useful guide to what you might be able to achieve in your own lighting plan. For instance, the Sedona is a great light with a wide (18 ft) beam spread. There may be areas where you absolutely want a light spread that wide but there may be certain areas of your yard where a fixture with a smaller beam spread might work better. Do you want the light to project a beam widely both in front of and behind the fixture in particular areas? Do you want to see overlapping pools of light or do you want to see distinct pools of light? Those are the kinds of questions you'll want to consider when you're deciding on the number, type, and placement of your path lights. Regarding your concern about brightness, VOLT sells a 1.5W (10W halogen equivalent). As suggested earlier, you can further limit your plan's overall light output by choosing fixtures that create a beam spread toward the narrower end of the spectrum. I think you could find uplighting some of those beautiful orange trees fairly challenging because the foliage is incredibly dense. In the photo of yours I diagrammed, you'll notice that even sunlight scarcely penetrates those orange trees, whereas clear shadows of the branch structure on those larger trees to the right can be seen. While I don't discourage you from uplighting, I think you may find that lighting some of the trees from the side shows them off much better. In the poolside photo, for instance, I'm suggesting that uplighting might work great for that large tree. But on the smaller trees (where the branch structure begins closer to ground level), you may find lighting from just outside the canopies creates more compelling effects. In any event, I love the idea of showing off a variety of different lighting effects. The two large trees I mentioned earlier look like they'd be perfect for moonlighting/downlighting. You've got an attractive fence with lots of character. Perhaps in one area of your yard, you can experiment by projecting light onto the fence behind a tree or group of shrubs. These are just a handful of ideas to guide you in creating a lighting plan that has both dimension and complexity. Hope this helps. https://www.voltlighting.com/photo-gallery-projects-landscape-lighting/c/5
