.
Garden lighting design has come a long way in the past couple of years.
Lighting designers are not unlike gardeners, they will plan the design, choosing the right fitting and lamp type the way you might choose, sunny or shady, annuals or half annuals. In the case of lighting it is arranged so as not to detract from the beauty of the garden but too enhance it. Iain Henshaw has been involved in lighting design for 20 years. He has new and innovative ideas not just in gardens but in many other areas,
Sadly the idea of design is lost due to a pleflora of products that just do not deliver. The most noticeable of these is the solar powered spike lights. They usually only last a few hours and their light is often washed away by a moderately bright moon. Contrast that with a fitting that costs say £50.00 excluding installation and most people will go for the cheaper option, what does this achieve? It puts people off the idea of lighting their gardens.
In truth lighting a garden is not cheap. Take a look at what
the equipment will have to endure, sub zero temperatures
rising to 20, 25 or even 30 Celsius, rain, snow, wind and
frost all take their toll. Luckily we don’t have to worry too
much about salt – unless you’re on the coast of course! LED’s
are now competing with tungsten sources, their low energy and
long life make them ideal for exterior lighting.