5 Questions to Ask to Plan for Landscape Lighting

You won't necessarily love the results when you jump into anything without a plan. That's more true when it's something you're spending time and money on. Add in permanence, and beginning without a plan is a recipe for disaster. We've already told you about the benefits of landscape lighting, so maybe you're already sold, but before you light it up and well before you put the shovel to ground, there are some questions you should ask and answer to ensure that you're getting the lighting that you want. So today, Progreen is sharing the top 5 questions you need to be answered to make the most of the lighting of your Texas Landscape. What is the Purpose of Your Lighting? You should never do anything without first knowing why. Landscape lighting has many benefits, which we've discussed in detail. To quickly review, lighting your yard can improve its appearance, keep you safer, increase property value, and extend your entertaining season. Aesthetic Outdoor lighting makes your landscaping more visible at night. It also allows you to feature plants that are less prominent during daylight. Your yard's improved appearance will also raise your property value. Safety It won't surprise you that injuries are less likely when you can see what you're doing and where you're walking. You can't "watch your step" if you can't see your feet! In addition, lighting makes your yard a less attractive target to anyone looking to cause any criminal mischief. Because of the increase in safety to your home, adding lighting also lowers your liability! Entertaining If you're a host with the most, you probably don't want to limit your entertaining to daylight hours. Barbeques, garden parties, and other outdoor gatherings should end when you want them to, not when the sun goes down. Lights allow you and your guests to continue the fun into the evening and can even be used to enhance the mood. You may be adding lights for one or all of these reasons. Identifying why you're adding them will affect your design. What Is the Look You're Aiming to Achieve? How do you want your yard to look? Of course, the purpose behind new lighting will have some influence on this. If your concern is safety and you don't care much about the mood of your yard, your design will be utilitarian, but for those who are also desiring a particular aesthetic, there are many choices to make. Lighting through water can create a whimsical look. Lighting from below has the effect of featuring lower branches and favorite plants. You may choose to add lights that play with shadows or change the color of where they shine - it all depends on what you want! Will You Want to Change That Look? At Progreen, we have lighting features that you can control through an app on your phone. With that app, you can change the color of your lighting, how bright they are, and even what parts of the yard are lit. You can even change it by the time of year to coincide with a holiday or other theming. If you want flexibility with your lighting, as many people who do outdoor entertaining might, you should plan these features into your lighting design. Will Your Landscape Change with Seasons? You can't plan for everything, but with the help of Progreen, you can have a pretty good idea of how your yard will look at different times of the year and a few years from now. Trees will grow taller, and flowers will fill out at different times of the year. Will you still want your lighting scheme to be the same? You may not have to worry about a changing property if you have a reasonably static landscape primarily with perennials or plant the same annuals yearly. But if you enjoy adding variety or your landscape necessitates it, that's another reason to consider a flexible lighting plan. What's Your Budget? Outdoor lighting can be very basic or ornate. Depending on how you want to use the lighting, you can find a lighting design that fits your budget, but again, deciding what you want to spend before you start spending is worthwhile. Ready to Add Landscape Lighting? If you're ready to add landscape lighting to your property, give Progreen a call. Whether you have questions, need help with the design, or have a firm plan in place and just need someone to install it, we have you covered. At Progreen, we're your professional landscape lighting team.