Lighting Suggestions for Weeping Mulberry?

Question

Just did a little trimming and while staring at it thought this area could possibly look nice with some type of lighting beneath the tree. Any suggestions on the type of light and where to place it? Thank you.

Answer 1

If you've never done any landscape lighting, I have to warn you. It is addictive. And it might be hard to find just one light. They usually come in sets for homeowners.

The trick between professional lighting and homeowner lighting is this; you never ever want to see the light bulb or fixture itself. No blinding lights. Your beautiful tree should be uplit with a spot light or two. From this position a spot light set behind the patch of Hosta? would work to hide the spot light. But if you walk to the front door? or come around on that walkway from the side of your home? More than likely to be blinded. It gets tricky to place the lights just right. Black matt spot lights with recessed bulbs is all I would use with a moon light or two.

Your landscape professionally lighted becomes alive at night. Very different than in the day light. Stunning. You should call some landscape companies to give you a bid. You want a low voltage system added to your electrical system. A box should have room to add more lighting because all the clients who started with...8 lights was the minimum, sold with an upgradeable transformer and there was a time where anyone with electrical skills was able to do this install. Not anymore. Find a landscape company that has its own licensed low voltage electrician.

Within a month, we timed it, all clients wanted more lights. Another 8 or 12 or 18...the only thing people would see are landscape features; the sweep of branches and bark, shadows, back lit, down lit or up lit. Spotting a light on the side of your home will make a black shadow of a tree in front. Moon lighting worked best for a patio situation.

Let's talk about security. Those motion sensored blinding lights? The bad guy could stand outside of the circle of light and be invisible. Landscape lighting is more subtle and the ambient light off your tree, your hedge is plenty to light pathways and see bad guys sneaking around. Add gravel and barberry shrubs under windows and bad guys won't even bother.

There are, 'dorky', lighting packages at home depot. Cheap. It would get you started and playing with lighting and figuring out how to hide those spot lights. Those 'fixtures' should be matt black with recessed bulbs. Low voltage will have wiring buried 6 inches deep. Make sure they bury the wiring 6 inches deep, no less than 4. Don't get tempted (best to talk to wife first) purchasing shiny brass pagodas and fixtures that look like earrings. Absolutely no pathway flying saucers. Pathway lights are for airport run ways.

Can't tell I am a little opinionated? Grins. I am telling you the difference between an investment that will add to the value of your home and one that will be lost, forgotten and worse, tripped over. But when you see the power of landscape lighting, you will be smitten.

Can't hurt to get some free bids. And get ideas. It will be an investment but pales with the investment you've already made in your landscape that right now gets turned off every night. People would leave their homes in the dark to go to work and it would be dark by the time they drove into their garages. Only neighbors would get a chance to see the landscapes...

I wonder if they have wireless lighting now? Forget solar. Unless the lights aren't the solar absorber themselves. Like having blinding light bulbs everywhere. You want to make your landscape the light fixture.