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Lighting your water feature

You've spent the summer days making your garden perfect and enjoyable, why miss out when night time falls? The use of lighting in the garden will allow you to enjoy it 24 hours a day, sit out longer on those summer nights, and create dramatic effects in turn opening up to a whole new garden during the night. The use of lighting has become increasingly important in the contemporary garden, it can add new dimensions to pre-existing gardens particularly when lighting your water feature. The illumination of running water can create stunning effects to wow any visitor to your garden.

Recognising the need to light a water feature is the first step however where to position the lighting and how to go about it bring up a number of questions hopefully you will find the topics below useful in answering some of those questions if you require further advice do not hesitate to contact us with any queries, email us at info@ukwaterfeatures.com or call us on 01226 388 889.

Electric Supply

Your features pump will be plugged into an outdoor power-point, if the lighting is going to be submerged it will be low voltage therefore the transformer can be plugged into any existing outdoor power supply. If you do not have an outdoor power supply a licensed electrician who has experience of outdoor fittings will be able to help.

Maintenance

The bulbs in the lighting will need changing once in a while just the same as indoor lighting, when installing the lights ensure they are accessible to allow easy replacement of bulbs.

Colour

White light is the most effective when lighting outdoor spaces, coloured lenses to place over light fittings are available however they can result in a garish appearance in residential settings. Businesses colour schemes and branding may be complemented by coloured lighting but it is advised to use white light in the garden. White light is brighter and allows silhouettes and shadows to be made easily to create the dramatic effect.

Submersible or dry mounted lighting?

It is advised to consider the cleanliness of your water when choosing submersible lighting muddy water full of algae would be a waste of a submerged light as the effects will be lost in the water.

Clear water on the other hand can benefit greatly from the use of submerged lighting, The following affects can be created

  • Illuminate surrounding plants, and features
  • Lighting from above angled down on the water will create mirrored reflections
  • Create a glow on the waters surface particularly effective when water lilies are on the surface

Fountains

Lighting a fountain effectively requires a submerged light angled towards the fountain, this allows the light to catch the air bubbles and create a glowing effect.

Waterfalls

Back lighting a waterfall creates the most dramatic appearance, a light behind the fountain will create an illuminated back drop when evening falls.

However for a softer appearance non directional lighting on a rocky waterfall can create a focal point at night time rather than lighting the water, light the rocks and plant life.

Features

Features can be lit in several different ways briefly explained below.

Above – a light placed in a near by tree at least 3 meters high and angled towards the feature from the front or behind.

Back-lighting – a silhouette is created and creates a whole new appearance for night time.

Spot-lighting – one or two spotlights dry mounted in front of the feature and angled towards the feature will enhance the appearance at night. This can also be done from underneath water in front of the feature the rippling effect of the water will be displayed on the feature.

Water Walls

If your water wall clings to the surface of the wall you need to light from within the water this requires a submerged light angled towards the wall, this creates a mesmerising effect as the water reflects on the water against the surface of the wall. Water that doesn't run right up against the wall would benefit from back lighting.

The key to successful lighting is to experiment rather than just visualise how a feature or wall will look it is important to see exactly how it will appear try this at different times from dusk to later at night when it's darker. A waterproof torch is the ideal tool to see how a light fixture may look shine from above below behind to get the effect you desire.