One of my favourite moments to spend in the garden is the so-called golden hour, that blissfully quiet but fleeting moment in which day meets night and light transforms and enhances every element of the space. That sense of excitement, of watching evolving shadows dance along a path doesn’t have to end once the sun has set. You can create the same energy, movement and depth with a lighting pattern, as long as you treat it with care. Outdoor lights are our best allies for doing this.
How to structure the external lights
One of my favourite moments to spend in the garden is the so-called golden hour.
When designing the garden, I spend hours contemplating its appearance and orientation to determine how the sun moves in space and how this will create light and shadow in the park during the day. Garden lighting should be given the same consideration. Crucial to the balance of any lighting scheme is the interplay between light and shadow and how this affects our perception of a space. Lighting can create depth, manipulate perspective, and enhance texture, colour, and texture.
Garden lighting should be given thorough consideration.
If you look to nature for inspiration, you will notice how the sun’s shadows vary depending on how high it is in the sky, if there is water to reflect its light and illuminate the surrounding areas and the texture of a planting pattern. The same goes for artificial lighting.
