It’s not always easy to get the lighting right for a flower path. It’s simple to go in two different directions. On the one hand, you can have a clear, bright road that looks harsh and unwelcoming, like the scary “runway lights.” But you can also make dark, ethereal path lighting that amazes your guests but doesn’t really light the way.
Also, buying and setting up path lights can cost a lot of money. If you get it wrong, you’ll pay a lot of money.
If your yard paths aren’t lit well, even the best festoon lights won’t help. I asked experts in lighting, landscaping, and garden planning what the best way was to find a middle ground. They showed me exactly how to light a garden path and gave me 8 tips and tricks to use to make the lighting both pretty and useful.
1. Space your garden path lights 8 feet apart
First, you should think about how far apart you want your lights to be. My paver Joe Raboine told me, “We want to avoid the runway look.” This is the most important thing. When there are too many lights grouped together, this can happen. Your path will start to look like a bright fashion show instead of a relaxing path through the yard.
There is an easy way to get around this, though. The professionals I talked to all said that lights should be about 8 feet apart. “For traditional pathway lighting,” Joe says, “I suggest 8–10 inches of space between each light.” This looks nice and keeps people safe when they’re using a path.
Some other experts agree. The lighting designer Nels Peterson, who has won awards, told me, “In most cases, putting them about 8 to 12 feet on center will cover most situations.” However, garden designer Raine Clarke-Wills wasn’t willing to be so specific. She said, “While I’m hesitant to give an exact measurement, a general rule would be to space lights about 5 to 8 feet apart.”
But there are a few things to keep in mind. Raine says it depends on how long the garden path is and how it is laid out, so 8 feet isn’t a hard and fast rule. “Path lights should be spaced out subtly so that they give off a soft glow instead of being too bright.” Most people will want an atmosphere of calm and rest instead of a “deer-in-the-headlights” effect.
2. Place path lights the right distance away from a path
Once you’re happy with how far apart the lights are, you need to decide how far away they should be from the road. Everyone I talked to about this had an interesting take on it.
Nels Peterson taught me a simple but clever rule. “A good rule of thumb is to measure the overall height of the path light and use that as the distance to space it off a walkway.” is what the manual says. There’s no need to guess now. Put a path light that is a foot tall away from the road. Not only is it simple to follow, but it also works in real life. According to Nels, “putting the light farther back off the path keeps people from running into it, and if snow needs to be shoveled, it gives people a little more room.”
It depends on your plan, though, and it’s not always a good idea to put lights right next to the edges of a path. “You can also put pathway lights in flower beds with low plants,” Joe Raboine told me. This can add a unique touch to the landscape’s design. It breaks up the monotony of lights that are all spaced out the same way while still giving useful light.
Raine Clarke-Wills gave me another way to make things more interesting. “Even from far away, the path should have a mesmerizing effect, with well-placed lighting changing the way things look.” The result is balanced and pleasing to the eye when the lights on either side of the path change. Your lights won’t be too bright either, since the light will fill the way from one side instead of being harsh from all sides.
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3. Consider which direction your lights face
Setting the spacing and placement is the next step. The next step is to decide which way the lights will shine. It’s pretty clear that the lights should only shine on the road. Simple lighting like this is one choice, but it’s not the only one.
Raine showed me three ways to point your light. The first one is a classic: “Facing light across the path creates a warm, glowing atmosphere that is good for walking.” But she also thinks a lot of uplights. “Built into the floor and facing upwards, these lights make sure the path is lit up without creating glare, giving it a dramatic and elegant look.”
Last but not least, she suggests lights that face downward. “These can give off a soft glow along the path without making it too bright, making it both useful and attractive.” They’re also better for wildlife and light pollution because they keep the sky dark for bats and stars.
You are free to choose which way you want to go. The safest way to use the lights is to just face them along the path. This should be your first concern, but the other styles can give you more interesting effects.
4. Try downlighting from trees
For path lights, all of the above work, but there are other ways to light a road. Jeremy Martin, a landscaping expert, says that trees are the best way to light paths. It is said that “downlighting pathways from nearby trees or structures tends to have a much softer, more natural feel” than using separate path lights. There is an easy reason for this. “Remember, it’s the light you want to see, not the source,” Jeremy says. If you put lights in trees, the fixture is covered, and the light itself is all that is seen.
Jeremy suggests downlighting, which means that lights from trees are aimed down at the path. Moonlighting is a method we use in which downlights are put above the tree stems’ bottom parts. The trees and leaves make interesting shadows on the ground.
That’s a really great way to make a functional path more interesting. It’s only bad that it won’t work if there aren’t any trees close.