The design of the courtyard garden is very beautiful in the daytime, but at night our garden also needs a different beauty. Therefore, lighting has become an important element of creating, embellishing and enriching the garden.
Courtyard lighting is the highlight of the entire courtyard design, so what should be considered for courtyard lighting? How to choose lamps and light sources? And what should I pay attention to when using courtyard lighting? Let me explain for you.
1. The role of courtyard lighting
- Enrich the content of courtyard space. Through the contrast of light and dark, the landscape to be expressed is highlighted in a background with low environmental brightness, attracting people’s attention.
- Art of decorating courtyard space. The decorative function of courtyard lighting design can embellish or strengthen the space through the shape and texture of the lamps themselves and the arrangement and combination of lamps.
- Use the organic combination of point, line and surface to highlight the art of scientific application of light in the structure of the courtyard, creating a strong atmosphere of courtyard lighting.
2. How to choose lamps, light sources and styles
After locating what role you are going to let the light play in your courtyard, you can choose the right light fixture according to the specific situation. Before choosing lamps and light sources, attention must be paid to the decoration, energy saving, environmental protection and safety issues.
- Lamp selection
Ground lawn lamp
It is generally installed on both sides of the park road or at the turning point of important sections to play the role of walking lighting.
Wall lamp
Generally installed on the facade wall of the courtyard or the column of the corridor frame, etc., play the role of intermediate lighting.
chandelier
Generally installed under the eaves or pavilions, etc., to the top lighting.
- Light source selection
For courtyard lamps, use warm light sources as much as possible, preferably floodlights. Light sources that are too cold, or bizarre colored light sources, are generally not suitable for private courtyards. Too cold, lack of softness and comfort.
- Lamp style
Choose the style of courtyard lamps to match the courtyard design style. If there is a choice barrier, choose a square with simple lines. Rectangle, versatile. The color is mostly black, dark gray, and bronze. In general, use less white.
3. Common lighting and matters needing attention
Attention to the use of lights in each landscape area of the courtyard
- The courtyard leisure area is dominated by wall lamps, and the plant landscape is dominated by spotlights, showing the characteristics of different spaces at night.
- Under the flower stand is the main leisure space in the courtyard, and the lighting should be brighter.
- The design of the wall lamp in the courtyard is simple and artistic. The lamp is also a decoration of the wall line during the day.
- Design the lighting under the flower shelf and beside the garden road, paying attention to the traffic function of the courtyard at night.
- It is not recommended to design spotlights around the grass, flowers and plants in the courtyard. Excessive strong light irradiation will affect the normal growth of plants.
- The wall lamp at the scenery wall is not only the lighting lamp of the garden road but also the decoration lamp of the scenery wall.
- The spotlights on the edge of the pool illuminate the waterscape of the courtyard at night, and the plants in the flower pond use the spotlights on the ground to show the posture at night.
- The lamps buried in the bottom of the reservoir make the water scene at night full of dreamy colors.
- The number of lamps designed in the flower border should be reduced, so that the focus of viewing at night is on the waterscape.
4. The most common way to use courtyard lights-decorate plants
Using lights to decorate plants is probably the most common way to use garden lighting systems. What we have to do is to choose a suitable lighting method according to the specific situation.
Key points: illuminate the trees from one side of the viewpoint (to prevent glare), and use lights on both sides to make the trees more three-dimensional; if the viewpoint cannot be determined, you can choose 3-4 points to cover the entire tree.
- Evergreen trees
You can arrange the lights from a far away point of view to get better results. If you want to illuminate the crown of evergreen trees, you should use spotlights farther away. When the trees are too high, the height of the tree can be highlighted by raising the light pole.
For trees with straight trunks, lamps with a narrower light distribution can be used to illuminate the trunk from directly below. The angle-adjustable lamps have a better effect.
- Deciduous trees
Deciduous trees are easy to transmit light, especially cherry blossoms, ginkgo (yellow), and maple leaves (red), the effect is better after lighting. If the building is close to the trees, you can consider installing spotlights high on the outer wall (evaluate the maintenance risk) and illuminate it downwards, which can not only highlight the texture of the tree, but also imprint the shadow of the tree on the ground, making it more beautiful.
Deciduous trees can easily penetrate through branches and leaves from directly below and can basically cover the entire tree.
- Medium-height evergreen trees
Considering that people’s viewing habits for medium-height evergreen trees are mostly at a relatively close distance, from the cost point of view, low-wattage lamps can be tried. If there is a promenade in the courtyard, light poles can be used to support spotlights to illuminate downwards, which not only maintains the ornamental nature of the trees, but also ensures the brightness of the feet. If there is a sense of dazzling, you can install a shutter cover under the lamp.
For horizontally extending trees, use wide-angle light distribution lamps to allow light to cover the entire tree, and need to pay attention to maintenance to avoid falling leaves.
Fifth, the maintenance of courtyard lights
After the design and construction of the courtyard lighting system is completed, it will not be done once and for all, and you need to maintain it regularly.
Four precautions for maintenance of courtyard lighting system:
The courtyard lamp only plays the role of beauty and illumination, so the carrying capacity of the courtyard lamp is relatively weak, and objects cannot be placed on the lamp. The service life of garden lights has a limit of years. It is recommended to turn on at a fixed time period. The fixed number of lights on and off is related to the life. The garden lamp is easy to get dust outdoors, so a clean damp cloth can wipe the garden lamp in time. Regular maintenance inspections, including garden lamp circuit maintenance and lamp failure maintenance.
Perhaps a reasonable and artistic courtyard garden lighting design layout can not only illuminate the garden at night, but also bring a warm and romantic atmosphere, which is more appealing and home-like than a courtyard during the day.