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Out of the darkness come the natural sounds and tranquil splashes of a stream delicately spilling over the crest of a precisely designed and sculpted fall. The water's rhythmic song fills the evening air in a chorus of relaxation.

Professionally designed and installed water features present the residential client several opportunities to realize further enjoyment from their home and landscape. Unfortunately, the ambient sounds described are the only possible evening benefit a homeowner can derive from a water feature that is not properly lit.

One of the best opportunities a homeowner has to sit back and enjoy their personal landscape is during the evening hours. These are prime enjoyment hours for several reasons. The most important of which is that this is when most people are home. Of course there are exceptions, but the fact re_tops work and daily responsibilities keep a majority of homeowners and their families away from their homes during much of the day.

The evening is naturally a visually interesting time of day. At high noon the sun illuminates everything indiscriminately. As the sun begins to set shadows stretch out across the landscape. Silhouettes take shape against the day's fading backdrop. An aura of calm and romance fills the air. This is what is known to photographers as the golden hour. It's a perfect balance of night and day. With properly designed landscape lighting this balance can be continued well into the night to make any property or landscape attribute, water features included, more enjoyable, functional and valuable.

All lighting projects should be
designed individually to address the demands present on a particular job site. Therefore, to provide a static, 1-2-3 step process of how to light water features would limit creativity and diminish the finished product. For example, downlighting from a tree may create a stunning effect on the water's surface. But if there is not a tall enough tree near by then downlighting is not a viable option. Does that mean the water feature cannot be lit? Of course not. Nightscaping® provides professional design assistance that address these kinds of problems and present possible alternatives.

Thomas Meis, head of Nightscaping's® design department, suggests several different techniques to consider when lighting a water feature. With regard to these varying techniques he says, "the most fundamental of which is to decide when and whether to light from inside or outside of the water."

It sounds simple enough, but a wrong move in this beginning design stage could lead to disaster. Submerged light sources will magnify any impurities present. Therefore, when lighting from within a water feature it is imperative that the water re_top clean and clear. Otherwise, the lighting installed will create a muddy, murky scene that leaves much to be desired. (more...)