Alexander Michael's Garden & Landscape Design

Expert Path Lighting Design & Inspiration

by siteadmin | May 20, 2022 | Pathway Lighting

You can transform your outdoor living space with expert path lighting design. There are many ways to illuminate your front or backyard paths at night. The category of pathway light design you choose depends on your style because each option has pros and cons.

Pathway lighting is essential because it ensures safety and security at night. It makes your outdoor space beautiful in the dark. Before choosing a path lighting inspiration for your home, check various designs’ features, pros, and cons.

Here are the different pathway light designs to consider for illuminating your outdoor space! Click To Tweet

Traditional Path Lighting

Traditional path lighting systems have two parts: a top hat with the bulb and a post supporting the entire fixture. There are many designs of these path lighting fixtures, some coming with flower shapes. These fixtures direct light downward onto the path.

The good thing about traditional path lighting fixtures is that they are versatile. You can use them to illuminate several pathways in modern landscapes. Unfortunately, they are more susceptible to damage. Kids playing around the lawn can destroy the fixtures.

Moon Lighting

Also known as downlighting, moonlighting illuminates a landscape area with soft light from above. Light fixtures are mounted high above trees to cast light downward over a specific target. Most people love the lighting systems because they cover wide areas.

Since down-lighting fixtures are installed high in the trees, they are safe from damage by kids throwing balls around the compound. The major drawback is that it needs high-rising platforms. That means tall trees and buildings must be along the pathways.

Directional Path Lights

These lighting systems work like traditional lighting. However, you can adjust the fixture to change the light direction. Rather than a top hat, the fixture has a directional head that can be adjusted or swiveled to light up the pathways on your landscaping.

The good thing about directional lighting fixtures is that a light beam can be adjusted at a particular angle to shield your eyes from the light. It gives you control over the light effects. Unfortunately, they are not fit for illuminating wider areas.

Beautiful Path Lighting Designs for Your Outdoor Space

With these landscape lighting ideas, you can select a path lighting design that matches your style. Pick a lighting fixture that’s easy to install and can produce enough amount of light on your paths. Thankfully, there are different types of outdoor fixtures, including wall lights, solar lights, flood lights, bollard lights, and deck lighting fixtures.

Connect with us to discover more path lighting tips and ideas for your landscape.

Captivating Flood and Accent Lighting Effects

by siteadmin | Apr 29, 2022 | Landscape Lighting Services, Pathway Lighting

Flood and accent lighting is used to create many kinds of effects in your outdoor space. Your unique garden design and landscaping customizations come with a plethora of ways to light up when the sun goes down. So what are some good options to choose from when it comes to outdoor lighting design?

Outdoor accent lights, floodlights, spotlights, and more can create a beautifully lit up outdoor space. Let's take a look at what the best options for your design could be: #AMGarden #landscapelighting #outdoorlighting Click To Tweet

Professional landscape lighting designers can help you choose from beautiful outdoor lighting effects such as floodlighting, step lights, garden lights, and spotlighting. Each light fixture serves a specific purpose in illuminating your yard and its surroundings. Let’s take a look at these options and what they have to offer homeowners:

What Are Floodlights?

Homeowners choose floodlights for their homes to illuminate vast areas of space, providing security in the area. These types of light fixtures are good for deck lighting and spaces with steps or stairs that are covered by large trees. When choosing floodlights, look for LED floodlights with a good IP factor. This is known as “ingress protection”, which rates the level of resistance your lighting has toward outdoor elements.

Outdoor Accent Lights

Your outdoor lighting designer can help you choose from a wide range of accent lighting that will work wonders for your garden. Step lights can be used if you want to add some light to your outdoor steps without using a floodlight in the area. Up and down wall lights are a good way to add a wall wash of light source to your home’s architecture. Garden lights can bring out the flowers and plants in your landscape design.

Landscape Spot Lights

Spotlighting is a fantastic way to light up focal points in your yards such as water features and custom flower beds. This landscape lighting technique has been used in many of our outdoor lighting designs to bring attention to the unique statues and plants that complete the garden’s design. Get in touch with our team of experts for your consultation and we can discuss spotlighting that will brighten your space like never before!

Choosing the Best Outdoor Lighting Effects for Your Space

With so many flood and accent lighting ideas to choose from, you’ll want to be sure you’re working with the best team for the job. At Alexander Michael’s, we provide homeowners with 25 years of experience in landscape lighting design. AM Garden will be happy to help you find the best lighting for your outdoor space that will work wonders for years to come.

Connect with us to learn more about our outdoor lighting effects!

Should You Update Your Landscape Lighting?

by AM Garden Team | Nov 1, 2021 | Color Changing Lights, Hardscape Lighting, Landscape Lighting Services, Moonlighting Effect, Pathway Lighting, Shadowing Effect

Wondering whether or not to upgrade or add to your existing outdoor / landscape lighting?

Do you have an older lighting system that either does not work very well or not at all? LED technology has advanced in a significant manner over the last five years. As one example, in 2020, scientists even developed a technique that allows for a single LED to produce all three primary colors, which allows the manufacturers full-spectrum, multi-color lights! Imagine having the ability to change the color of your lights, via a mobile application, based on the season of a special day. IE. Christmas colors, blue for law enforcement support, pink for valentines day, etc. LED technology is a great option for exterior lighting. As opposed to traditional halogen light systems, LED has lots of benefits, including energy efficiency, durability, low cost, and low maintenance.

But I have a 120-volt system. Can I upgrade to LED?

120-volt systems are a great alternative for commercial applications, where several hundred feet of coverage is required. If you currently have a 120-volt system, consider this: Each of those bulbs are consuming approximately 60 watts of power, whereas an average LED fixture will consume only 7 watts. And, if your system has antiquated Halogen bulbs, you could expect to use 80% less energy with LED technology. Also, a typical LED lamp has a life expectancy of approximately 45,000 hours. To put that into perspective, if you have your LED system turned on every night, for eight hours a day, you could expect these bulbs to last 15 years, or longer!

What can I expect LED maintenance to cost?

Regular maintenance, usually every one to two years, is recommended to avoid costly repairs. We offer a free one-year maintenance plan at Alexander Michaels Garden, Landscape, And Outdoor Lighting. We will check your system bi-annually forbad bulbs, overgrown vegetation, transformer connections, and wire that has become unburied. All outdoor lighting systems will require maintenance, but LED will require less maintenance and repair over the years.

Do you want your outdoor lighting system updated or retrofitted?

The experts with Alexander Michael’s Garden, Landscape, and Outdoor Lighting are here for you! Call us at 832-515-8240, fill out our online Contact Us Form, and let us provide you with a free design consultation and proposal. Check out our gallery recent projects here.

Transform Your Landscape Lighting With Color!

by AM Garden Team | Oct 26, 2021 | Color Changing Lights, Hardscape Lighting, Moonlighting Effect, Pathway Lighting

Whether you want to add to an existing landscape lighting system or begin a new design from scratch, kick your design element into high gear by adding color. Alexander Michaels Garden, Landscape, And Outdoor Lighting can design and install a light color-changing system that will set your design apart from the rest.

APP CONTROLLED

Download a user-friendly APP that connects your smart device to the main transformer. Control the light color and lighting schedule for holidays and special occasions with the app’s simple “click” of a button. You can take the stress out of holiday decorating. No more weekends spent untangling lights or climbing ladders. With the touch of a button, your home lighting will be ready for Christmas, Halloween, or the 4th of July. You can even schedule the lights to change color on a set date, and they will change automatically every year! Then, it is very simple to change your system back to more traditional warm or cool lights for the remainder of the year.

Up Lights And Down Lights

Up and down-lights are available in various wattages and come in aluminum and brass finish options.

Path Lights And Tiki Torch Lights

Whether you are illuminating the path to your front door or around a pool or patio, these lights give you a perfect blend of mood and safety lighting.

Unique Features

Don’t settle for basic lighting, with Alexander Michael’s, our landscape lighting products offer:

A Variety of Color Options
Our lighting offers a broad range of color options in addition to our Classic White LED lighting. Our hand-selected radiant hues will add a festive touch to your home any day of the year.
Full Brightness and Temperature Control
Control the color and brightness of your light to best suit your home. Whether you want a bright white to illuminate walkways or a softer shade to highlight your home’s architecture, you can make the change with the touch of a button.
Durable Brass or Aluminum Finishing
Our fixtures not only look great, but they are also durable, too. Whether it’s rain, snow, or sunshine, you can count on our landscape lighting to stand up to the elements.
Smart Phone App
The user-friendly app allows you to control your lights from anywhere! You can also schedule your lights to change colors for holidays, game days, or any special occasion. No need for last-minute stress, set it in advance and forget it! This system has it covered.
Simple Home Automation
There are no confusing timers or unreliable light sensors. Use the app to simply schedule your lights to come on at sunset and turn off at sunrise, and it will happen every day.

Contact Alexander Michael’s Garden, Landscape, And Outdoor Lighting today to schedule your free design consultation.

Stairway Lights Pool Lighting Blue Pool

Fire Pit Firepit

Outdoor Lighting Techniques And Effects

by AM Garden Team | Oct 18, 2021 | Landscape Lighting Services, Moonlighting Effect, Pathway Lighting, Shadowing Effect

Alexander Michael’s Garden, Landscape, And Outdoor Lighting take pride in our knowledge and experience with the different techniques for outdoor lighting. We use our expertise to employ each of these techniques to achieve the most effective results. Our design process is much more than placing a bunch of accent fixtures around your home and calling it a “design”. We consider our customer’s lighting objective, the size, and placement of landscaping, the color scheme of the home, the size of the trees, and the overall size of the property.

The two most common design flaws that I have observed are:

Incorrect placement of fixtures; In particular, the incorrect aim of the fixture. Most fixtures have lamps (bulbs) that come in a variety of spread widths, from 15 degrees to 120 degrees! The correct spread should be considered when designing the layout and overall lighting objective.
Every square inch of your landscape or home does not need to be illuminated. An effective design will have layers of lighting, highlighting focal points of the property. So, of the 8 primary lighting techniques, the following are my favorite: (We will cover other techniques in future articles)

Shadowing Effect

With the proper fixture placement and the correct light spread, the shadowing effect is a dramatic look. Not only will the subject plant or bush be illuminated, but the shadowing of the plant will cast a shadow onto the backdrop behind the plant. Palm trees are a great tree to utilize this effect. The placement of fixtures and correct lamp spread is critical with this technique. I’ve included pictures of this technique at the end of this article.

Moon Lighting

My absolute favorite! This technique is not for the installer who is afraid of heights, as it requires climbing into the canopy of a large tree. We use a wide beam specialty fixture that simulates moonlight with the shadow of the canopy branches casting onto the ground below. We always use climbing safety gear. This type of installation brings me back to my childhood tree-climbing days! The approach is straightforward. It also requires a couple of conditions:

- The tree should be large, with a wide canopy.
- There MUST be a significant branch pattern from the middle of the canopy to the ground. It’s important that the fixture is installed high enough in the tree to allow the light to filter down through limbs and branches to create this shadowing.

Path Lighting

Path Lighting is an effective way to tie the lighting design together I recommend using a staggard pattern alternating sides of the pathway. Remember though, you DO NOT want single-stemmed pathway lights installed in grassy areas, as whoever mows your grass is likely to destroy the fixture. There are several fixture choices that will alleviate this potentially costly issue, including larger bollards and low-profile fixtures.

Click Here to Contact Alexander Michael’s Garden, Landscape, and Outdoor Lighting to schedule your free design consultation today.

HomePathway Lighting