Highlights that surround your garden or shadows and silhouettes that play off the shapes and colors of a specific shrub, tree, or plant will add interest to your backyard. Choose some lighting kits and angling techniques to acquire the desired ambiance.

Use Direct Lighting To Focus On A Feature

A prominent shrub or plant that seems to add a lot of character to your property during daylight hours can also be enjoyed at night. Direct lighting that is aimed toward a feature will amplify the item and will prevent people from stepping onto delicate leaves or along the portion of the ground that is covering a shrub's or plant's root system.

Floodlighting or halogen bulbs that contain a plastic or metal encasement can be used to add focused light to specific items. Consider the backdrop that is behind the item that is being highlighted. Install the lighting so that it remains relatively low to the ground. Aim the lighting so that it is directed toward a specific part of the feature.

Take notice of the area that is behind the feature. A brick wall or a solid-colored siding that is an opposite color to the greenery will not interfere with the enhancement and will serve as a backdrop that will receive some indirect lighting. If too much lighting appears on a structure, aim each bulb slightly downward, to ensure that the lighting that is emitted will only highlight the bottom part of the greenery that is being accented.

Use Waterproof Suspension Or Pole Lighting

If lighting is elevated and a bulb is aiming toward the ground, a series of shadows will be emitted, especially if a light is surrounded by branches. This type of enhancement can also be used to create silhouettes on a surface that is in your yard, such as a patio or the exterior of your home. 

If you plan on keeping the lights outdoors, purchase landscape lighting that is waterproof and that contains shatterproof covers. Playing around with the height that each light is suspended from will help you pinpoint which level will achieve the desired effect.

Pole lighting will work similarly to suspension lighting but will keep the circle of light more contained than if a light is elevated at a greater height. This type of garden lighting is suitable for enhancing tall marsh grasses or shrubbery that contains long branches that tend to move when it is windy.

For more garden lighting solutions, talk to a garden shop in your area.