The amount of options that you have when it comes to outdoor garden lighting can be overwhelming.  Before you can actually choose what fixtures you want and what type of lighting system to install, you need to take a good look at your property and know what you want to achieve.  The two basic questions you need to answer are what is the purpose of your lighting and what type of lighting do you need.

The first decision that you will need to make to choose your garden lights is what type of lighting you need.  Do you want it to be strictly functional, only for decoration, or both?  This will guide all your future decisions.  Functional lighting is installed mostly so that you can go from one point in your garden to another without tripping and falling in the middle of the night.  However, decorative lighting is used to accentuate the outdoor feel of your landscape and add to your home’s curb appeal.  Most homes opt for a combination of the two styles.

Next, you need to figure out the type of lighting system that you need.  The two most popular ways to power garden lights today are through low voltage systems or solar cells.  Low voltage systems are a little bit more difficult to install than solar systems because they involve running wires and also need to have a transformer installed.  However, these lights are brighter and more reliable than their solar counterparts.  Solar lights are a snap to install because you simply stick them in the ground and forget about them, but they come with the trade-off that you can only place them in areas that get direct sunlight for a large portion of the day.

If you are having a difficult time making up your mind, it helps to think about the amount of work that you would like to put in.  Solar lighting is a snap to install, since there aren’t any wires.  All you need to do is push them into the grass and you are ready to go.  Installing low-voltage lighting takes a considerable amount of work, depending on how good a job you do.  You will most likely need to dig a narrow trench to bury the wires that connect the lights.  Failing to do this step will result in the wires getting run over by the lawnmower or tripped on.

For more information about both solar and low voltage garden lighting, visit the Garden Lights Guru.

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