Why you should, or shouldn't use spotlights in your garden

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There are several ways to light a garden at night, and what you choose will depend on how you use the space. My garden is meant to be looked at, not much more.

I have spotlights all around the garden that highlight the plants and bounce back some soft light - a little more than shows in the photo, but just barely enough to walk safely around. At night this garden isn't a strolling garden, it's a "sitting looking at it" garden, and I think it's beautiful.

However, if you need the space to work better for walking around, you'd be wise to light it differently, mostly with path lights. You can add a spotlight or two for drama, but the light would need to be down at the ground, so people can watch their step.

You could also do "stadium lighting", which is lighting from above, and that's the best if you plan on having a bunch of people standing around. That way they can see where they're walking, and will be able to see if there are enough olives in their martini. You really don't want guests stumbling around in dim conditions!

Another drawback to spotlights is glare. You have to position them perfectly, so that they don't shine into a window, or at your neighbor's house. These things are bright! I wandered 'round back yesterday in the dark and was dazzled, and blinded by the spotlights as seen from the wall side. Don't go there!

But I like the look of the spotlights and I mostly use the garden alone, or with one or two friends who sit at the table with me. We have a lot of daylight here in Arizona, and I spend most of my time in the sunshine, anyway. So the spotlights are just to show up a bit at night, but they really aren't very functional.

I hope this helps.

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