Lighting for your landscape and for holiday cheer

The nights are getting longer, and the rain makes the world seem a bit darker. Now is a good time to think about improving your landscape lighting. You may also want to visit the lights at a holiday light show at a local garden, park or zoo. Perhaps you could plan a visit with family and friends.

Lighting your landscape

Adding lights can make your landscape safer, enhance your home’s beauty and allow you to enjoy your outdoor spaces over more of the year. Landscape lighting can also increase your home’s resale value.

Where would you like to install lights? First consider pathways, steps and entrances. Improving the lighting in these areas can help prevent accidents and deter intruders.

Then consider areas you might like to light to enhance your home’s aesthetic appeal. This might include architectural features of your home, specimen plantings such as trees and shrubs, artwork or water features. Consider what effect you want to achieve and what kind of atmosphere you would like to create.

Lighting could allow you to enjoy your outdoor living areas day and night for dining, socializing and relaxing. An outdoor room with a fireplace could be cozy with the right lighting.

Choosing the right lighting can be a complex process. You might want ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. Where would downlights, uplights and spotlights be best used?

Our designers can help you think through lighting and the best ways to improve safety and enhance your landscape. Contact us to set up a consultation.

Here is more information on what to consider when lighting your landscape.

• All About Landscape Lighting, This Old House
• Outdoor Landscape Lighting Dos and Don’ts, Family Handyman
• Top 10 Reasons To Install Landscape Lighting, Nitetime Decor
• Planning Well-Designed Outdoor Lighting, Even If You’re Not A Pro, Nitetime Decor

Holiday light shows

Visiting holiday light shows can be a great family tradition. Here are some of our favorites.

Winter Solstice Celebration, Dunn Gardens, Seattle, December 6 and 7, 5-8 pm. Step away from the holiday rush and immerse yourself in the quiet magic of Dunn Gardens this winter. Experience the gardens at their most serene, beautifully lit with gentle lights, a crackling bonfire, warm drinks and live music. Walk thoughtfully to the center of the Celtic spiral, carrying your own light and finding moments of peace, joy and renewal. Purchase tickets online.

Winter Bonsai Solstice, Pacific Bonsai Museum, Federal Way. December 14, 4-7 pm.Come for an evening stroll to take in beautiful bonsai twinkling in an array of lights, and then stay to shop for goodies at the gift shop, sip free hot chocolate and listen to fun holiday favorites. This is a family-friendly tradition that warmly embraces the generous spirit of the holidays. Suggested donation: $12 for adults. No reservations or advance tickets are needed.

Garden d’Lights, Bellevue Botanical Garden, Bellevue. November 30-December 31. Garden d’Lights features over half a million sparkling lights formed into the whimsical shapes of plants, flowers, birds, animals, and cascading waterfalls set amid the natural beauty of the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Tickets must be purchased online. Tickets are not sold at the gate.

WildLanterns, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle. November 15-January 19. WildLanterns features an all-new, immersive, wild wonder with stunning creatures vividly portrayed in lantern form. Features include the Mystical Forest, Birds of Paradise zone, Under the Jungle Canopy and more. Find out about special evenings and purchase timed tickets here.

Zoolights, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Tacoma. November 29-January 5. The zoo is transformed into a colorful winter wonderland with over a million lights. Come find all your favorites, old and new, from the giant Pacific octopus to the massive tiger face and the Narrows Bridges. And don’t forget to hunt for Sasquatch. Purchase timed tickets online.