Fall is the perfect time to add outdoor lighting to your back yard.

All too soon, we will have to “fall back,” and then night will come even earlier. It will probably be dark by the time you get home from work each day. If you leave early for your job, you may not see your property in the light of day until the weekend rolls around.

You want to enjoy your off hours, but sitting in front of the TV can get old. If you had some outdoor lighting, you could savor nature again.

Many homeowners have a hard time imagining just how outdoor lighting would look in their yard. That’s why we offer lighting design plan services. There is so much to consider when you’re adding outdoor lighting.

First, why do you want outdoor lighting? Will you use it to sit outside and read in the evenings? Maybe you would like to have family dinners outside, or entertain guests. Each of these purposes calls for a different kind of lighting.

That’s not to say you have to choose only one type of lighting. But if you opt for soft lighting that glows like moonlight, you will have a hard time hosting a dinner party. You may want different types and strengths of lighting.

For instance, suppose you want to have a Halloween party and encourage the guests to use your deck? A bonfire would be nice, but if you don’t have a fire pit, it’s not safe. Some soft, twinkling lights around the railings and on the stair risers will keep everyone safe but retain that dim, spooky atmosphere.

But what if you wanted to host a 60th birthday party for your dad, who believes the only thing that makes an outdoor birthday party better is a cooler full of beer in cans? And you want to invite his siblings and hunting buddies? More light would be better for this gathering. Guests would have surer footing and you’d have an easier time keeping an eye on everyone.

Maybe what you’ll use your outdoor lighting for the most will be eating dinner al fresco. If you have a pergola, gazebo or any type of roof structure, overhead lighting would work best. It illuminates a larger area. If you think you’ll have some romantic dinners out there sans teenagers, have a dimmer switch put in.

The options for outdoor lighting are endless. For ideas on how to make your back yard usable again this fall, contact Earthworks Landscaping. We’ll show you our bright ideas!