Of all the features in the garden, water is perhaps the one that most invites the use of lighting. Still, dark pools, rippling steams or cascading fountains and waterfalls provide exceptional opportunities for the creative and subtle use of light to take garden landscapes to the next level.
Whether moving or still, water always appears to be the focus of a garden-lighting scheme if it’s there. Streams, fountains and the gleam of light on still water are all stunning in their own ways. At night, water creates a wonderful compliment to garden lighting effects, its form providing a beautiful contrast to still garden environments.
In this series, we are going to provide a comprehensive guide to lighting garden water features. Here we will discuss lighting moving water, still water, complex water features and underwater lighting.
Moving Water
Some applications involve uplighting from still water, but these are usually the exception, and the main interests in lighting lie in making the most of two properties of water - refraction and reflection. Refraction is the property by which lighting is bent as it passes through the surface of water. It poses no real problems for lighting upwards from under still water because the light can easily be adjusted to point the beam in the right direction. If the surface of the water is moving – because it is disturbed by a nearby waterfall surface or the cascade from a fountain, for example – the refraction at the water surface is continuously varied, the light coming up through the moving water is similarly varied, and the light beam is being bent at random, which produces a shimmering lighting effect.
Still Water
The reflection of a statue, focal point, or tree feature in dark, still water can create a stunning calming effect. It involves a relatively simple technique and can be applied to any swimming pool, lake, or small pond. Lighting a strongly outlined subject or architectural feature on the far side of the pool produces an image that is reflected on the water in the foreground. This is also a highly creative way of using a body of water that can’t be used for underwater lighting.
Complex Water Features
Water features which combine many different lighting aspects within one are found in larger gardens. Within a complex design many ideas that are, individually, applicable to a wide range of features come together. Sophisticated design is achieved by looking at individual parts, the appropriate lighting effects and then by integrating a complete design.
Underwater Lighting
Underwater uplighting of moving water, for example, a waterfall or fountain using an underwater spotlight is a common and effective technique. Glistening water and the shimmering light projected by underwater lighting through moving water can be beautiful to see. The light adds the dimension of movement to otherwise still surfaces around the central feature, with the natural movement of water from the wind offering visual appeal.
This is the first in our series exploring the lighting of garden water features. At Lighting for Gardens we provide a terrific collection of professional Elipta lights and accessories sure to help make the most of any garden landscape, regardless of style or preference.