When you think of lighting for your home, you probably
imagine indoor lamps and fixtures, but lighting is also a good accent for outdoors.
No, I'm not just talking about porch lights and green and red Christmas lights.
Landscape lighting will provide your customers with new ideas for their garden
that they'll thank you for. It also can increase your sales dramatically. For
instance, if one of your customers comes into your store to buy a nice, large
statue to put in her yard, recommend highlighting that piece with
cross-landscape lighting. Boom -- an add-on right there!
Lighting can accent many things in landscaping and gardens.
It can light a seating area, ponds, gardens and other items. Light is not only
for aesthetics, but for safety, too. It can make your home more inviting to
guests and in turn make it less inviting to intruders.
So, where and with what do you start? Retailers should offer
a wide variety of lighting options. Start out with the basics, such as accent
lights, also known as uplights. Spotlight or cross-light an interesting object
such as a statue, tree or entranceway. Provide lighting for fish in a pond. Or,
just provide lighting that functions as a garden accent in the day and a light
source at night.
Accent Lighting
Basics uplights can be placed along a path or in dark areas
leading up to the home, garage or patio and can illuminate walkways while
avoiding glare. Path lights, also known as moonlighting, can also be used to
highlight a garden.
In addition to providing safety for stairways, paths and
patios, accent lights can illuminate groundcover, shrubbery or flowerbeds. It
highlights trees, shrubbery or the texture of exterior walls.
Cross-landscape lighting will provide shadowing and a
3-dimensional effect. It is achieved by lighting an object from two or more
directions with multiple accent lights and "crossing" the light
paths.
Low-voltage lights will be the majority of lighting used for
this. Many things need to be considered when trying to highlight an object,
including how large the object is and the desired closeness of the light. These
will help determine what kind of fixture and beam should be used.
Many accent lights come equipped with timers to
automatically turn lights on and off, which will reduce electrical costs.
Water Garden Lighting
"Water gardening is really popular right now, and
lighting is a large component of that," says Michael Sothard, national
sales manager at Kichler Landscape Lighting in Cleveland, Ohio, "whether
it is light in the water or an accent light pointing to the water."
In order for the lights to work and be safe for fish,
underwater lights are normally low-voltage and produce little heat. There are
many to choose from, so you should know what your customer wants to do with his
or her pond. If she wants to illuminate her pond, suggest an underwater light;
for spotlighting, suggest an accent light.
Decorative Lighting
Your customers want to enjoy their garden both day and
night. "Fun, decorative lighting is gaining popularity," says Michael.
"More options and designs are good to have."
Themes, such as lighthouses or animals, can provide many
options for decorative lighting. These lights serve a purpose both night and
day. During the day, they serve as decorative accents, and at night, they serve
as lights.
Candles and outdoor fireplaces are another option for your
customers. Included in this group are torches, which add a gentle light to
walkways and can set off desired areas.
So, make sure you offer a large range of products and
advice. "Most importantly, retailers need to be educated on lighting, and
many manufacturers offer classes and sessions on this," Michael says. Check
with your lighting manufacturers to see what help they offer and consider
setting up vignette displays with plants, garden accents and lighting to show
your customers the great potential of lighting in their gardens.
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