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Lighting Trees Uplighting is the most commonly used garden lighting technique, for shrub borders and trees especially. By uplighting trees, one exploits a unique opportunity to add vertical emphasis and drama. Trees with an open habit allow light to fully display the branch structure, while the contrast of colour between subjects can be emphasised. The light coloured bark of a silver birch, the coppery stems of Prunus serrula, the golden fern-like foliage of Gleditsia triacanthos "Sunburst" or the translucent fiery leaves of Acer palmatum "Crimson King" are examples of good lighting subjects. For trees with dense canopies and darker foliage, uplighting rarely works well on its own. Uplighting through the central branch structure and crosslighting the canopy from a second source is one alternative; really dense canopies, such as conifers, can only be lit from outside. Where there are several trees in a view, avoid lighting them uniformly (unless you are lighting an avenue). Light some from the front and others from the side to provide contrast. Lighting a house wall to silhouette a tree in front is an interesting effect if the tree has an open structure. Alternatively a spotlight in front can project the shadow of a tree onto the wall behind, a good way of using a small acer to create a big effect in a newly planted garden. Trees can be good lighting platforms in relation to shrub borders, as well as a way of lighting terraces, driveways, paths, steps and seating areas. A favourite technique is "moonlighting" down from low power lights fixed in a tree to shadow the lower branches and foliage onto the ground below. This provides a wonderfully subtle, dappled lighting effect over a tree seat and is also a creative way of integrating the lawn into the lighting scene. In a private garden, use an M5520T or K15087 tree-mounted spotlight with an internal honeycomb louvre about 5 metres above the ground. A 35 watt 60 degree lamp is usually a good choice: for denser foliage or higher mounting points, move up to a 50w lamp, but for smaller trees reduce the power to 20 watts. A pale blue filter will mimic the colour of moonlight. To uplight small to medium size trees, use one or more a tungsten halogen lamp of 50 - 75 watts and a beam angle to suit the tree - 24 degrees for a slender silver birch, 60 degrees for a weeping tree and 36-40 degrees for most tree shapes in between. A general purpose 50watt spotlight such as Megabay’s M5520GRE or a 50 watt recessed light such as the Amphibian M2021 or M2022 provide a starting point for smaller trees, moving up to the K15381 75 watt spike spotlight or M2801 75w recessed uplight for larger specimens. Uplighting for larger trees generally means moving to mains voltage uplights using metal halide light sources. These are high-efficiency white light sources with controlled beams for effective uplighting while avoiding excessive light pollution if used properly. Elipta’s Pier (T2110) spike or surface mount units provide and York T2010 provide a range of power ratings and beam characteristics to light most trees. For floodlighting of trees with dense canopies which are unsuitable for uplighting, then a general purpose metal halide floodlight such as the T2210 is a good option. For these powerful light sources it’s a good idea to wire them up temporarily first (making sure you use an RCD) and confirm the right position through experimentation at night before permanent installation. Refer to the Lighting Solutions pages for more information on Low voltage uplighting of trees and Metal halide uplights for larger trees Manufacturer and Supplier links: |
Lighting for Gardens - Professional quality garden lights and outdoor lighting from the leading UK garden lighting supplier. |
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