- With picture
With summer just around the corner, now is the time to prepare your
garden for summer entertaining. As well as carrying out the usualDIY tasks,
investing in easy-to-install outdoor lighting can transform your garden into
an enchanting extension of your living space.
Richard Van Orton, Lighting Expert from leading electrical manufacturer
Micromark has put together a number of tips to help you get the most out of
your garden lighting.
"The most important thing to remember is to plan your garden lighting
before you jump in. Decide what you want to achieve with your lighting,
whether it might be to floodlight an entertaining area or to highlight
features, then choose products accordingly. Used correctly, garden lighting
can change the look of your garden quickly and easily."
Court in the act
"A great way to mark out an area such as a courtyard or patio for
entertaining is through the use of post or bollard lighting. Whether you
choose a traditional or modern fitting will depend on the style of your home
and garden. Micromark offers several post lanterns including the San Marco
range (pictured, San Marco1 metre post and pedestal lantern) in a sleek
stainless steel finish.
"Lots of people now have decking in their gardens. A great way of making
your patio area stand out form the crowd is by installing small light
fittings such as Twilight(r) LEDs from Micromark. The small circular light
fittings can be mounted into decking, pathways etc, adding style to the area.
Micromark's Twilight(r) fittings come with either bright white or blue LEDs."
Flower Power
"Thoughtfully placed lighting can transform a drab flowerbed into a
delightful and intriguing feature - throwing up interesting and mysterious
shapes and shadows. Powerful low voltage lights such as the Starburst LV
Garden Light or Starspot Garden Spotlight discreetly positioned within a
flowerbed can be used to create these effects."
Summer Ball
"If you're planning garden parties or b-b-q's this summer, novelty
lighting can add instant fun and sparkle. Products such as the Party String
Ball Light Kit consists of ten (five in gold, five silver) lights which are
ideal for decorating trees or bushes - and they take only a few seconds to
put up. Cleverly positioned lighting can be used to draw attention to
features or conversation pieces in your garden."
So-lar, So Good
"One of the simplest and most flexible ways of updating your garden
lighting is by using solar lighting. Solar lights are powered by the sun's
energy (turning on automatically at dusk), there is no wiring involved.
Simply insert the spikes into earth to install. Flexible solar lighting,
including the Solar Crook Lantern in chromed finish can easily be picked up
and repositioned around your garden."
Period Living
"As mentioned earlier, gardens need to be treated as an extension of your
interior living space in order to get the most out of them. For example, if
you have a traditional style home, you'll probably need traditional style
garden lighting to complement your house. A traditional post lantern such as
the Amalfi from Micromark with it's classic carriage lamp design will add an
Edwardian country garden sophistication to a period home.
"On the other end of the scale modern bollard lighting like the 1m Turin
Bollard from Micromark will look great in any contemporary garden - these
slender stainless steel bollards have a futuristic feel and are perfect for
marking out pathways, driveways or borders."
Quick Tips
- One vital thing to bear in mind when lighting your garden is
safety. Only uselighting products that are specifically designed for use
outside and make sure that you follow the on-pack instructions.
- Don't just think about how your garden will look when you are
out in it, but also when you are looking out at it from inside. If you
have a favourite window, or large glass door overlooking your garden use
them as a 'frame' and plan your lighting around the view for a
spectacular effect from inside.
- Always remember that lighting is there to complement your
garden and to add atmosphere, rather than dominating it so don't overload
your garden with lighting and don't position powerful lights in places
where they may dazzle guests.
"Finally - do be brave, creative and inspired and enjoy the long summer
evening in your beautifully lit garden."
For stockist information and more details please call Micromark on
+44 (0)20 88296354, or visit www.micromark.co.uk
Note to Editors:
A high resolution photograph is available to the media free of
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DATASOURCE: Micromark
For more information, expert advice or images on garden lighting products from
Micromark, please contact Naomi Stockley, or Robin Smith at EHPR on +44 (0)1753
842017, or email: micromark.pressdesk@ehpr.co.uk