ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9604050009
SECTION: BETTER HOMES PAGE: BH-24 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOANNE ANDERSON
Light up your summer night life at home with lightscaping - an intriguing way to create moods in your yard with lights, along with lengthening your outdoor time and improving security and safety.
Real estate professionals confirm that homeowners who install exterior lights generally realized a 100 percent return on the investment. If you rent, you can simply take the lights when you move.
The lights, which become part of your overall landscaping plan, are available in solar-powered or low-voltage models. They are about a foot high and come with a pointed end to drive into the ground.
You can buy these singly, mixing different styles in your yard, or in sets of four, eight, 10 or 12. The individual ones run around five dollars each, while a set of eight costs in the $30 range and 12 lamp sets are $60-90 depending on the model.
The solar powered ones have a unique solar cell which captures sunlight, stores it in a special battery and releases it after dark. Of course, the amount of light you get at night depends on how much sun you had during the day.
These do not have wires or use electricity, but may not emit as much light for as long a period of time as you would like. Depending on the amount of sun during the day, they shine for 3-8 hours at night.
Low-voltage lighting is safe, easy to install and less expensive to operate than conventional lighting. There is also more light control than with solar powered lights.
For one, you can turn them on and off at will and you can purchase different wattage lamps.
These lights have a transformer that plugs into a weatherproof outdoor outlets and converts household current to just 12 volts. The cables do not need to be buried, but should be safely covered or taped in a walkway.
Big floodlights are usually installed on house corners for security, but they can also make a stunning impact highlighting a large tree at night or accenting shrubbery or a water garden. Manufacturers of the low voltage lights also make a small halogen lamp floodlight, a smaller, softer version of the big ones.
Before buying anything, walk all around your yard thinking about where lights would enhance the plantings and where they might provide illumination for safety such as on steps and walkways. Think about where you sit in the evenings or where you would like to sit after dark and what you want to see.
Lisa Lipsey of Laurel Creek Nursery only advises to avoid the "airport runway look" of lining up your lights neatly in a row up the driveway or sidewalk.
From the functional to the whimsical, lightscaping contributes to enjoying your gardens after dark without glaring on the peace of a mid-summer night.
Although you may need more than one box of lights, you might buy one box at first and try them at night near different bushes and plants for the effect. Move them around until you decide where you want all your lights and how many you will need.
No matter what you decide to buy, think in terms of a long-term investment in lightscaping your property, and - as with most things you purchase for your home - buy the best you can afford.
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: JOANNE ANDERSON. Outdoor lights nestled in landscapingby CNBcan enhance your evening garden enjoyment.