Journal
The night journal.
Plain-English guides on planning, cost, LED, color, dim lights, uplighting, moonlighting, patio ideas and smart controls, written for Middle Tennessee homeowners and property managers.
Ideas and EffectsSmart Landscape Lighting: What to KnowWhat smart controls can do for landscape lighting, how they work and what to check before you add them.
Ideas and EffectsLighting Your Patio Without GlareLayers, low brightness, shielded fixtures and dimmers keep a patio comfortable and glare free, with a few mistakes to avoid.
Ideas and EffectsGrazing vs Washing: Lighting Walls Two WaysGrazing skims light across a wall to show texture, and washing spreads it evenly to calm a surface, and each suits different materials.
Ideas and EffectsUplighting vs Moonlighting for TreesUplighting makes trees glow from below, moonlighting casts soft light down from above, and many yards benefit from both.
Ideas and EffectsHow to Choose Light Color TemperatureWarm or cool white? What 2200 K, 2700 K, 3000 K and 4000 K look like on brick, plants and skin, and how to choose.
Care and TroubleshootingSeasonal Landscape Lighting CareA season-by-season checklist for keeping landscape lighting bright: spring cleanup, summer growth checks, fall leaves and winter care.
Care and TroubleshootingA Landscape Lighting Troubleshooting ChecklistWhat to check, in order, when part of your landscape lighting stops working, before you call for help.
Care and TroubleshootingWhy Are My Landscape Lights Dim?Dim landscape lights usually come from voltage drop, old lamps, corroded connections or an overloaded transformer, and each has a straightforward fix.
Cost and ChoosingHow to Compare Landscape Lighting QuotesA short checklist of what to ask each lighting company to put in writing so two proposals mean the same thing.
Cost and ChoosingLED vs Halogen Landscape LightingLED landscape lighting uses far less energy, lasts far longer and offers better control than halogen, and a few things are worth knowing before you switch.Cost and ChoosingWhat Affects the Cost of Landscape Lighting?Fixture count, fixture quality, wire runs, trenching and controls decide the price of landscape lighting, and a few questions help you compare proposals.
Design and PlanningPath Light Spacing and PlacementHow far apart path lights should be, which side of the path they belong on and how to avoid the runway look.
Design and PlanningHow Many Fixtures Does a Yard Need?There is no magic number, but what you want to light, how big the property is and how layered the design is give a good planning range.Design and PlanningHow to Plan Landscape Lighting for Your YardA simple way to plan landscape lighting: walk the yard at dusk, choose what to light, layer the effects and test before you buy.