Types Of Outdoor Landscape Lighting: 7 Must-Have Fixtures

Types Of Outdoor Landscape Lighting: 7 Must-Have Fixtures

Find The Ideal Types Of Outdoor Landscape Lighting For Your Maryland, DC, Or Northern Virginia Home
a house lit up at night in the evening.

These types of outdoor landscape lighting can transform your home. You can see how brightening your paths, yards/gardens, and other areas can create a warm and beautiful oasis of light. Let’s accompany Lisa & Michael as they learn about 7 fixtures for lighting landscapes.

7 types of outdoor landscape lighting fixtures:

  1. Spotlights
  2. Flood Lights
  3. Up/Downlights 
  4. Step Lights
  5. Garden Lights
  6. Bollard Lights
  7. String Lights

We Could Have It Too, You Know

“Our neighbor’s new landscape lighting makes their yard look amazing,” Lisa says to her husband, Michael.

a large house lit up at night with lights on.
They pass by it on the way to their dark driveway. The lights coming from their neighbors home somehow makes theirs seem darker than it was before. Now it just looks like a squarish hunk squatting in the shadows.
a house lit up at night with the lights on.

“It does look nice, maybe we should think about installing a few of our own,” says Michael. Lisa agrees, but there is just one problem:

They don’t know much about landscape lighting.

Lisa considers this problem as Michael pulls into their dark driveway, accidentally running over the same patch of grass everyone does. “Ugh, I can never see it when we’re coming home at night. I’m going to have to reseed it again,” he grumpily grumbles.

Tired of having such a dark exterior, the couple decides to start looking into outdoor landscape lighting.

“Ok,” Lisa exclaims, “Let’s start with finding out the different types of outdoor lights there are. Then we can go from there to design or calling the best lighting contractors in Maryland.” Michael likes the sound of that. After fumbling the key into their front door they go to their computer.

It’s time to do some research on outdoor lights.

7 Types Of Outdoor Landscape Lights

1. Spotlights

This is a general term for lights that point only in 1 direction.

a couple of statues sitting in the middle of a garden.

It’s a general term because spotlights become a certain type of light when used in a certain way. For example, if you point a spotlight upwards at a wall, it becomes an uplight that creates a wall grazing effect.

Spotlights can range in brightness and amount of area they cover. They often illuminate statues, plants, walls, patios, and anything you can point it at.

a garden with a tree and some flowers.
The couple look at each other in silent agreement. Spotlights will make it into their yard, they just need to choose which type(s) like these next few.

Learn more about spotlights >>

2. Flood Lights

Flood lights are the most useful of the types of outdoor landscape lights for brightening large areas. They are spotlights with a high brightness and wide coverage range. They often illuminate driveways and patios from above. 

a house with two red arrows pointing to the side of it.

“This will be perfect for the driveway. No more running over that same patch of grass for me!” Michael says with a breath of relief. Lisa smiles and continues on to the next landscape light type.

 

3. Up/Downlights

With a wide range of uses these spotlights are some of the best from a design standpoint. Uplights can bring statues to life, create patterns on walls, and beautify your yard.

“These will work great between the hedges and our house walls,” Lisa says, “It’ll make it look safer and better.”

Great tips on landscape lighting design >>

4. Step Lights

It’s all in the name. Step lights go either on walls beside the stairs or on the front, vertical face. 

a close up of some lights in a room.

The couple both think back to times they almost (or did) fall/trip/slide/stumble down stairs in the dark. There’s no question that these types of outdoor landscape lights will light up their deck stairs.

5. Garden Lights

Placing them in natural areas can show your favorite and most beautiful plants to the world. They’re almost like beautiful mushrooms of light. The light goes downwards and slightly out. This way everyone will see the plants instead of spots from looking at a bulb.

a garden with a path and a tree in the middle of it.

“My mums and daylilies will look amazing with some garden lights on them,” Lisa exclaims, bursting with excitement.

6. Bollard Lights

These are posts with lights right on the top. No light shield/cover. Bollard lights are one of the only types of outdoor landscape lights that can shine in every direction.

a house lit up at night with a pathway leading to the front door.
“I’ll bet these can line the pathway so people can see their way to our front door,” Michael muses. Lisa agrees and adds it to their growing list.

7. String Lights

Perfect for stringing through trees and over hardscapes so you can truly enjoy them. They provide a more subtle light for a picturesque scene.
a patio with a lot of lights on it.
“Looks like our deck just got a little brighter! Can’t wait to invite our friends over for a cookout on it,” Michael says excitedly. “You’re right,” Lisa agrees, “and now we have enough types of outdoor lights to make our home amazing at night.”

An Exciting Transformation

Like Lisa and Michael, you too can enhance your home. These 7 types of outdoor landscape lights can help you do just that. Take your home from a squatting shape in the darkness and turn it into a beautifully warm welcome.

We’d be happy to help illuminate your home >>

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