Guest Speaker Paul Proulx, owner of a local landscape, irrigation and lighting business spoke to Northumberland master Gardeners about landscape lighting
Our Guest Speaker for November was Paul Proulx, the owner of a local landscape irrigation and lighting business. He spoke to us about creating a beautiful landscape at night.
His company uses FX Luminaire products, recommended by Paul for easy installation, durable components and simple maintenance. Using low voltage field wires connected to a transformer means landscape lighting can be safely installed by the homeowner without the need for an electrician.
LED components are environmentally friendly, using a fraction of the energy of traditional lighting. As well, LED lights can be controlled digitally by using your phone to time the lights, handle different property zones and change colours.
Paul emphasized the importance of first creating a detailed plan to show the areas where light is needed, identify what components would be used for each purpose and determine where the field wires would be buried. In Ontario wires are buried about 5 inches below the surface.
Outdoor safety and security are the main goals, according to Paul, especially stairs, entry ways and pathways. In addition, using lights to highlight a home’s architectural features, outdoor living spaces and focal points such as sculptures and trees add value to the home.
You can use lighting to emphasize focal points in your garden.
Authored by Marguerite Long