Monday, June 11, 2012

Playing with Landscape Lighting

I have low voltage landscape lighting that illuminates the front of the house at night. I angled the lights to graze across the bricks and I am happy with the look. I hope it deters some of the mischief that often occurs at night. Unfortunately, some mischief still goes on.

My spineless prickly pear cactus is becoming a dominant architectural element in my front prairie, so I thought it might look nice if I illuminated it at night with a couple of additional lights. Here is the result.


It is not quite what I had in mind. All of the other plants around the cactus and the slope of the yard make placement of the lights difficult. It is also necessary to angle the lights so they do not blind anyone walking out of the house and down my sidewalk.

I will play with the lights a little more and see what I can come up with. I may decide to scrap the idea for now and try again later when the cactus gets larger.
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7 comments:

  1. greggoJune 13, 2012 at 6:06 PM

    I think if you can avoid direct spots and do more of a uplight it works better. But I'm not an expert.

    By the way can you recommend a nursery where I can send someone this weekend to pick up an agave parryi for a fathers day present?

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    Replies
    1. Michael - Plano Prairie GardenJune 15, 2012 at 6:34 AM

      Thanks for the comment, greggo. I sent you an email with a few nursery recommendations. I hope you get your agave for Father's Day.

      Delete
  2. CollagemamaJune 14, 2012 at 8:16 PM

    Interesting. I've been wondering about motion-activated lighting for security.

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    Replies
    1. Michael - Plano Prairie GardenJune 15, 2012 at 6:37 AM

      Motion sensing lighting works well for security. I saw one at Costco where the lights on the fixture turn toward the motion when detected.

      Delete
  3. 1st ManJune 14, 2012 at 10:47 PM

    In my humble opinion, they are beautiful lit up like that.

    OK, I was coming here to check on you after the epic hailstorm yesterday. Everything ok in your neck of the woods??

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    Replies
    1. Michael - Plano Prairie GardenJune 15, 2012 at 6:40 AM

      Thanks for the comment on the lights 1st man. It really looks a little better than I was able to capture in a photo.

      That hailstorm was something else. Fortunately, for me, the worst of it was about 10 miles south of me. No damage here. Thanks for the concern.

      Delete
  4. CollagemamaJune 15, 2012 at 5:44 PM

    I would never have thought of outdoor lighting's impact on nocturnal critters, but I heard a radio story about Moody Gardens in Galveston. The corpse flower at the Gardens is blooming. They won't be lighting the Gardens and staying open 24/7 for this big event because that would upset many of the animals.

    Your cactus would look very dramatic if lit at night, but maybe all night every night is not appropriate.

    ReplyDelete

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