ᐅ Lighting Design / Garden Layout

Created on: 16 Mar 2023 08:13
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Prager91
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Prager91
16 Mar 2023 08:13
Hello everyone,

We are currently planning our outdoor area, and our landscape gardener recommended the "in-lite" system for our lighting.

I would like to know your general opinion about this or any similar lighting plans.

We are considering certain lighting points (tree, terrace, fountain, flower beds, etc.), so running cables or conduit makes sense and is something we definitely want to do. The question is:

- Should we commit to "in-lite" and thus lose the option to change or add cables in “x” years, relying solely on this manufacturer,

or

- should we install conduits and have the electrician pull the cables, allowing us more flexibility and variety for future changes?

How did you handle this, or what would you recommend?

I appreciate any input on this!
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Steffi33
16 Mar 2023 08:21
Are you familiar with the man-made phenomenon called “light pollution”? You’re well on your way to experiencing it. You’ll see that a wave of outrage will break out soon... which I fully support! So, no advice from me, and I hope from no one else either.
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Prager91
16 Mar 2023 08:24
Steffi33 schrieb:

Are you familiar with the man-made phenomenon called "light pollution"? You’re well on your way to contributing to it. You’ll see there’ll be an outcry soon… one I fully agree with! So no advice from me, and I hope from no one else either.

I believe there’s no need to discuss that here, as this thread isn’t meant for it.

Therefore, my question is directed solely at those who can offer me advice on which lighting design “system” is better, and I would kindly ask to keep the focus on my original question. I would prefer to avoid any “unnecessary” debate about light pollution in this context...
RomeoZwo16 Mar 2023 08:35
I can’t really give you any advice about the system. We lit up some individual shrubs and a well, but the wiring is connected to the house KNX system and can be switched and programmed only through that, without any external system. I’m also a bit skeptical about such proprietary systems.

But keep in mind, the wave of complaints doesn’t just happen here, it also exists in real life. At first, I had the lights on automatically in the evening until about 9 p.m. It didn’t take long before neighbors started to “complain,” so now the lights are really only on when someone is outside in the garden and it’s dark. That might happen about five times a year (?).

Next door, another neighbor recently installed facade lighting after a major renovation and leaves it on every evening. There’s already quite a bit of grumbling among the neighbors. Today, I’d probably save my money.
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kbt09
16 Mar 2023 18:48
Prager91 schrieb:

I would prefer to avoid an "unnecessary" discussion in the light pollution sector...
Anyone asking questions here has to expect all kinds of answers. That’s what a forum is about. And the issue of light pollution is precisely a topic that is not yet familiar to everyone, so it definitely belongs in such discussions.
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Bertram100
16 Mar 2023 19:14
I also find it annoying when neighbors floodlight everything. That would mean I’d have to isolate myself, which is a shame.

Honestly, I have very, very, really very rarely seen successful lighting design in a garden. Most of it is bluntly overlit, lacking finesse and knowledge of garden architecture.

It’s either a true “light show” with way too much white, cool, and bright light, or it looks like the outdoor area of a garden center (here: fountain. Here: random plants, here: ugly lounge chairs meant to show off that we have money and time. Here: some generic, interchangeable flower bed with a mowed lawn edge, here: an extra seating area).

The really beautiful, mature gardens do without the silly constant lighting. They have practical lighting and perhaps sparse but well-thought-out, discreet illumination. You hardly see LEDs around the natural swimming pond there.

Without knowing much about the technology: conduit pipes seem the most suitable to me. That way, you can still do whatever you want or what the neighbors want. 😀