The Value of Safe, Beautiful Trees for Acworth, GA, Homeowners

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth, GA, is committed to designing, installing, and servicing premium residential and commercial landscape lighting systems in metro Atlanta. The team spotlights homes and businesses using lighting fixtures, techniques, and technology that enhance safety, security, utility, and curb appeal. The treescape is an important aspect of any landscape lighting project because trees add significant value to a property.

The Value of Safe and Beautiful Trees

In an article entitled “Increase Your Home’s Value With Mature Trees,” HGTV writes, “Towering trees on your property provide more than beauty -- they increase the value of your home. Several recent nationwide surveys show that mature trees in a well-landscaped yard can increase the value of a house by 7 percent to 19 percent.”

Trees can be a great asset to a home, but to maximize the value of this asset, the homeowner must ensure that the treescape is safe and beautiful.

How to Create the Ideal Treescape

Individual trees require regular maintenance and care if they are to be safe and beautiful. A routine inspection by the homeowner during the months when foliage is on the trees can identify dead or diseased limbs. If the limbs are large and shedding branches and twigs on windy days or during thunderstorms, have a licensed arborist inspect the tree. The arborist will remove dead or damaged limbs if necessary.

Signs of damage or disease include:

• Unseasonal leaf-shed
• Lots of limbs and branches falling from the tree
• Termites and other pests on the tree
• Visible rot or fungus on the tree or its roots
• Open wounds oozing sap
• Unusual leaning or tilting
• Brittle branches

A yearly inspection by a licensed, insured arborist can take tree safety to the next level. Not only can the arborist spot and remove damaged and diseased limbs and trees, but they can also trim and shape trees to enhance their beauty, raise the canopy to let in more sunlight, fertilize the trees, and treat for pest infestation.

The treescape may also be invigorated by the planting of new trees. For advice on the best types of trees and their placement in the overall landscape, have a licensed, experienced landscape architect survey the layout and make suggestions. They can also manage the installation and maintenance of the new trees.

The best time to prune, trim, and shape most trees and shrubs is during the winter months when they are dormant. A bonded, licensed, and insured professional arborist with the proper equipment can safely provide the services. If outdoor landscape lighting is in place, identify the fixtures and other electrical components with orange tape, flagging, or marking paint to prevent damage by the crew. Consider including a lighting design professional from Southern Landscape Lighting systems of Acworth in the process. When the arborist and the lighting specialist work together, the results can be spectacular day and night.

Enhance the Beauty of the Treescape With LED Landscape Lighting

Healthy trees make for a safe treescape. A well-maintained treescape is the best foundation for the design and installation of landscape lighting. A competent arborist working in conjunction with a lighting specialist is able to artfully shape trees so that when the trees are illuminated, they truly shine in all their beauty. Something as simple as the optimal height of the canopy can dramatically affect the impact of the landscape lighting application. Working in concert, the arborist and the lighting designer can produce brilliant results that enhance the safety, beauty, and overall enjoyment of the landscape while adding real value to the home.

With any addition or improvement to the home or landscape, the homeowner must ascertain the intrinsic and economic return on investment. The daily enjoyment a home brings to the residents is priceless. The expense of installing and maintaining a pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, or backyard putting green may not be fully recovered at closing when the home is sold, but these amenities do enhance and improve the quality of life. They may also substantially increase the value of the house.

Outdoor LED landscape lighting enables the homeowner to experience the beauty of the treescape after dark. In some regards, the well-lit tree takes on a mystical quality. It seems to move and shimmer in the spotlight’s beam, seeking to escape the bonds of its root structure. What value can be placed on a majestic Georgian oak, nature’s masterpiece? Its grandeur is priceless!

The value of a treescape is directly linked to its safety and beauty. The expense of transforming an unhealthy and mismanaged treescape into a safe, beautiful component of the overall landscape could be staggering. However, if the treescape has been well-managed, the addition of outdoor landscape lighting could produce stunning results that pay rich dividends.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth, GA, will set up a nighttime demonstration that allows the homeowner to experience the mystique, ambiance, and grandeur of a well-lighted treescape. The team of professionals offers lighting design, installation, and maintenance for homes and businesses in the metro Atlanta area.

Contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems for more details about landscape lighting design services that showcase a property in the best light. The Acworth office can be reached by phone at (678) 324-6842, as well as by email at lindsey@southernlls.com.

LED Low Voltage Outdoor Landscape Lighting for 2022: Begin With the Basics

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Alpharetta, GA, offers residential and commercial customers the opportunity to enjoy LED landscape lighting. The lighting experts utilize premium fixtures, the latest technology, and innovative lighting techniques to illuminate homes and landscapes. Without landscape lighting, a magnificent house and a well-manicured landscape fade into darkness with the setting of the sun. However, homeowners can keep the experience alive with landscape lighting.

The Basics of Landscape Lighting

A basic understanding of the fundamentals of LED low-voltage landscape lighting highlights the multifaceted value of having a home or business that has been exquisitely illuminated. The design and installation professionals at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Alpharetta share tips on what goes into a landscape lighting plan and installation that casts the home or business in the best light.

LED: The Top Choice for Landscape Lighting

LED technology has been around for over 100 years, but innovations and mass production have only recently made LED landscape lighting accessible. Just Energy, a leading electricity company serving North America, explains that LED bulbs “first entered the market in 2008. By 2011, Philips Lighting North America perfected the design with a prize-winning 60-watt LED light bulb. At the time, the bulbs sold for $40 each and had a lifespan of over 27 years.”

Over the past decade, LED lighting has become very popular and is the industry standard for landscape lighting. Several factors contribute to its popularity.

• Energy efficient

LED bulbs use 80% less energy than traditional halogen lighting systems.

• Long-lasting

While traditional halogen bulbs only last between 2,000 and 5,000 hours, LED lights can last up to 40,000 hours or more, depending on the environment. In applications to light piers where the fixtures are submerged, the bulbs can last up to 70,000 or more hours.

• Durable

Shock-resistant bulbs are housed in non-corrosive-resistant fixtures.

• Low maintenance

An outdoor LED lighting system is less labor-intensive to maintain due to the longevity and durability of the bulbs.

• Affordable

Efficiency, longevity, durability, and low maintenance make LED the affordable choice for homeowners and business owners.

• Safe

Lower voltage requirements make LED the safer choice. The likelihood of electrocution or fire is significantly reduced. Halogen bulbs are very hot and can ignite leaves, mulch, or other flammable materials.

• Versatile

Advances such as the step-down transformer enable lighting designers to achieve a wide array of lighting effects.

Low-Voltage Outdoor Lighting Components

A low-voltage lighting system breaks down into several basic components. The transformer reduces the household current from 120 volts to 12 volts. The bulb determines the color, beamwidth, brightness, and consumption of electricity. The fixture housing is where the bulb is located. The housing serves many functions, including protecting the bulb from the elements. Phalanges on the housing help dissipate heat which is the enemy of the LED bulb. The fixture also aids in shaping the light beam. The fixture is affixed to a stake that stabilizes the unit, and electrical cables conduct current to the fixture.

Types of Outdoor Landscape Lights

There are six general types or categories of outdoor landscape lights: garden, wash, bullet, well, downlight/uplight, and flood.

• Garden lights

A garden light features canopies on top of a post that is 18 to 24 inches tall. These canopies reflect light down into a flower bed. Garden lights can also be used as a pathway marker. These highly visible fixtures come in a variety of styles and finishes that complement their surroundings.

• Wash lights

This fixture casts a soft, diffuse light ideal for illuminating garden walls, privacy fences, and other flat facades such as a mural.

• Bullet lights

Bullet lights, or spotlights, project a narrow beam and are ideal for precisely lighting architectural features of a home or business, garden structures such as a fountain, and tree trunks. Some styles of this fixture resemble a bullet, hence the name “bullet” light.

• Well lights

This waterproof fixture is concealed in the ground. These covert lights are perfect for illuminating the underside of plant foliage. A lighting designer deploys the well light to graze the base of a fence or wall. Some bulbs may be fixed or able to swivel.

• Downlights

A talented lighting designer can create a magical moonlight effect with these fixtures by installing them high on tree trunks and branches and aiming the beam at the tree’s foliage, lawn areas, or paths. Side glare is eliminated or reduced by a long, cowl-shaped shroud.  A reputable lighting design company will install premium quality stainless steel, brass, or copper housings with LEDs in this application which extends the life of the fixture and the bulb. The installation of downlighting may necessitate the services of a tree climber or a boom truck. Better quality fixtures and long-lasting LEDs make the best sense in this application.

• Floodlights

The floodlight typically casts a wide beam (more than 40 degrees) with a brightness greater than a wash light. A collar minimizes annoying side glare. A floodlight is an excellent choice to illuminate tall trees or the wide façade of a home or business.

The design and installation team at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems brings together the technology of LED low-voltage lighting, the many options afforded by a wide variety of fixtures, and the lighting artistry of designer and owner Lindsey Rodericks to showcase a home or business in its best light.

For more details about scheduling outdoor landscape lighting installation and service, contact the Alpharetta office by phone at (770) 691-1221 or email at lindsey@southernlls.com.

The History and the Benefits of Beautiful Outdoor Landscape Lighting

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta is a full-service outdoor architectural landscape lighting company. The lighting specialists design, install and service residential and commercial outdoor lighting systems in Marietta, GA, and the metro Atlanta area.

All Things Bright and Beautiful: The History and Benefits of Landscape Lighting

The history of outdoor architectural landscape lighting is as ancient as the sun, moon, and stars. The morning sun rising above the horizon announces its imminent arrival with a splash of brilliant colors that paint the morning sky with strokes of orange, purple, and red. The day concludes with a fireball extending flaming fingers that claw the darkening sky to slow their hastening demise. A lesser orb pierces the evening’s black shroud with a faint liquid light that casts eerie shadows on the forest floor. Myriad stars dust the night sky with just enough luminescence to lift the eyes but not enough to light the path. For millennia, humanity has sought to capture and recast the beauty of creation with artificial landscape lighting.

A Brief History of Landscape Lighting

The science of modern landscape lighting dates to the seventeenth century, long before the harnessing of electricity. Lighting was utilized in decorative gardens and outdoor settings mainly for safety purposes. Lighting fuels advanced from whale oil to coal gas to natural gas in the nineteenth century, the climax being the production and usage of electricity in the twentieth century. Affordable, accessible electricity made it possible to integrate lighting into the design and function of a home’s landscape.

As a nation climbed out of the Great Depression in the 1930s, Frank Nightingale, an employee at General Electric, made the bold decision to quit his job and pursue his passion: landscape lighting. In 1933, he launched his own company, Kim Lighting and Manufacturing Co. From this starting point, he revolutionized the landscape lighting industry. By following his passion, Nightingale, who became known as the father of modern landscape lighting, transformed landscape lighting into a true art form.

LED: A Leap Forward in Landscape Lighting Technology

The first LED lightbulb for basic residential use was invented in 2010. The advances have been measured not in small steps but in giant leaps. Within a decade, LED lights have become accessible, affordable, and commonplace in and around homes and businesses across the United States. The net energy savings has put energy dollars back in the pockets of the average homeowner.

Not only did LED technology become widely adopted in homes, businesses, offices, schools, hospitals, and factories, but it also became a popular way to light up the exterior of the home. Early LED landscape lighting technology was expensive and faced some performance challenges, but American innovation rapidly overcame these issues. In 2022, LED landscape lighting technology has captured the beauty of creation and is recasting it with a brilliance that is 80% more efficient than traditional halogen lighting. LEDs can last up to 50,000 hours. Encapsulation of the LED in a sturdy brass or aluminum fixture designed with heat-dissipating phalanges ensures the longevity of the bulb. The metal casing also gives the LED an advantage when exposed to the elements or the boots and equipment of the lawn maintenance crew. The lower operational temperature of the LED bulb reduces the potential for fire and injury to pets and people.

Traditional halogen landscape lighting bulbs, on the other hand, use five times the energy of LED. A 300-watt tubular halogen bulb at full power can reach 1,004 °F, hot enough to ignite mulch, leaves, or other debris. Halogen bulbs only last from around 2,000 to 4,000 hours before they need to be replaced.

Outdoor architectural landscape lighting involves the illumination of private lawns and gardens, as well as public landscapes. Purposes include the enhancement of nighttime aesthetics, security, pedestrian safety, accessibility, recreation, entertainment, and illumination for social gatherings.

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta offers virtual and onsite consultations. The design and installation professionals also provide nighttime demonstrations, which allow clients to experience how landscape lighting puts their home in the best light.

To learn more about outdoor LED lighting installation and service, contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems by email at lindsey@southernlls.com. The Marietta office can be reached by phone at (678) 616-9166.

Landscape Lighting Marietta - 4-6-2022

 

Landscape Lighting Alpharetta Images - 4-6-2022

 

Landscape Lighting Images - 4-6-2021

 

Illuminating Alpharetta, GA, Landscapes With LED Color-Changing Technology

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Alpharetta strives to stay at the forefront of LED landscape lighting technology. An exciting trend is LED color-changing technology, which offers many advantages and opportunities for residential and commercial landscape lighting design.

How LED color technology works

In the last decade, the advances in LED lighting technology have progressed in giant leaps rather than small steps. In 1962, Nick Holonyak, Jr., regarded as the father of the Light-Emitting Diode, invented the first LED, which produced visible red light. Around 2010, the first LED light bulb for consumer use was developed. Ten years later, LEDs have all but replaced incandescent and compact fluorescent lights (CFL).

Color LEDs are now available and growing in popularity. The technology involves using semiconductors made of different materials, and these various compounds emit light in specific regions of the visible light spectrum. The composition or makeup of the semiconductor material used in the manufacturing process determines the wavelength of the photons emitted by the LED and the resulting color of the emitted light.

Diodes of different hues are combined into a single light to create the color white. Different color combinations can produce a myriad of tints, enabling the lighting designer to choose from a rich color palette to select the perfect blend of light for a unique landscape lighting experience.

Color lighting tips

1. Colored lighting filters lessen the brightness of the light. This hurdle can be overcome by increasing either the number of lighting fixtures or the wattage of the bulbs to produce more light for a given area.
2. Shrubs or flowers in colorful bloom appear best in white lights only.
3. Green or greenish-blue filters enhance grass and green foliage and add depth to the scene.
4. When used as a focal point, yellow works best on garden sculptures and certain types of shrubbery. However, it deadens the color of grass and foliage.
5. Red gives the appearance of firelight and enhances a setting that is viewed from a distance.
6. Blue light generally has an artificial appearance. However, it can be blended with green to be used effectively in a garden.
7. Pale bluish-white light creates a truly beautiful effect when used for lighting large shrubs and trees.
8. By mixing colored lights, a variety of intermediate shades can be achieved, creating interesting multicolored shadow effects.

The effective application of colored LED low voltage landscape lighting requires technical skill, an understanding of colored light blending, and an artist’s eye for the beautiful, interesting, and elegant. This ability to create a wide variety of light colors has generated excitement in LED landscape lighting design and installation.

Benefits of this innovative advance in LED lighting technology

1. Create a nuanced ambiance that draws the eye.
2. Generate interest and attract attention.
3. Enrich landscape colors and heighten contrasts when illuminating flowers, grass, tree foliage and bark, mulch, walkways, rocks, espalier, and fencing.
4. Add visual artistry. With an artistic eye and flair, skilled landscape lighting designers fill the canvas of the client’s yard.
5. Set the mood with various color temperatures. Warm colors can have an energetic effect while cooler colors provide a sense of calm.
6. Add life and verve to a social gathering with colors and syncopation.
7. Cast a unique visual signature for a residential or commercial landscape.
8. Reinforce brand awareness by using brand colors in the landscaping.
9. Splash the yard and home with festive holiday colors.
10. Create eye-popping drama and curb appeal.

A subtle, tasteful color addition or adjustment or a slightly nuanced design shift can capture the neighborhood’s attention. The alteration may have been something as simple as manipulating the warmth of the entrance lights so that the initial impact is more inviting and calming! With color lighting, a stunning, breathtaking experience can also be obtained with colored lighting.

Look to the lighting design, installation, and service professionals at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Alpharetta to create a nightscape with a uniquely colorful signature.

Contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Alpharetta for more information about professional landscape lighting design. The team of lighting design/installation professionals can be reached by phone at (770) 691-1221, as well as by email at lindsey@southernlls.com.

Source: https://southernlandscapelightingsystemsalpharetta.mediaroom.app/media-room/105350-illuminating-alpharetta-ga-landscapes-with-led-color-changing-technology

How LED Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting Can Enhance Life in Metro Atlanta

Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth designs, installs, and services outdoor LED lighting in the Metro Atlanta area. The team sees firsthand the explosive growth in the metro area, the fourth fastest-growing city in the US. As a state, Georgia recently edged out Florida as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States.

The lighting professionals at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth, GA, live and work in the Atlanta area and know the grand opportunities the city and its residents offer to newcomers and visitors. The team invites new residents to take advantage of the exciting opportunities that the Atlanta area has to offer.

Top Things to Do After Moving to Atlanta

1. Get to know the beautiful people who live and work in and around the Metro Atlanta area. The Atlanta area is a magnet because of the economic, cultural, and educational options. The real draw is the warm people and a sense of community. Acworth, Alpharetta, Marietta, and other communities have their own separate identity but also share a common identity as neighbors in greater Metro Atlanta.
2. Attend a baseball game at Sun Trust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, champions of the 2021 World Series. The $622 million stadium seats 41,500 fans.
3. Enjoy any one or all the following culinary experiences:

• A Taste of Atlanta: Purchase a ticket to Taste of Atlanta and enjoy the most Atlanta restaurants in the shortest amount of time. This event is billed as Atlanta’s “premier food+wine+beer+cocktail festival.”
• The Varsity: Experience the largest drive-in in the world. In 1928, Frank Gordy started serving hamburgers and hotdogs in a small brick building near Georgia Tech. The drive-in can accommodate 600 cars and feed over 30,000 fans on game day.
• Waffles and chicken: The Atlanta area gave birth to great waffles (Waffle House, 1955) and great chicken (Chick-fil-A, 1967). For the best waffles and chicken under one roof, pay a visit to the Buttermilk Kitchen, which is about 29 miles from Acworth.
• Paschal’s: Experience history at this iconic restaurant. Paschal’s is where civil rights leaders and business leaders would meet during the civil rights movement to discuss strategy. The restaurant is located near Mercedes-Benz Stadium and is about 37 miles from Acworth.

4. Attend an Atlanta Falcon’s home football game. Be sure to wear black and red and cheer for the home team!
5. Visit the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, about 31 miles from Acworth.
6. Visit the High Museum of Art for an extraordinary cultural excursion.
7. The Atlanta Opera, regarded as one of the finest opera companies in the world, performs at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Experience world-class performances without having to travel to New York or London.
8. Spend a relaxing day on Lake Allatoona, not far from Acworth. Considered one of the cleanest lakes in Georgia, the lake has 270 miles of shoreline and covers 12,000 acres. Another option, Lake Lanier, about an hour from Acworth, is the most visited lake in Georgia. Atlanta offers some of the best canoeing, kayaking, and tubing venues in the area. Allatoona Lake, Sweetwater Creek State Park, and the Chattahoochee River offer many opportunities for the avid kayaker.
9. Take a hike. The Appalachian Trail is only about two hours away. A search of the internet yields a host of family-friendly hiking, biking, and walking opportunities near the Atlanta area.

How LED Landscape Lighting Enhances Life in the Atlanta Area

LED low-voltage landscape lighting can play a key role in helping newcomers to Atlanta adjust to their new homes.

1. A well-designed lighting plan enhances curb appeal and communicates the powerful message, “Welcome!”
2. Landscape lighting displaces the darkness and expands opportunities to engage with neighbors and friends in the backyard, enjoy a meal prepared in the outdoor kitchen, or relax around the fire pit.
3. Landscape lighting creates a safe environment for adults at leisure and children at play. Intentional lighting strategies controlled by a smartphone can transform the backyard into an international gymnastics competition, the bottom of the ninth inning at the Braves’ stadium, a first-and-ten from the two-yard line at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, or the last minute of the World Cup soccer championship. LEDs can light the imagination by transforming the backyard with flexible, affordable, and durable lighting fixtures.
4. When well-designed and well-executed, LED low-voltage residential landscape lighting can increase the value of a home by as much as 20%.

To learn more about Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Acworth, contact the landscape lighting installation company by phone at (678) 324-6842 or by email at lindsey@southernlls.com.

Source: https://southernlandscapelightingsystemsacworth.mediaroom.app/media-room/105341-how-led-low-voltage-landscape-lighting-can-enhance-life-in-metro-atlanta

Marietta, GA, Landscape Lighting Company Highlights 2022 Landscaping Trends

 Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta designs, installs, and services LED landscape lighting systems in the metro Atlanta area. Outdoor living and landscaping trends for 2022 will affect the functionality of and owner satisfaction with the existing landscape lighting system of a home in Marietta, GA.

These trends will also influence user expectations for a newly designed and installed LED low-voltage lighting system. A forward-thinking lighting designer will take into consideration factors such as:

• The recent paradigm shift emphasizing outdoor living spaces
• Demands for more comfortable, user-friendly accommodations, including heating, cooling, and lighting
• The evolution of the outdoor living space to include a permanent outdoor workspace or classroom
• The drive toward sustainability in landscaping and hardscapes
• The popularity of garden-to-table food cultivation in the backyard
• The application of new technologies in the management, security, and maintenance of the landscape and hardscapes
• The growing political momentum to ban the installation of traditional, energy-inefficient halogen lighting

Should homeowners pursue the DIY route?

Designing and installing a DIY LED low-voltage landscape lighting system may seem like an easy task involving some YouTube videos, a little help from an electrician friend, several hundred dollars, a trip to a Big Box store, and a free weekend. However, the functionality of the system will be minimal, and the lighting will fail to adequately highlight the exquisite beauty of the home’s unique architecture and landscape. The fixtures will not survive pounding from the elements or the lawn maintenance crew. Expansions may require the replacement of large sections of the system.

If the home goes up for sale, potential buyers may negotiate for an up-to-date, well-designed system that utilizes premium lighting fixtures and the latest management system technology. A beautiful home deserves to be put in the best light, and the “best light” may add as much as 20% to the selling price of the house.

The benefits of hiring professionals

The experienced, informed, and forward-thinking lighting professional will consider all the relevant factors that impact the design, installation, and maintenance of an LED low-voltage landscape lighting system. The complexity of modern LED landscape lighting systems, rather than presenting obstacles, affords the design/installation team the opportunity to illuminate a home and landscape in ways that display its beauty to the fullest.

The lifestyle and landscaping trends for 2022 call for a landscape lighting system that is agile. With changing trends and evolving customer needs, the lighting system must be able to readily adapt and adjust to these changing needs. A system that lacks versatility may be obsolete soon after it is installed. Customer dissatisfaction is not far behind.

Trend: Green spaces mimic indoor living spaces

The backyard lawn area, garden, or patio is outfitted with outdoor rugs, weather-resistant sofas, long dining tables, and outdoor heat sources. The demand for outdoor fireplaces, firepits, and radiant heaters will continue to rise throughout 2022 and into 2023. The alfresco kitchen is a fantastic venue for fine food, good friends, and amazing dinner parties. The garden office is here to stay. Imagine taking a break in the house rather than stepping outside. The alfresco office is a reality for millions of virtual workers.

Trend: Garden-to-table

Planting beds are multi-tasked with growing tasty food and creating a beautiful space. “Pretty” is no longer enough. Herbs such as basil, chives, and cilantro are replacing more traditional flowers. Adequate drainage, rich compost, and sunshine help achieve utilitarian sustainability with the garden spot.

Trend: The untamed garden

Well-defined bed-edging, sculpted shrubs, and espalier pyracantha are giving ground to the untrained and untamed wild garden. Lots of wildflowers and freedom-loving climbing plants are making advances in backyards influenced by permaculture.

Trend: The smart yard

Smart gardens leverage technology to improve the functionality, appearance, and safety of a yard. Elements of the smart yard include a wi-fi booster for the garden office and the outdoor theater. Smart soil sensors ensure plants thrive and water is not wasted. Robotic lawnmowers keep the lawn neatly cut.

Trend: Water features

More time in and around the home has spawned interest in water features such as fountains, pond-less waterfalls, babbling brooks, and fishponds.

Trend: Smart landscape lighting

Homeowners can manage outdoor landscape lighting using an app or a smart home system. Smart lighting technology enables the homeowner to adjust colors, scheduling, and brightness. Interest in more lighting options and greater control over the system means that the landscape lighting company must possess a broad knowledge base and multi-faceted skill set to provide the features that the technologically savvy customer expects.

The lighting design and installation professionals at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta possess the knowledge and skill to address the paradigm shift in lifestyles and evolving trends in outdoor living and working in the great outdoors.

Contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta to learn more about landscape lighting design and installation. The office can be reached by email at lindsey@southernlls.com or by phone at (678) 616-9166.

Source: https://southernlandscapelightingsystemsmarietta.mediaroom.app/media-room/105339-marietta-ga-landscape-lighting-company-highlights-2022-landscaping-trends

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How Landscape Lighting for Walkways Encourages Homeowners to Enjoy the Outdoors

 How Landscape Lighting Can Help Homeowners Harness the Benefits of Walking and Exercise

Marietta, United States - February 7, 2022 /Southern Landscape Lighting Systems - Marietta/

LEDlow-voltage landscape lighting makes life at home beautiful and better. One of the ways this efficient, affordable, and sustainable technology improves the quality of life is by illuminating walkways, pathways, and walking trails around the home. Landscape lighting enables the homeowner to glean the benefits of a pre-dawn power walk or enjoy a leisurely stroll around the yard after a hard day at work.

 

The Benefits of a Stroll Around the Yard

For over two millennia, philosophers from Aristotle and Socrates to Henry David Thoreau have recognized the relationship between thinking and walking. The peripatetic philosophers of ancient Greece would walk around as they taught their students. In her article, “Five Philosophers on the Joys of Walking,” Emily Turner writes, “The act of putting one foot in front of another creates rhythm, movement, and can elevate the spirit.”

Walking improves mental health. According to the experts at Walking for Health, “It improves self-perception and self-esteem, mood and sleeps quality, and it reduces stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Physically active people have up to a thirty percent reduced risk of becoming depressed and staying active helps those who are depressed recover. In older people, staying active can improve cognitive function, memory, attention, and processing speed, and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.”

The health specialists atBetter Health highlight the important health benefits of a thirty-minute stroll around the yard or neighborhood. “Walking is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health. Just thirty minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers. Unlike some other forms of exercise, walking is free and doesn’t require any special equipment or training.”

A walk can enhance creativity, clear the mind, give a fresh perspective, reduce stress, and improve the decision-making process. For the remote worker or the business owner who works from home, a backyard walking path can increase productivity, reduce errors, improve personal interactions with customers, and grow the business.

Design Ideas for a Great Walkway or Walking Path

1. Stamped concrete

The design possibilities of stamped concrete are limitless! Texture, color, and pattern can flawlessly mimic myriad types of stone and other paving material. For a unique flair that traditional floated concrete cannot match, choose stamped concrete. The sky is the limit.

2. Brick

For a classic look, choose a brick walkway. The popular product can be laid in many visually interesting patterns: herringbone, stacked bond, running bond, and basket-weave. Brick pavers offer a classic traditional look but are more expensive to install than the typical brick walkway.

3. Bluestone

The traditional bluestone path is impervious to fads and short-lived trends. The timeless appearance and broad appeal will always be in style. Contrary to its name, bluestone comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and not all bluestone is blue.

4. Mosaic pebbles

A walkway composed of mosaic pebbles is a unique work of art installed by skilled artisans. Varied sizes, shapes, textures, and colors combine for jaw-dropping beauty. An experienced landscape lighting designer can bring out the exquisite intricacies of the layout and pebble selection.

5. Stepstone walkway

A step-stone pathway makes for a great weekend DIY. Affordable, quick, and low impact, this project can provide the experience of hiking in the mountains or along with one of the many rivers in the Atlanta area.

6. Granite gravel

Versatile, affordable, and available in a variety of shades and sizes, granite gravel provides a stable base that can accommodate step stones of different shapes, sizes, and colors.

7. Bark mulch

Affordability and ease of application make bark mulch a great choice for a longer footpath. The soft material is comfortable to walk on.

Why Effective Path Lighting Is Important

The illumination of walkways and paths around a property boost curb appeal and highlight the locations of special landscape features, hardscapes, and entrances. Ease of use and safety are the prime reasons for installing landscape lighting on a walkway or footpath. During the shortened days of winter,LED landscape lighting makes a footpath or walking trail accessible for the pre-dawn or post-dusk stroll. The design and installation team at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta, GA, can provide a system that discreetly and effectively lights the way without disturbing the neighbors with unwanted light pollution.

To learn more about LEDlandscape lighting installation and service, contact Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta by email at lindsey@southernlls.com. Staff can also be reached by phone at (678) 616-9166.