It’s nearly December - the sound of sleigh bells and the sweet scent of eggnog are already in the air. It’s time to plan your indoor holiday lighting and decor. But don’t neglect your landscape! An uninspired, undecorated backyard can really dampen your home’s holiday cheer. Here are a few holiday landscape lighting ideas to try this year in your Hudson, OH, backyard:
Conceal unsightly features
Draping fairy lights around trees is a festive lighting technique as old as tradition. However, by putting a little thought into how you wrap your trees, you can achieve a lot more than a cheerful, ethereal atmosphere. Many of your trees are likely to be bare come the holiday season. This exposes the haphazard arrangement of the contorted branches at the very top of each tree. When covered in leaves, these top branches serve to make a tree appear lush and full, but give it a stark look in the winter. By wrapping your fairy lights around the trunk and first few branches of each tree, you can conceal the unsightly branches at the very top by drawing the eye downwards. Having the lights around each tree stop at the same height from the ground, regardless of the length of the tree, can also create a pleasant visual balance throughout the landscape.
Drape characterful focal points in festive lights
Festive lights represent a host of feelings and ideas - warmth, homeliness and fun being just a few. However, there are still ways to amp up the meaning and character that your holiday lights bring to your backyard. For instance, wrapping colorful string lights around a little red wagon or antique bicycle will create a powerful focal point. Not only will it be memorable, but it will help to define the mood and aesthetic of your holiday landscape. Draping eye-catching lights around washed-out wooden features like an old gate or bench will create a striking contrast and add dimension to your decor.
Break the chain of string lights
Colorful string lights are versatile and communicate the festivity of the holiday season. However, they can begin to look and feel unimaginative when incorporated into every nook and cranny of a landscape. It is important to break up your array of string lights with different fixtures. For example, a charming red lantern here and there can bring plenty of festive cheer and add a different dimension to the landscape design. Some lanterns even contain a realistic LED flame so that you don’t have to deal with the hazard of kerosene. Large lawn ornaments that light up from within can be scattered across the front or back yard for low-lying light. Large glowing globes are chic, elegant options for festive lighting.
Related: Transform Your Chagrin Falls, OH, Landscape Design with a Paver Patio
Plan dual-purpose lighting
The important lights that make your landscape safe all year-round can interfere with the ambience created by your holiday lighting plan. However, these lights still play an important role during the festive season and ensure that your landscape is easy to navigate. One way to achieve the best of both worlds is to opt for low-wattage bulbs during the festive season. These bulbs should provide enough light to prevent you from tripping over garden tools, while maintaining a warm, cheerful atmosphere.
