Outdoors
Concentrating on blues and purples in a pastel palette creates a calmer and more tranquil feel than pastel schemes that include yellows and pinks. In the same garden, catmint (Nepeta sp.) blends with dark purple ‘May Night’ sage, lavender-pink ‘Globemaster’ allium and lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) for a calming walkway planting.
To really experience the night, leave some areas of your patio and landscape dark. I try to avoid placing lights in a “dark zone” from about waist-high to just above your head. This keeps offensive light out of your eyes so you can better enjoy the fire, gaze at the landscape and linger long into the night.
You can expand the visual space of your patio or deck by selectively illuminating nearby features such as trees, landscaping and walls. This allows you to see past the edges of the patio or deck, making the space feel larger. Limit light pollution by using the lights only when you’re outside to enjoy them.
At night, any bright light that’s shining in our eyes will cause glare and make it harder for us to see. Light your deck and patio floors with step lights or rail-mounted lights to keep the light low and discreet. You can install lights directly into the deck or patio or get creative with continuous LED strips hidden below steps and platforms.
pale white variegated ornamental grass behind the white chaise lounges.
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