01 — Evening Walk & Brief

The best way to understand a garden's lighting potential is to visit it after dark. We always include an evening site visit in our lighting design process — walking through the space as you would use it, identifying the elements worth highlighting, the paths that need to be navigable, and the ambient areas where a quality of light rather than a specific illuminated object is the goal. This visit shapes the entire lighting design.

02 — Zoning & Layout Design

We design the scheme in four zones: feature lighting, path lighting, ambient lighting, and accent lighting. Each zone has its own dimmer circuit so the garden can be configured differently for a quiet evening alone and for a dinner with guests. We produce a complete lighting layout drawing showing fixture positions, cable routes, switching zones, and dimmer specifications — everything an electrician needs to install exactly what was designed.

03 — Fixture Selection

We specify fixtures based on their optical performance and durability, not their price or appearance in a catalogue. The fixture's job is to disappear during the day and produce excellent light at night. We specify IP65-rated LED fixtures for all ground-level and planting positions, with beam angles and colour temperatures chosen specifically for each location in the scheme.

04 — Electrical Coordination

We coordinate with your electrical contractor throughout the installation phase — verifying cable routes before trenches are backfilled, confirming fixture positions before the final surface is laid, and reviewing the completed installation before switchover. We identify issues at the stage when they can still be resolved easily, not after the garden is finished.

05 — Night-time Commissioning

We return to site after dark to commission the lighting scheme. Every fixture is aimed and adjusted in the conditions it will actually be seen in. Uplighting angles are refined to achieve the intended silhouette. Dimmer levels are set for each zone. A lighting scheme commissioned in the dark — as it should be — looks significantly better than one adjusted by eye in daylight.

06 — Operating Notes & Handover

You receive a complete record of the scheme: fixture schedule, lamp specifications, dimmer settings, and a note on when and how to clean outdoor fixtures to maintain their output. LED fixtures last many years without maintenance; the primary upkeep is keeping lenses clean. We explain what to watch for and when to call us.