lighting pond areas and waterfalls

[yardmanlee]

have anyone of ya'll done something like that? or installed underwater lights for ponds ? I know it could also use a jap maple in there maybe near the bridge

[yardmanlee]

nobody has done lighting around or in ponds ?

[4seasons]

Its probably not that they haven't its just, do you want to put that kind of money on that bad of a landscape?
If you do then I would use copper or brass so they patina and blend in better. Or you can use rock lights. When placing the lights accent certain areas that you want people to notice. The rest of the lights should be used for safety, like .......
moonlighting, pathes, and the stream
moonlighting-- you would have to get up in the trees and aim the spots down. keep you from seeing the fixtures( most of the time)
path lights--- dont over do it cause you don't want the runway effect. Just enough to get you through safely.
stream--- under water lights on curves ,by the bridge, waterfall
uplighting--- pick acouple of bigger trees if you dont downlight them and aim the bullet lights up. maybe 2 per tree.
I think with this landscape you want to create a mood rather than show off too much stuff.

[Dreams To Designs]

Lee, what's your question? When creating lighting, start with safety, security and than light for aesthetics. If your going to put lights in the pond, what will they be lighting? The fish don't need or want to be lit, so what plants in the pond or near the edge can be lit? You do need a specially labeled transformer and fixtures for anything that will be in or close to the pond, and the transformer must be plugged into a GFCI receptacle.

Moonlighting would work very well here, perhaps using a blue filter in a few tree lights surrounding the pond and stream.
Area lights by the bridge and foot paths and depending on the moonlighting, additional area lights in the beds around the fish pond.
If you use uplights, go with the bullet type, at least two per item you will light, better three or more. One fixture will only flatten and take away any detail of what your are trying to light. If the object can be seen from 360 degrees, minimum of three fixtures. better to go with some extra wire for the uplights, so they can be moved and repositioned if a plant grows.

Kirk

[yardmanlee]

agrees about the bad Landscape it is winter so alot had died back, and as part of talking w/ the owner about lighting I'm going to bring up that maybe we should add a few plants and take away some and fix some of the rocks, it really has been neglected. BTW, I did not do this install just got this customer for mowing last yr.
and what to make more money in the off season. likes the idea of uplighting some larger trees and thought about 1 or 2 lights under the bridge casting light onto the water then just a couple of path lights, not many

[Evening Star Lighting]

This is my first pond and waterfall- built back in 1995. Right around the time Aquascapes started up. There is a lot of no-no's here, but it's still functioning. It's been renovated twice- added a Aquascapes skimmer, and removed the flagstone around the borders. The ship's anchor is REAL, and cost more than the entire project, but it was the highlight.

The pond is due for a total rip out and upgrade this spring. My Koi are 20" long and can hardly swim. I think they just go back and forth (sarcasm)

I have three underwater lights, all 35 watt. They last pretty long. I usually have to clean the lens's weekly. It's done with a few swirls of a scotch brite scrubby. Don't ever use copper fixtures with fish, I've seen ones at Lowes, and have warned my prior clientele.

-Anthony