Just as lighting serves a practical and decorative function inside our home, it can also bring the outdoor landscape to life. Paths and steps can be lit for safety; large trees illuminated with uplights; or moonlight simulated with carefully-placed downlighting. You can emphasize interesting plants, or features like a waterfall. You can even use colored bulbs, to give individual trees and shrubs a mysterious glow. Some fixtures are equipped with photoelectric cells, which auto- matically turn on when dusk arrives. The possibilities are virtually limitless. But when it comes to the installation, landscape lighting demands special procedures. Good electrical connections are essential. Wiring that's above-ground may also require a metal pipe called conduit, for added protection. And of course, any outdoor lighting must have a ground-fault interrupter on its circuit. Because of the potential shock hazard, it's important to work with an experienced electrician, when designing any type of landscape lighting system.
