You intend on enjoying your garden pond during the day – why not at night, too? A well-designed lighting system remains concealed during the day and reveals itself only at night, extending your hours of water garden enjoyment.
Plant foliage lit from beneath with low-voltage lights, draws attention to the water feature after nightfall. As floater plants cover the surface with new foliage, the pond becomes a textured pattern of light, leaves and water.
Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Low-voltage lighting kits, which include all the components needed for lighting a water feature, are available at home improvement centers and hardware stores.
Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Obviously, water and electricity do not mix! A transformer and special sealed underwater lights are required for water garden lighting, and a variety of options exist to alter intensity and color or to control the display. When installed correctly, lighting fixtures placed under the surface of the water highlight submerged foliage, fish, rocks and other features beautifully, and the water surface will reflect the surrounding garden. You may also want to consider uplights placed in submerged planting containers, spotlights behind waterfalls and light fixtures attached to fountains.
A 12-volt D.C. system is the best choice for a home water feature. A D.C. transformer attached to a GFCI-protected A.C. outlet powers such systems. Solar or photovoltaic (PV) cells and storage batteries also power some new pond lights, though such devices are larger than regular lighting fixtures and may fail after their batteries incur too many recharging cycles.
Installing a 12-volt D.C. lighting system creates the most desirable effects, has the widest choice of options and is much safer than A.C. electrical lighting systems. Always use an outdoor-rated transformer, plugged into a GFCI-protected, weatherproof outlet. Use direct-burial cable without protective conduit belowground and within the water feature. To install underwater fixtures, carefully follow the steps shown in the following pictures and described in their captions.
Low Voltage Lighting
Low Voltage-Lighting - Step 1
Install a 12-volt D.C., weatherproof transformer at a GFCI-protected outlet attached to a weatherproof junction box. Plug in the transformer.
Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Low-Voltage Lighting - Step 2
Excavate a trench 10 inches deep and 6 inches wide between the edge of the water feature and the transformer. Lay direct-burial 12-2 lighting cable in the trench.
Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Low-Voltage Lighting - Step 3
Connect the direct-burial cable wire to the transformer using weatherproof, outdoor-rated connectors and fittings.
Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Low-Voltage Lighting - Step 4
Adjust and position one or more lights in hidden locations within the feature, directing their light onto waterfalls or interesting surface plants.
Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Low-Voltage Lighting - Step 5
Set the automatic timer on the transformer to turn the lights on at dusk and off when the hours of garden use end.
Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
