Backyards
Front Yards
Pond Lights
Ideas for lighting a backyard pond
Pond lights serve two purposes: safety and visual effects. Pond lighting needs to illuminate the edges of the water and light pathways or stepping stones to ensure that people can move about the pond safely at night. In addition to safety, lights can create dramatic effects and highlight certain features of a pond.
When it comes to pond lighting there are two types:
- Lighting that surrounds the pond's exterior.
- Lighting that is underwater.
Exterior pond lights should be subdued white lights used to make the surface of the water glow, or to accentuate a waterfall, prized plant or other feature. These lights are installed at ground level along the shoreline of the pond.
Pond Lighting Techniques
Pond Lighting Techniques (PDF)
Popular ways to light a pond include hidding lights among rocks or placing an underwater light near a waterfall.
Underwater lighting is commonly used to highlight fountains or sculptures. Use underwater lights sparingly, it is easy to go overboard. If you want to see the reflection of the moon in your pond, don't use underwater lighting.
Pond Lighting Tips from a Pro
Pond lighting is a fun way of enjoying the ripples and reflections of your pond or water feature, even at night. You can keep it simple and classic by using white lights hidden among the rocks, or put colored filters on the lights to add a splash of color to your water feature. Waterfalls make a particularly good focal point. “We use underwater lights near the falls,” says Edward Snyder of Greenleaf Services, Inc. in Linville NC. “This creates a focal point that can be enjoyed from the patio or from indoors,” he says.
