Garden Pond Lighting
Garden pond lighting, whether it be placed in, on or around your pond
will enhance your entire area and allow you to enjoy the benefits of
your pond well after sunset.
You do not need to spend a fortune on illumination. You should be able to set a submersible 20-watt light, or two into your pond for well under $500.00. The price should include cable and a transformer that is rated for 200 watts minimum, just in case you wish to add another light in or above your pond.
Don't try to add too many lights without using the proper transformer or cable for that matter. The more lights, the larger transformer and heavier cable required, all adding significantly to the cost.
Floating lights are another way to enhance your ponds and surrounding flora and fauna. This type of pond and garden lighting can be either electric or solar. There are as many different styles of floating lights, as there are ponds and gardens.
Solar lighting in addition to bright LED lights, offers the benefit of placement anywhere without cords, transformers or electrical safety issues. Solar lights are also more in keeping with nature in your back yard.
You can also add a fog machine to really amp up the nighttime in a most theatrical way. One such fog and light machine uses no chemicals, but instead uses ultrasound to produce a continuous mist.
Fiber optic garden pond lighting is especially useful if your pond has a waterfall. The entire light show is produced on shore in a box with a light bulb. Color is added with a color wheel and light is transported by cable to the water. The big advantage here is the same as with solar lighting, no electricity in the water. This type of lighting is not inexpensive because the fiber optic cable is very expensive.
Lighting can be a great mood enhancer, but you can also carefully use candles and oil lamps if your budget does not include garden lighting. A few well placed candles in jars around the pond and a hanging lantern or two will add such ambience to the entire setting that you will wonder why you ever thought about the additional electric needed to light your pond.