Traditionally, lighting design is based on the identification and combination of four primary lighting types, which are accent, ambient, task and decorative lighting. And pretty much the same idea applies to designing outdoor lighting, but before we look further at each of these types there are some basic differences to take into account.

Firstly there is an issue of scale. Indoor spaces are bounded by ceilings and walls and are thus quite restricted when compared to even a tiny garden. Outdoors the ceiling stretches up to the stars and when night falls it’s not clear where the edges are either.

This brings both opportunities and challenges for outdoor lighting design. Most indoor lighting is reflected from ceilings and walls and contributes to the overall ambient light. Outside however, lights appear to us as zones of brightness that, rather than spilling onto surrounding areas instead create a contrast, making then seem even darker.

This absence of ambient light from reflections renders many interior lighting techniques unusable outdoors. However, it also makes a number of interesting effects possible by utilising the high contrast between light and dark; it is not uncommon to find night time gardens that have been designed to appear completely different to their day time counterpart through the simple expedient of highlighting some features and disguising others.