Landscaping and Gardening.info

A guide for first year decorating

Obviously, if you’ve never attempted setting up an outdoor Christmas lighting display before now, you probably could use a few tips on how to get it underway. Most people’s biggest concern is working with electricity and if this is a first time, some safety tips are in order. Check with an electrical professional to get some guidelines about what you should have in the way of equipment and safety in order to get started.

Small home owners have an easier time of deciding how to go about decorating their property for the holidays. After all, it only takes a small number of lights on the front of a small home to make an outstanding showing. Add to that a few wreaths on windows and the front door and perhaps over the garage door and you’re all set. You will probably be shown some very energy efficient lights to get you start on the right foot to participate in the “greening of the environment”.

Ideas for your first Outdoor Lighting project

If you want a particularly nice focal point, place a small decorated tree on your front stoop or porch. Place colored or clear white lights on the tree for instant “holiday”. The most energy efficient lights are the LED bulbs or try some of the rope lights if you’d like to wrap them around porch columns. They are equally energy saving lights.

Small children in a home sometimes dictate what will be the focal point of your yard decorations. Take them with you to the lighting/display store to help choose a perfect front yard figure. The joy you will experience from their going along to make a decorating decision will be enough to make it all worthwhile. Chances are, they will choose a lighted Santa as their special lighted Christmas display.

Get the supplies you need on that same trip to the store

One almost essential item is a timer that will turn your lights on at dusk and off at the specified hour that you choose. There is a little extra security included with this technique. No one will know you are not home since the lights go on and off even when you’re away. A timer is not recommended for the inside of the home, however, due to the possibility of fire. Be sure that any lights or equipment that you purchase is UL approved.

Next year, you’ll be all set to assemble your display once again with very little effort if you store your decorations securely away. You might have fun adding some little incidental thing to your display each year, or you might just revel in the idea that all you need to do is put everything up again.

Tags: landscaping, gardening