Uplighting is the most commonly used garden lighting technique, for shrub borders and trees especially. By uplighting trees, one exploits a unique opportunity to add vertical emphasis and drama. Trees with an open habit allow light to fully display the branch structure, while the contrast of colour between subjects can be emphasised. The light coloured bark of a silver birch, the coppery stems of Prunus serrula, the golden fern-like foliage of Gleditsia triacanthos "Sunburst" or the translucent fiery leaves of Acer palmatum "Crimson King" are examples of good lighting subjects. For trees with dense canopies and darker foliage, uplighting rarely works well on its own. Uplighting through the central branch structure and crosslighting the canopy from a second source is one alternative; really dense canopies, such as conifers, can only be lit from outside. Where there are several trees in a view, avoid lighting them uniformly (unless you are lighting an avenue). Light some from the front and others from the side to provide contrast. Lighting a house wall to silhouette a tree in front is an interesting effect if the tree has an open structure. Alternatively a spotlight in front can project the shadow of a tree onto the wall behind, a good way of using a small acer to create a big effect in a newly planted garden.

Trees can be good lighting platforms in relation to shrub borders, as well as a way of lighting terraces, driveways, paths, steps and seating areas. A favourite technique is "moonlighting" down from low power lights fixed in a tree to shadow the lower branches and foliage onto the ground below. This provides a wonderfully subtle, dappled lighting effect over a tree seat and is also a creative way of integrating the lawn into the lighting scene or lighting a path or drive in a rural garden. For moonlighting, or if you are spotlighting a feature from a tree or uplighting a tree canopy above a tree seat, use the Elipta E4171 with accessories from the Compact tree mount spotlight system to mount a tree spotlight with rustic brown powder-coat finish which blends well with tree bark. You may like to experiment with a pale blue "moonlighting" filter to provide the cool light of the moon instead of the more golden light of an unfiltered halogen lamp. The strap-on tree mount comes with a choice of 5 lengths of mounting strap as the kindest way to fix small lights to a tree without screws. Hanging lights can also be used in smaller trees to provide pools of light and decorative sparkle over a patio area. Low wattage 20w - 35w lamps with wide beam angles are generally best for moonlighting unless you need brighter lighting for a particular reason.

The Elipta COMPACT spike spotlight is one of the best spike spotlights for uplighting smaller trees and comes in a variety of materials and finishes including rustic brown finish which blends into woody settings. Designed for 50w halogen lamps, the Elipta COMPACT spike spotlights now also accommodate the new generation of POWERSAVER energy-saving halogen lamps, which provide 50% more light than a conventional halogen reflector lamp for the same power consumption – so a COMPACT spotlight with a POWERSAVER 50w lamp now does the same job as a larger 75w halogen spotlight used to do. A general purpose low voltage recessed uplight, the Lawnlighter range, also features a 50w model which accepts POWERSAVER lamps for uplighting small trees, moving up to a 100w recessed uplight for larger specimens - remember to use models with protective grills in walkover areas as the lenses can get very hot with these lamp wattages. Try to "fit" the lamp beam to the tree shape to avoid wastage of light and energy by studying the lamp beam diameter and the pool of light it provides at a given distance. To uplight small to medium size trees, use one or more tungsten halogen or POWERSAVER lamps of 50 watts and a beam angle to suit the tree - 24 degrees for a slender silver birch, 60 degrees for a weeping tree and 36 degrees for most tree shapes in between. Garden-lighting-tips.co.uk provides useful helpsheets on subjects such as choosing the right lamps for your spotlights and uplighting trees.

Uplighting for larger trees generally means moving to mains voltage uplights using metal halide light sources. These are high-efficiency white light sources with controlled beams for effective uplighting while avoiding excessive light pollution if used properly. Elipta's Spot 70 and Spot 150 are available in 70 watt and 150 watt versions using a double-ended metal halide lamp and polished reflector to project a 40 degree beam for uplighting larger trees. For lighting of trees with dense canopies which are unsuitable for uplighting from directly below, then a metal halide floodlight is a good option. Elipta's new Flood70 and Flood150 symmetric metal halide floodlights are designed for lighting trees and facades from a remote position, hidden behind a wall or planting. The reflector is designed to project a wide 120 degree beam forwards to light a dense tree canopy or facade. Wash70 and Wash150 asymmetric metal halide floodlights are designed for lighting wide-spreading trees from beneath, "grazing" dense canopies such as large conifers from a close position or "wall washing" facades. The asymmetric reflector projects a wide 120 degree beam upwards to light a tree canopy or facade while still providing coverage at the base of the tree or wall illuminated - it is intended for wide beam coverage of 2-3 storey facades and trees up to 30 metres. These are all are surface-mount uplights with adjustable stirrup bracket for mounting on walls or an optional 40cm ground spike.

For recessed uplighting of trees it is important to select lights which will maintain a maximum lens temperature of 70C for safety in walkover areas. The new CoolieR adjustable recessed uplight provides both long lamp life and energy efficiency for lighting trees up to 20 metres high from lawns or paving with a powerful 40° beam from a single ended 35w or 70w metal halide lamp. CoolieR is available with either 316 stainless steel or sandblasted brass top ring and has an upper compartment with a separate top lens insulated by a second lens from heat generated in the lower compartment housing the lamp and control gear. For these powerful light sources it's a good idea to wire them up temporarily first (making sure you use an RCD) and confirm the right position through experimentation at night before permanent installation. Refer to the helpsheet on Metal halide uplights for larger trees at Garden-lighting-tips.co.uk for more graphic information.

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