Most people think about installing a pond filtration system and a pond pump when designing their pond. But many people forget about pond lighting.

Pond Lighting

A good idea to get more out of your pond throughout the year is to use pond lighting. At this time of the year when the nights are drawing in, most people travel home from work in the dark and hence do not get to view their pond. Having some sort of lighting in place will not only make your pond visible through the darkness, it will also add an aesthetic element to your garden pond’s design.

Pond lighting falls into two distinct categories:

• Exterior pond lighting – lighting your pond from above
• Interior pond lighting – using submerged lights in your pond

We will discuss exterior lighting below, and interior pond lighting in the next article.

Exterior pond lighting

Most people have some sort of security light in their garden that is activated by a PIR (Passive Infra Red). That means when anyone, or anything, walks past the lighting source the light will illuminate and thus illuminate your garden. This may not be the ideal solution for the pond owner as you may want to illuminate your pond without activating the PIR. So many pond owners have another light that can be switched on separately so the pond can be constantly illuminated when they want.

Whether you choose to use a halogen spotlight or subtle mini lights inserted around the pond border, the choice is yours, but be aware that unless you are using solar power lighting you will have to install some form of electricity supply to power the lights.