Whether you are thinking about a business or residential landscape, you may not consider how your choices can affect people at night. Before finalize your design, there are several factors you should consider.

Negative Space

Making sure your landscape has adequate negative space can help the area feel less cluttered and creepy, especially at night. This includes the type of plants on your property and how they are maintained. When you are looking for plants and trees to add to your landscape, make sure you are aware of what they will look like at maturity. For example, a beautiful rose bush may obstruct windows when it is fully grown and become a nuisance. You want to ensure windows do not become obstructed by plants or bushes are not clustered together, which can make it easy for someone to hide. Opt for a couple of larger bushes, one on either side of an entrance, while the remaining plants are shorter and may serve as ground cover.

Lighting

The way your property looks and feels at night can affect its aesthetic value and be important for safety. Take a look at your property when it becomes dark to get a sense of where lighting would improve safety and work with the overall theme of your landscape. Adequate lighting around the property and walkways are important, especially if you have surveillance cameras. If you are concerned about lighting becoming a nuisance at night, such as when exterior lighting is used on residential properties, try blue lights. Blue lights are less likely to affect your sleep like yellow light, but can continue to provide adequate illumination.

Walkway Materials

Some materials used for walkways, such as smooth stone or tiles, can give your landscape a refined look. Unfortunately, many of these materials are not ideal during the colder months, especially if frozen precipitation becomes a problem. When slick materials are combined with poor lighting at night, it is a recipe for an accident. At night, black ice can continue to be a problem even in well-lit environments because the ice easily blends in with the ground.

Of course, maintaining your walkways when frozen precipitation occurs is important. This includes pre-treatments and promptly removing hazards once it is safe. Additionally, you might prefer to use materials for your walkway that has more texture and retains heat better once the sun is out. Textured walkways such as natural stone or gravel make it easier for people to have traction when they are walking. Materials darker in color will also absorb heat better, helping to melt ice and snow quicker.

Most people only focus on their landscape in the daytime, but what your landscape looks like at night is equally important. Having a proper nighttime landscape can improve safety while creating an attractive aesthetic.