It is true that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. That axiom holds true whether we are talking about job interviews or going on a first date, and it holds equally true when talking about our homes.

Having an impeccably appointed home interior is sure to make a great impression on friends and guests, but it is important to remember that by the time our guests enter our home the first impression has already been made.

When a guest arrives at your home for the first time it is likely that the first thing they will notice is the way you have landscaped the areas around your home. And if that guest arrives at night, then only landscape lights can illuminate the care and creativity you have put into your home's surroundings.

Landscape design has become a multi-billion dollar industry. From gardens to hedges, fountains to benches, the landscape business has seen a constant rise in the attention to detail demanded by homeowners. So it is no surprise that landscape lights have an important role to play in that evolution.

Gone are the utilitarian days when a porch light or street lamp provided the supply of lighting for our yards. Today there is a specialized light for nearly any application that your can imagine. The modern lights are versatile, functional, well engineered, and most important, aesthetically pleasing.

There are several broad categories that can be used to describe landscape lights. Accent lights are usually one-piece lights that are used to illuminate a single, broad area. Accent lights come in many forms, from a fixture that resembles a small spot light, to low profile lights that are hidden from view inside a faux rock. No matter what their shape, they can be seen illuminating gardens, trees, flower beds, or even an entire section of a home.

Area lights are a form of landscape lights that fill the roll of the traditional lantern. Unlike accent lights - where the fixture is often hidden from view - area lights are themselves part of the design. The ever familiar post-lantern, or the ubiquitous porch light, are both area lights. And when their design possesses as much form as function, they can rightfully take their place in a well designed landscape.

Bollards are vertical posts that provide lighting, typically used to illuminate pathways or driveways. However, if you want a low profile and sleek way to highlight a pathway, brick lights allow you to take your lights to a higher level. Brick lights are recessed, low voltage lights that lay at ground level or even embedded in a brick themselves.

Accent, area, and path lighting are the most prominent lights on the market; but there are other more specialized options available to those who want to stand out in the crowd. Low voltage garden lights can do what accent lights can not; light a very small area in your garden, like one plant or group of flowers. Flood lights can be used to illuminate a large area, such as an entire yard, as if it were daytime. And do not forget underwater lights to highlight your water features. A lighted waterfall looks even more spectacular at night!

Remember, first impressions are everything, and we entertain in the evenings more often than not. Landscape lights provide you with a means to not only illuminate your home, but to accent, highlight, and frame your home and landscaping in a functional yet artistic way.

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