Outdoor & Landscape Lighting Design Guide (Canada): Layering, Low-Voltage & Layout

Written by Gadi Hamou · Product review: Maple Electric Supply · Resource architecture: Talkerstein Consulting Group · Updated 2026-06-15

What are the main landscape lighting techniques?

A polished yard is rarely lit one way. Designers combine a handful of core techniques so the eye moves through light and shadow rather than staring at glare. The goal is layering: a base of safe, functional light plus accents that build depth.

• Path lighting — low fixtures or bollards along walkways and steps for safe footing and gentle edges.
• Uplighting — fixtures at grade aimed upward to graze trees, columns, and architecture, creating drama and height.
• Wash (wall washing) — a broad, even spread across a flat surface like a fence, hedge, or facade to flatten texture and add a soft glow.
• Accent (spotlighting) — a tight beam on a single feature: a specimen tree, sculpture, water feature, or house number.
• Silhouette — a light placed behind an object, throwing its dark outline forward against a lit surface.
• Moonlighting — fixtures mounted high in a tree, aimed down through the branches to mimic dappled moonlight on the ground.

See the full technique-to-effect breakdown in the table below, then browse fixtures in the landscape & garden lighting collection.

Line-voltage (120V) vs low-voltage (12V) — which should I use?

For most residential landscapes the answer is low-voltage (12V). A transformer steps household 120V down to 12V, so the cabling running through gardens and beds carries low voltage — safer to work around and generally simpler to route. Low-voltage systems are the common choice for residential path, accent, and tree lighting, and fixtures are widely available.

Line-voltage (120V) fixtures run straight off household power without a transformer. They can suit larger commercial sites, tall pole-mounted area lighting, or long runs where higher voltage carries better — but 120V outdoor wiring is electrical work that must be installed by a licensed electrician to code. Whichever you choose, the buried/feeder wiring and any new circuit are an electrician’s job; your part is selecting fixtures and planning the layout.

Maple is supply-only. Gadi advises on product selection and sourcing — not installation. Any new circuit, transformer hook-up, or buried 120V run should be installed by a licensed electrician to the Canadian Electrical Code (ESA in Ontario, RBQ in Quebec).

How do I size a low-voltage transformer?

Transformer sizing starts with total fixture wattage. Add up the rated watts of every fixture on the transformer, then add headroom so the unit isn’t running at its absolute ceiling — a common rule of thumb is to leave roughly 20–25% spare capacity for safety, voltage drop, and future additions.

• Tally the load — sum the wattage of all fixtures the transformer will feed.
• Add headroom — size the transformer above that total so you’re not maxed out.
• Plan for runs — long cable runs lose voltage; multi-tap transformers (with 12V/13V/14V/15V terminals) and proper wire gauge help fixtures at the far end stay bright.
• Leave room to grow — landscapes get added to; a little spare capacity now saves a second transformer later.

Exact wattages and the right transformer rating depend on your fixtures and layout — confirm the load math and wire sizing with your electrician before buying. Maple can help match a transformer to the fixture list.

What colour temperature looks best outdoors?

For landscapes, warm white in the 2700–3000K range almost always flatters best. It reads natural on greenery, brick, wood, and stone, and feels inviting rather than clinical. Cooler temperatures (4000K and up) can look harsh and bluish on plantings and tend to suit security or commercial area lighting more than gardens.

Consistency matters as much as the number: mixing colour temperatures across a yard looks accidental. Pick one warm CCT and stick to it across path, accent, and uplighting. For the deeper explanation, see our colour temperature guide, and to compare brightness the right way, lumens vs watts.

How do I handle wet locations and Canadian winters?

Outdoor lighting lives in rain, sprinklers, snow, and freeze-thaw. The hardware has to be built for it.

• Wet/burial ratings — fixtures, cable, and connectors must be rated for wet locations and direct burial where they go in the ground. Buried splices need proper waterproof connectors, not indoor wire nuts.
• Cold-rated materials — quality housings (brass, copper, well-made composites) and seals tolerate Canadian freeze-thaw; bargain plastics get brittle and crack.
• Drainage and placement — well lights and in-grade fixtures should drain and sit where meltwater and pooling won’t sit in the housing.
• Snow line — mount path fixtures and connections high enough to stay above typical snow accumulation, and keep fixtures clear of where the plow or shovel piles snow.
• Power source — the transformer feeds from a weatherproofed outdoor receptacle; see outdoor outlets & weatherproofing for doing that source right.

How do I plan a layout?

A good layout starts on paper (or a phone photo), not at the store. Walk the property after dark and decide what deserves light and what should stay in shadow — restraint is what separates designed lighting from a runway.

• Map focal points — mark the trees, architecture, and features worth accenting, plus the paths and steps that need safe footing.
• Layer the techniques — assign path, uplight, wash, accent, silhouette, or moonlight to each zone so you build depth, not a flat wall of brightness.
• Group by transformer — cluster fixtures into runs and tally wattage per run so each transformer is sized with headroom.
• Mind glare — aim fixtures away from sightlines and windows; hide the source, show the effect.
• Stage the source — confirm where the weatherproof outdoor receptacle and transformer will sit before fixtures go in.

For pathway-specific guidance, the LED bollard & pathway lighting guide goes deeper, and commercial projects can start with commercial LED bollards. Browse the full outdoor lighting collection to spec the parts.

Frequently asked questions