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A garden is more than a thoughtfully designed collection of plants and paving. It is a space of experience. To enhance that experience, both during the day and at night, lighting is a focal point. Yet many garden contractors are still somewhat reluctant to take on this luminous aspect. To reassure his colleagues that lighting need not be a burden at all - on the contrary, rather an added value - a Dutch garden contractor tells how he approaches it.
Whether it is an in-house garden design or a garden in the maintenance portfolio, contractors invariably turn to Suslight for lighting. The products of this Dutch lighting brand, which is also sold to Flemish and Walloon garden contractors/dealers via Suslight Belgium, operate on a 24-volt system.
“That makes for great flexibility,” testifies the garden contractor. “The lights are all energy-efficient LEDs and if necessary, I can very easily replace a bulb with a stronger or just weaker one. Moreover, with the extensive range, I can always make a suitable offer, whether people opt for an exuberant or a subtle lighting design.”
To give his customers an idea of the possibilities and the atmosphere of the garden with lighting, the garden contractor often gives a lighting demonstration.
“That's basically where it starts. I plan an evening together with the client and put out different lights in the garden. This way, people can clearly see what the effect of the lighting will be. Then we see what the customer's personal wishes are and proceed to a design.”
When shaping the final lighting design, the contractor works in two groups as standard: “The first group includes ambient lighting, for example to light trees. The other group is the functional lighting that is used to illuminate walkways, among other things.”
As a matter of fact, lighting is taken into account in every garden design, even when people do not yet want to proceed with effective installation for cost reasons. “In such a case, I suggest already digging in the electricity cables at the time the garden is being landscaped anyway. Actually purchasing the fixtures and connecting the lighting can always be done at a later date, but thinking ahead does save costs and time.”
The garden contractor still sees a bright future for his collaboration with Suslight. “It is a relatively young company that is very much focused on innovations. This means that I can also offer the products in the higher segment of the market without any problems and improvements are constantly being made. For instance, work is now underway on a system that allows you to switch lamps individually. That will provide even more flexibility.”
Also not unimportant for the garden contractor: that sustainability is always at the forefront of such innovations and developments. “Not only are we working with energy-efficient LED lighting, the cables are also made to be suitable for possible reuse.”
Furthermore, Suslight offers a five-year warranty on all products and, since this year, old lighting is also taken in and processed by the company. “In this way, you almost unwittingly contribute to recycling something that would otherwise have disappeared into the rubbish bin.”
