Fixtures 
Landscape lighting fixtures hold the lamp in place and provides the electrical connection to it. In addition, the fixture protects the lamp from physical and weather damage and may affect the spread of the light. Because the fixture is frequently visible, its appearance is often part of the selection criteria. There are hundreds of fixtures manufactured by many companies. Manufacturers range from high end specialty shops to large corporations that turn out thousands of fixtures daily.

The range of quality is great as well. There are many examples of poorly designed and manufactured lights, which have a short life and are sometimes dangerous. Likewise there are fixtures that are handcrafted works of art that cost several hundred dollars each. The discussion that follows is directed towards the many fixtures that are carefully designed and manufactured to deliver the desired light qualities for a long life.

There are several factors that must be considered when selecting a light fixture:

Lamp Holder
As discussed above, lamps are offered in a variety of sizes and bases. Typically fixtures are designed for one type of lamp. You may only vary the wattage by lamp selection not the type of lamp. While the connector may be changed to allow a different type of lamp base, the fixture must still be able to accommodate the size of the lamp. A fixture designed to use MR16 (2” in diameter) lamps will not be able to be used with a PAR 36 lamp (4 ½” in diameter). Since the lamp is the most important component in determining the amount and spread of light, the fixture should be selected after specifying the lamp to be used.

Mount
There are numerous ways that lighting manufacturers provide for mounting fixtures. The type of mount will largely be determined by where the fixture will be used. Path and area lights need a stem mounted on a ground stake to hold the fixture off the ground the proper distance to allow the light to spread. Down lighting may be hung from a tree or attached to a garden or other structure. Various brackets and pendants are used to mount these fixtures. In the case of post mounted lighting the attachment points are built into the back or bottom of the fixture. Fixtures are also designed to be built into brick and stone walls as well as wooden components.

While it may require the use of several different makes of fixtures, there is usually a model that will be designed to meet a particular mounting situation.

Location
Most outdoor lighting will be subject to wetness and extremes of temperature. Adequate protection for normal outdoor conditions is designed into all fixtures made for outdoor use by reputable manufactures. However, there are conditions in which only specific fixtures can be used. For example, only lighting designed to be submerged in water can be safely used in ponds or under waterfalls. Locations which are subject to foot or vehicle traffic may need fixtures designed to handle impact. There are fixtures that are designed to retract into the ground when not in use which are ideal for situations where a fixture has to be located in a grassy area. Like sprinkler heads, these fixtures are out of the way when the grass has to be mowed.

Location also is important relative to the distance that the fixture is from the power source. As will be discussed later, the longer the wiring run, the lower the voltage will be that reaches the lamp. This will affect light output and lamp life. While the wire size, lamp selection and transformer output will have the greatest impact on this situation, the designer may find that selecting a solar powered light or line voltage fixture is the best choice to put light at a distant location.   

Special Use
Lighting manufacturers have designed a wide range of fixtures for special purposes. Focus Industries offers a series of very popular fixtures designed to be used with outdoor grills. Nightscaping® offers two models of Tiki lamps that operate as oil burning torches and have built-in low voltage lamps for area or path lighting. These fixtures can serve as deck or path lighting throughout the year and can be lit for parties and special occasions. String and rope lighting are another very useful type of special lighting “fixture” for many landscape and outdoor lighting applications - not just the holidays. Other manufacturers offer special purpose lighting as well. 

Light Pattern
 The lamp will have the most influence on the spread of the light pattern. However the fixture may be a factor as well. Fixtures cannot add light, however they can be designed to shield the light as well as direct it to where it is needed. One of the basic principles of good lighting design is to make sure the observer sees the light, but not the source of the light. In other words, in most situations you do not want to see the lamp. The design of the fixture is important in meeting this principle.

A good example of this is the design of most path fixtures. They typically use bare bulbs with bayonet or push pin type bases. Without a fixture, they spread light pretty much evenly on all directions. Path light fixtures block the light and direct it down and out so that the walkway or path is illuminated but the lamp is not seen. This eliminates glare and overly bright spots, making the passageway safer and more pleasant to use.  

Materials
The materials used to make the fixture will affect its usable life as well as the aesthetics of the fixture. Quality fixtures are typically made with copper, brass, bronze, and cast aluminum because these material hold up well in most environments. These materials, if designed properly are slow to be affected by corrosion. They also can be used by skilled craftsmen to produce fixtures that are attractive and have a look of permanence.

There has been limited use of advanced composite materials. They offer the possibility of even greater resistance to corrosion and impact resistance, however there has been only limited success in designing fixtures with the look and feel that is desired by many consumers. Low cost fixtures use various types of plastic or sheet metal. These fixtures offer little resistance to impact or corrosion and tend to have a short useful life.

In December, 2003, lumber pressured treated with CCA (chromated copper arsenate) was banned for use for most residential applications. The replacement chemicals, ACQ and CA, work fine as a wood preservative, but because of their higher copper content, they are very corrosive to some metals including aluminum. When the fixture is to be mounted to this type of treated lumber, care must be taken to be sure that the fixture’s materials are compatible.

Line Voltage Fixtures
Fixtures designed to be used with standard household light bubs can be used in low voltage applications. These fixtures require a medium base bulb. There is a lamp, the A19, which is 12 volt lamp with a medium base with available wattages from 25 to 100 watts. These fixtures are particularly useful when the designer is trying to maintain an overall look for the project by keeping all of the fixtures in the same style. These fixtures are available with more choices of styles for some applications such as wall washers and entrance lights.    

Cost
You can spend as little as a few dollars or as much as several hundred dollars for a landscape fixture. The difference in cost depends on the materials used, the number that are manufactured, the quality control used by the manufacturer, reputation of the maker, and the degree of handcraftsmanship involved in the production of the fixture. Some fixtures are designed with the single objective of being as cheap as possible. Other fixtures are literally pieces of art – bronze or copper garden sculptures.

Like most things in life, you usually get what you pay for. It is easy to go to the home center and buy a set of 6 path lights, wire, connectors, and a transformer for the same price as you would pay for a single quality fixture. However the initial cost is only one factor in the fixture selection process. Labor has value. If the cheap lights have to be replaced several times compared to the single installation of the quality fixture, a lot of the “savings” are lost. The inexpensive lights typically can only be used with very low wattage lamps, so more of them may be required to meet the lighting objective, also reducing the savings.

Then there’s the issue of aesthetics. Cheap lights look cheap. They may work, but they look cheap. Why would anyone want to put $5 plastic lights in front of a several hundred thousand dollar home? Think of that fist impression by a visitor. Little green or black plastic lamps lined up like a miniature runway is not the look most people associate with quality. While not everybody can afford or appreciate a $600 piece of art for a landscape fixture, there are hundreds of high quality attractive fixtures made from durable materials available at more affordable prices.