Hopefully you have the grounds and garden at your home properly landscaped and lighted for everyday use. But not every day is just everyday. Sundays are special, and a special occasion to require special garden lighting.

When you're getting your outdoor space ready for a party, wedding reception or a holiday get-together be sure to plan your lighting with the activities you have scheduled in mind. Make sure to include power for any appliances were temporary lighting that you'll need.

If your garden lighting system is properly designed, a few flips of switches and adjustments of dimmer controls can change it from a relaxing everyday space to a festive party central. In addition to simply adjusting your existing system there a number of other things you can do to add to a celebratory air here outdoor space:

Try using traditional lighting. Gas lamps and even tortures create a very special effect and are particularly appropriate in the holiday season. They create a flickering and ever-changing illumination pallette that enhances your already beautiful outdoor spaces.

Try using mirrors. You can go to a junk store or thrift shop and pick up some inexpensive mirrors. Strategically placed to reflect your existing landscape lighting they can provide some "special effects" for your event.

Paper Japanese lanterns can be used to light pathways and especially walkways leading into and out of the party area. I don't recommend using the traditional candles for these, due to fire hazard. A better idea is inexpensive battery powered LED lights. Not only is there no chance that they would destroy your paper lanterns, but both they and the lanterns will be reusable for your next party.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Light Christmas

Even if it's not Christmas, consider using several strings of Christmas lights. You can do this on a number of different ways. Some people like to use them in a linear fashion, the highlight walkways or the edges of the party area. Others like to decorate a single or multiple bushes as if they were Christmas trees. You can also light up your outdoor plant stands. Either way is fine. Here is what is not fine -- do not run horizontal strings of Christmas lights around the perimeter of your deck overhead. That is, unless you are living in a mobile home. If that is the case they’re probably already there, so you might as well use them.

If you have a water feature that is visible from your entertainment area, consider using candles. If you do this, place candles on the opposite side of the water from your guests. If you have preinstalled water feature lighting, turn that off. What you will get instead will be the candles and their mirror image in the surface of the water. The rest of the water feature will be dark in comparison. The effect is beautiful, and especially appropriate for a wedding or any other occasion with a religious tone.

Fire up the fire pit. If you have a fire pit, remember it's not just for roasting marshmallows. It's entirely appropriate on occasions where a fire pit is not the focal point, delighted anyway and set off to the side. It will draw plenty of light, a natural flickering light which adds to the festive nature of the occasion. If your event is in the autumn or winter, it also throws off significant heat, which will be welcome.

I hardly know where to begin here. Everyone has his or her own idea of what looks appropriate. Often times, and a single neighborhood you can find everything from a classy and understated bow on the front door combined with single candles in the windows to a blowup Frosty the snowman and computer-controlled lighting arrays that light up in conjunction with music by Metallica. Increasingly, it appears that anything goes. Nevertheless, whatever your taste in this area there are a few guidelines that you should adhere to:

First stick to a single idea. Do not use single colored lights in the traditional effect on one side of the house and then go very chintzy and eclectic on the other.

Make sure that your accentuating the best features of your home. Again, if your home is a trailer don't worry about it. Just have fun.

If you're going to use a nativity scene, remember that what you're going for more than anything else is an emotional effect. There's no need to lighted up as bright as day. Subtle respect for lighting shining up from ground level will provide the best effect.

If you are going to light your trees like them all the same way. If you are going for simple strings of white lights, be consistent and do that on all of your plantings.

You only use your holiday lighting a couple of times a year. So check them carefully before you plug them in. Not only does this help you identify burnt bulbs for replacement, going over the light string from one end to the other before hand will allow you to find frayed wires and broken bulb sockets before they become a problem.

Okay. We have reached the end of article number 10 in our series on outdoor garden lighting. Thanks for staying with me. I look forward to seeing you again for article number 11.