When the ideal landscape design has been created in a back or front yard, showing it off is never a bad idea. One of the best ways to do this for nighttime viewing is to add landscape lighting to the mix.

Whether it's a few simple fixtures or a large, spectacular display of them, landscape lighting can ensure special plants, blooms and designs can be enjoyed 24 hours a day. It is a very good idea to create a plan for this kind of lighting, however, or the end result might be less than was desired.

Some of the best tips for landscape lighting include:

* Hide unattractive lighting. Many outdoor lighting fixtures are not the most beautiful of creations. They are meant to help ensure the plants and foliage stand out, not themselves. This means unless lighting happens to be decorative of nature itself, it should be well hidden into the design.

* Watch out for bugs. It's a simple fact that most lighting tends to attract bugs at night. When pests are a real concern, it's important to carefully position landscape lighting to ensure bugs aren't attracted too close to where people congregate. It doesn't do any good to spend a lot of time creating a beautiful landscape and adding lighting if no one can enjoy it!

* Use timers or switches to conserve energy. It does not make much sense to keep the lights on during the day. This can be just a plain waste of energy and money. Instead of running the risk of just leaving them on, either hook them up to timers that are light sensitive or use an easy-to-reach switch. Just make sure if the switch is used that it's turned off when the lights really don't need to be used.

* Don't forget to highlight special features. If there is a particular bush, flower bed or even sculpture involved in the design that really deserves to be shown off, make sure to use landscape lighting appropriately to pull this off.

* Don't over use lighting. It's one thing to use landscape lighting to illuminate a design, it's another to make it look like the sun's out. Don't go overboard with the lighting. A few gentle touches can really make a garden design stand out.

* Be certain to purchase outdoor lighting that's safe and rated for such use. It's not a bad idea to double check for safety ratings on outdoor lighting. This can help ensure that safety comes first in the design.

* Have fun! The biggest reason to include landscape lighting in the mix is to show off a good design and have some fun in the process. Be creative, come up with a plan and have some fun executing it.

Landscape lighting can really help add to the appearance of a garden. Making it enjoyable day and night, this addition can be a huge one. Just take the time to plan it out carefully and take steps to ensure the end design is one that can really be enjoyed.