PVC Conduit

The rigid, Sch. 40 PVC pipe shown in this picture is most often used for electrical wire -  like  THHN conductor wire that cannot be buried directly in the ground.  However, there’s no reason you can’t run other types of wire (and things) through this conduit too.

Rigid PVC conduit like this comes in various diameters along with numerous types of “fittings” and connectors to accommodate most any situation.  With a combination of these fittings and special PVC glue you can create a sealed environment to protect the wires and splices inside.

Earlier I mentioned the use of poly pipe as a conduit.  I’m referring to the black poly pipe used in underground sprinkler work.

Poly Sprinkler Pipe As A Conduit

Poly Pipe – Handy, Cheap and Effective

If your a landscape contractor, odds are good you have this kind of pipe on-hand anyway.  Perhaps you do sprinkler systems as part of your service offering.  At the very least you should have it on hand for:

• Repairs -  You’d have to call yourself supernatural if you’ve never broken a sprinkler line during a dig-operation.
• Sprinkler Modification -  It’s inevitable that an existing sprinkler head has to be moved because of a new plant or hardscape install.  Or how about an underground poly pipe running right where “something new” has to go.  You’ll need to piece-in an additional section to go around the new feature.
• Conduits -  Poly pipe provides a cheap and effective conduit for many situations.

In the picture above we’re using poly (sprinkler) pipe as a conduit for our low voltage lighting wire.

We installed these poly pipe “runs” early on in the project at a particular time when other utility trenches were open and final grades were not yet established.  We utilized the other open trenches and easily dug to other locations without “tip-toeing” around finished or semi-finished areas.

To do this it’s important you have a detailed landscape plan that illustrates:

• light fixture and tranformer locations
• specific, calculated cable runs
• locations of all other proposed features and elements

With this information you can safely locate your conduit without fear of running into it later on.

Multiple Conduit Runs

Notice how pipe ends are bent over to insure dirt does not enter.

The colored marking tape tells the story as to which pipe goes where and what it’s for.  Write down the “color-key legend” on your plan.  When the time comes to pull wire through these conduits, you’ll know exactly which conduits do what.

These simple conduit runs can save you headaches, work and your client money if you think creatively and strategically, especially in the early stages of your project.

We actually installed additional conduit runs for speaker wire that would be pulled through in the future for rock speakers.

How have you used conduit in different ways?  Feel free to comment below.

The other day I was invited by Alan Goodell of East Coast Landscape to visit a project of his in a beautiful lake community.  I was taken not only by the inherent beauty of the site, but how East Coast respectfully handled that beauty during their project.  I’d like to share my visit with you and some of the wonderful things I saw.

The driveway must be over 200 yds. long and traverses a descending grade to the lakefront home.  At the top entrance to the drive the homeowner wanted the lantern style used on the house repeated. To right away introduce the theme of working with the surroundings, East Coast set about making the “post lantern on a rock”.  The boulder itself was core drilled from bottom to top.  They had a core drilling machine on-site to assist drilling and splitting large boulders to clear for the driveway.  A 6″ X 6″ timber post was also core drilled to a point where the fixture would be.  To connect the post to the boulder a mounting bracket was fabricated out of plate steel. Additional holes were drilled in the boulder where threaded rod was installed using Hilti Epoxy. With matching holes in the bracket, it could then be attached to the boulder. It was obvious I was in for a special experience as I began my walk down the lengthy drive.

Now before you accuse me of filling yards with pink flamingos and Disney characters let me make one key point – Garden ornaments should be chosen in good taste and used strategically. Please remember the great design adage “less is more”.

If you think of them as “something special” (perhaps meaningful to you in some way) or as a work of art, naturally you’d look to place them in a special spot or setting. And just like with decorative elements inside the home, you’d like people to admire and enjoy them.

In terms of the “setting” for these garden ornaments, it should be a well designed landscape with drifts of unifying plantings that complement. A helter skelter planting design will only distract from the ornament and cause a feeling of chaos. Not what we’re looking for.

Stay tuned folks because I’m going to post more examples of garden ornaments used in the landscape. Maybe I can convert some of the non-believers and inspire more ideas for those who do use them.

For you believers, check out the NightOrbs in the picture above. These are not your classic ornaments like statuary and birdbaths, but are hand-blown glass works of art that can be illuminated. They appear floating, almost celestial when used in groupings and arranged at different heights.

Installing and Setting Garden Ornaments

One thing I’d like to emphasize when installing any garden ornament is straightness and stability. Of course how to achieve that will vary depending on what you’re setting.

Heavy pieces like concrete planters and statuary need a solid base or platform that will not “heave” from freezing ground.

Some ornaments have a stem or pole that is meant to be sunk in the ground, like the NightOrbs pictured above. Make sure whatever anchoring method you use it is solid and long-lasting. Nothing looks worse than a feature in the landscape that is crooked and “out of plumb”.

I really don’t want to get too involved discussing this “runway” use of pathlights because I have another issue to talk about. But with regard to the picture above,  I would have chosen a decorative lamp post and lantern to light the steps and walk. It would have been a more elegant and appropriate look for this home.

In future posts I’ll talk more about landscape lighting design including effects and the fixtures to use.

A Common Installation Mistake

What really kills the look of any pathlight in any situation is when they are out of plumb, i.e. not exactly straight.

One of the most common installation shortcomings with landscape lighting is the method used for mounting the fixtures in the ground.

Many of these fixtures are packaged with their own “mounting stake,” which is usually about 8 inches long and 1.5 inches wide.

There is no way a stake like that can support and keep straight an outdoor fixture, especially over time and exposure to the elements.

The end result is a crooked fixture and lighting performance that is not doing what it’s supposed to.

Ask your installer what method and device he or she is using to mount the fixtures. If the device seems inadequate ask if you can upgrade to a more substantial mounting system. Yes it will be a bit more money, but can you imagine investing in this beautiful lighting system and then having the fixtures tilt and move in their spots?

Upgrading later would be another project unto itself that involves disturbing the landscape again, plus the added labor cost to change from one device to another. As the old saying goes, “Do it right the first time.”

The picture to the left is a Perma-Post by Hadco. It is made of thick wall PVC, 3″ in diameter and 19″ long. This is an excellent device for mounting landscape lighting fixtures. They cost about $27 a piece (yes, that can really add up when you have many fixtures). For line voltage fixtures (110 volt) it is definitely the way to go. Again it offers an extremely sturdy base and the electrical splices are contained within the PVC tube and cap.

An Inexpensive and Sturdy Mounting Method

For low voltage fixtures (12 volt) there’s a mounting method I’ve used that is relatively inexpensive and very effective.

We cut 4″X4″ pressure treated lumber to 10 – 12″ lengths and then use a single hole, standard electrical mounting plate attached to the top of the 4X4 with exterior deck screws. All the low voltage splices are made using waterproof, gel-filled wire nuts.

Besides the low cost, another great feature is when the fixture is hit hard by someone or something (and it will), the $3 aluminum mounting plate breaks and not the fixture. The mounting plate is easily replaced.