When entertaining outdoors, a well-lit landscape is essential. You don’t want guests tripping in the dark or accidentally falling into the pool. Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights have become the industry standard for outdoor lighting due to their low energy consumption and long lifespan. Some LED lights even offer an added benefit: the ability to change colors.
What Are Outdoor Color-Changing Lights?
Different LED lights typically emit one of three colors: red, green, or blue. Each LED light can emit only one color. However, Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) LED lights combine a red, green, and blue LED within a single housing. By varying the intensity of each color, the housing can emit one of 16 million color options. These lights can even be programmed to emit white light.
Why Add Color-Changing Lights?
LED lights are energy-efficient, emit very little heat, and are easily controlled through smartphone apps. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. RGB LED lights can change color, which allows for versatile use. For example, during football season, they can shine red for the Chiefs, and blue for the Royals during baseball season. During the Christmas season they can glow red and green. For the Fourth of July, they can be red, white, and blue. If your HOA regulates the number and type of flags you can fly, you can express the same sentiment through your outdoor lighting.
Types of Outdoor Color-Changing Light Controllers
To change the color of your outdoor lighting, you’ll need RGB LED lights. There are four common methods used to control color changes:
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) Lights
PWM lights are rapidly turned on and off at varying intervals. By controlling the intensity of the bulb, different colors can be created. Mood strips commonly use this method.
Digital Control
Digital control allows a program to turn the lights on and off to produce varying colors. This method is easy to use and can also be programmed to create lighting patterns. DJs, musical productions, and other events that require fast-changing lighting often use digital controls.
Digital Multiplex (DMX)
DMX controllers enable users to manage several lighting features from a single control board. This method is used in professional settings, such as musicals and live events, where multiple lighting elements need to be controlled simultaneously, similar to a soundboard.
RBG Controllers and Remotes
RGB controllers and remotes are commonly used by homeowners. The remotes send signals to the controller, adjusting the light settings. A smartphone app makes it even easier to change colors.
RGB LED lights can be recessed into your deck, patio, or steps.
How Much Do Color Changing Lights Cost?
RGB LED lights tend to be more expensive than standard white or single-color lights. Part of this cost comes from the controller and remote or app required to operate the lights. However, they are not prohibitively expensive, and many homeowners find the ability to vary their lighting worth the extra cost. Depending on the system you use and if it is controlled by individual lights or by the main controller these systems can run anywhere from $300 – $1000 per light or even more with all the wiring, transformers, timers, and labor to install. As with any custom projects there are many variables that can influence the final cost of the project.
Outdoor Lighting Maintenance Tips
One of the great benefits of LED lights is their long lifespan—up to 50,000 hours when properly maintained. To keep your lights in optimal condition, regularly clean them to remove dust and dirt that can obstruct the emitted light. Use a soft cloth and a non-abrasive cleaner, and always turn off the lights before cleaning.
While cleaning, inspect the power cables for any damage or wear, ensuring proper connection. Periodically check the controller for potential issues before they cause problems. If you’re using a standalone remote, remember to replace the battery when necessary to ensure continued functionality.
Managing Wildlife Attracted To Lights
Outdoor lights often attract insects, and subsequently, insect predators like bats, frogs, and toads. LED lights generally attract fewer insects than other light types. Yellow or amber LED lights, in particular, are known to attract very few insects. Additionally, programming the lights to turn off when no one is outside can help prevent attracting insects.
RGB LED lights are becoming more affordable and widely available. If the idea of changing the color of your outdoor lights appeals to you, installing RGB lights could be a worthwhile investment. The convenience of using remotes and smartphone apps makes these lights a more practical and reliable option compared to traditional colored bulbs, which often burn out or are limited to a single color.
We love the outdoors, but we know winter storms are nothing to ignore. It is important to have a winter weather survival kit in your home in case there is a prolonged severe storm. We have recently seen from the hurricanes how severe weather can impact a community and we want to help make sure your family stays safe this winter season.
The main challenges during a winter storm are keeping your home warm, communications, food, and water. FEMA used to tell people to keep enough of everything to last 72 hours after the storm, but some people in the latest disasters have not had much help for five to seven days. Their current recommendation has been updated for two weeks worth of supplies. Be sure to top off the gas tank in your car, too so you don’t get stranded out in the cold.
Keeping Warm
Keeping warm is the most important goal during and after a winter storm. If the power stays on, that is not usually a problem. If the power goes out, you will have to find an alternate way to stay warm. Warm clothes that allow you to dress in layers and warm blankets can help when the house starts to cool.
Fireplaces, wood stoves, and kerosene heaters can be helpful if you have enough fuel. Do not burn charcoal indoors as it will produce a lot of carbon monoxide, which can be deadly. Gas powered generators can be helpful to run your refrigerator/freezer, a furnace fan, sump pump, and a phone charger. Generators must stay outside in a dry area away from air intake vents. Do not put it in the garage as that may spread deadly fumes into your house.
Communications
Few people still have landlines, so communication may be a challenge. Keeping your phone charged helps the phone last longer. Power banks are not very expensive and will recharge your phone several times, and they even make solar-powered ones now. Phones will last longer if you reserve them for important phone calls. Battery-operated radios or crank-powered radios can help you find out important information, like boil water orders, road closures, or where to get supplies.
Food and Water
You should have enough food for each person for them to eat for two weeks if possible. You also may not have a way to cook your food or even heat it up. Pick food that you can eat cold, such as canned beans, veggies, or soups. Granola bars, calorie-dense cereal, dried fruit, nuts, and other foods that do not require cooking or refrigeration are useful, too. Make sure you have a hand-powered can opener along with your supplies, or make sure the cans have pull tops. Camping stoves can be used to heat food but must be used outdoors due to the fumes.
You should store enough water for each person to have a gallon of water to drink each day. If you have a bathtub, you can fill it with water to use for flushing the toilet. If you run out of water and get desperate, you can even boil snow for ten minutes before using it for drinking to survive.
Emergency Kit Items
Put emergency kit items in a backpack, tub, or other container where everyone can find them. Note that camping supplies are often put away in the winter but may contain many of the things you need.
Flashlights
Extra batteries for everything
Battery-operated or crank AM/FM radio and/or NOAA weather radio
Water
Food
Extra changes of clothing for everyone
Power bank
Cash (ATMs may not work or be empty)
First aid kit
Prescription medicines
Tool kit
Hand sanitizer
Trash bags
Shovel
Salt
Plastic sheeting and duct tape to patch windows or roof
Diapers and baby supplies
Board games, physical books, or cards to pass the time
If you have to travel, be very careful.
Winter Car Necessities
An emergency kit in your car can mean the difference between life and death. Try to avoid traveling during a storm. Get home before it starts. However, you may have to travel in an emergency, so you need a car emergency kit, too. First, duplicate the home emergency kit and add these items:
Knife
Tissues
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Cat litter or sand
Complete change of clothing
Large can for emergency toilet
Small can to melt water
Matches
Car tool kit
Shovel
Windshield scraper and brush
Jumper cables
Water container
Tow rope
Flares
Pets belong indoors when it is cold.
Don’t Forget The Pets
Your pets will need supplies, too. You will need food for each animal and some water for them. Pets eat more when it is cold, so consider that when making sure you have enough food for them. During storms, the pets should be inside with you, not out in the cold. You can use pee pads on the tile or concrete if the weather is not safe for the pet to venture out in. For cats, store extra litter and trash bags to store the used litter in. If your pets take prescription medications or eat prescription diets, make sure you have enough for the storm and while waiting for the snowplow to get through.
Having a home and car emergency kit is just smart. It could mean the difference between life and death if the storm is severe. Stay prepared and stay safe.
Ever wonder what a landscape design company does all winter? Well, apart from commercial snow removal, we do hardscapes. As long as we can dig the foundation before the ground freezes, we take advantage of days over 40 degrees to pour concrete, lay paver stones, construct decks, and build pools. We also do carpentry projects in the winter.
Ian celebrates finishing a paver stone driveway.
Patios
We build patios of all kinds during the winter. We specialize in using pavers and natural stone but also sometimes use concrete or even decomposed granite.
Pavers
Pavers are concrete molded to form different shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. About 80% of our patios tend to be made with pavers. The advantages are the flexible pavement construction technique along with the endless variety of patterns and designs that can be used. Because each paver is set on a fine aggregate base, they can move more without cracking as the soil moves. Pavers can also be dug up and re-set or repaired without destroying them. The disadvantage is they do weather like solid concrete, so eventually they may fade in color or have aggregates that become exposed over time. The polymeric sand needs to be touched up and refreshed every 2-3 years to keep things looking tidy and prevent weeds from growing in the joints.
Natural Stone
Natural stone is the most expensive option for a patio. It is also the most durable and it will never go out of style. Like pavers, natural stones can be cut into a variety of shapes. Natural stone floats on a bed of fine gravel, so it moves without breaking. A natural stone feature can be expanded or moved easier than concrete if you want to expand the hardscape later and we can also set stepping stones to match and lead to or from your new patio through the garden.
Concrete
Concrete is the least expensive alternative for a patio. Concrete can also be poured into almost any shape. To install a concrete fixture, it needs to be above freezing for a few days. The disadvantage to concrete is that it is rigid. As the soil moves, concrete can’t, so eventually it will crack. Concrete is also the least permeable option, so it may not be as effective in certain situations where drainage is an issue.
Pool decks don’t have to be an expanse of white concrete.
Pool Decks
Pool decks used to always be just a sea of white concrete around a pool. Now, we can use concrete with an integral mixed color instead and even add texture and saw cuts. We try to avoid stamped concrete as it can be slippery when wet. Our favorite material for around pools are pavers or natural stone. Just because this area has to be hard and solid for furniture and function, doesn’t mean it can’t be both pretty and safe.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are designed to make areas level and to keep soil from washing down slopes. Retaining walls can be made of natural stone or concrete blocks as long as the base is built well and the drainage behind the wall is adequate, you can have walls that last for decades. We often see retaining walls around patios and backyards to make level playing areas for the kids.
Carpentry Work
We do a lot of carpentry work during the winter as well. We will build decks and outdoor rooms in the winter. Once we have the piers in place for the posts we can build above ground even in the cold. We also finish the inside work for our outdoor living areas we have already built and sometimes they even have built in heaters to keep us warm.
Design Work
We work with our customers designing all kinds of outdoor projects during the off season to be ready for installations when the weather breaks and plants become available. Sometimes we can start on the hardscape phases during the winter so that we can be ready for planting come spring.
Easy ideas to make your house look perfect for Thanksgiving.
Are you hosting parties this fall? Decorating for a festive Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. Here are some ideas for decorations inside and out for your home.
How to Decorate for Thanksgiving
Decorating for fall holidays can be a bit overwhelming. Breaking down your plans into what colors to use, what theme to use, and the materials to choose from can help you decorate with less stress.
Colors
Thanksgiving has traditionally used the colors nature displays in the fall. Yellow, orange, and red are reflected in the foliage. While any decorations need to fit your home’s usual decor and colors, focusing on bright hues of red, orange, and yellow can bring the colors from outside into your house. Bold colors brighten and enhance rooms, especially when it is dark outside.
Themes
The usual themes for Thanksgiving are gratitude for events from the last year and bountiful harvests. Foods such as gourds and pumpkins reflect the bountiful harvest. Photographs or other memorabilia from pleasant events of the last year can be set up so guests can share in your gratitude. Infrequent visitors can see your display and catch up on what has happened in your life.
Materials
Many Thanksgiving decorations incorporate dried flowers, durable food items, and swaths of colorful cloth. The horn of plenty, filled with gourds or fruit, celebrates the harvest. Cut flowers that have been dried make colorful centerpieces on the table, mantel, and on tables in the foyer. Use a colorful scarf as an accent draped across the back of the sofa to tie your furniture into the decorations.
Thanksgiving Decoration Ideas for Your Home
Some people want to blend their decorations into their existing decor. Others want to make a bold splash that really stands out.
Making Harvest-Themed Decorations
Harvest-themed decorations don’t have to be the horn of plenty. You can make great centerpieces by using dried twigs with fruit on them, such as crabapples, wheat or barley stalks, and some fall-blooming flowers. Choose flowers that complement the colors you have decided on for your overarching theme. These arrangements can be placed on the entryway table, on the mantel and fireplace, or on an end table.
Show Your Gratitude
Harvests aren’t the only thing to celebrate. Set up an area, such as a table, and fill it with pictures and other things that represent what you are grateful for this year. Such a gratitude table allows friends and relatives you may not see frequently to catch up on your news quickly. You can choose to let these people add things they are grateful for to the table or keep it just for yourself.
Table decorations don’t have to be hard.
Dressing the Thanksgiving Table
The Thanksgiving feast is usually an important part of Thanksgiving. Decorate the table where you will eat so it reflects the themes you choose for your decor. Fall produce and foliage make nice runners down the center of the table. Remember to use low candles and vases of flowers so people can see each other and visit over the meal.
Avoid busy tables, as they can be overwhelming. Avoid fragrant foliage to avoid triggering allergies. Mix your table decorations so they are different heights and materials to keep things interesting. Using multiples of decorations in odd-number clumps, such as three candles, helps pull the decor together.
Thanksgiving Decoration Ideas for Outside
Your outdoor decor is the first thing your guests see. Decorate the porch and front of the house to welcome your guests to the party. Decorate the back of your house to make the space cheerful and pleasant.
Planters flank this door and frame it for visitors.
Coordinate The Porch and Door
Your porch and front door look best when they are a cohesive space. One way to do this is to take some small pictures and paint them white or gold. Place them on the porch steps with a planter that has coordinating plants with it. Chrysanthemums or daises will last quite a while in a flowerpot. Use the same colors and some cut plants from the pot to make a Thanksgiving wreath for the front door.
Using Seasonal Planters
As an alternative to flowerpots, place two large planters with seasonal plants in them on either side of the door. Beautiful seasonal planters can frame the door and lead the eye to the wreath there. If you have a porch with columns, place two planters against the outermost columns, then two more on either side of the door to funnel people’s attention to the door.
Enhance the Doormat
Doormats provide an additional way to enhance your porch. Place a sturdy area rug under the doormat and place flowerpots or planters on the corners of the area rug. You can get a holiday doormat to use in place of your usual one and add extra cheer.
Light Up the Landscape
Outdoor lighting serves multiple purposes in the landscape. Use it to highlight a specimen plant or direct attention to a fountain. Path lights make sure no one stumbles and falls. Advanced lighting, such as FX Luxor lighting systems, allows you to adjust the intensity and color of your outdoor lights from your smartphone. For example, for a football-watching party, you can make the lights red and white. For Thanksgiving, you can make them shades of red, orange, and yellow.
Stay Warm with a Cozy Fire Feature
Fire features are mesmerizing and keep the chill of autumn at bay. A fire pit is just right for making smores during a football-watching party. A fireplace with a big screen TV over it also works well. Guests can stay warm and still see the game in your outdoor living area.
Thanksgiving decor doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. We hope this article has given you some easy ideas to make your home shine for the holidays.
Instead of draping your outdoor space with cut garlands this winter, why not create a delightful winter-themed planter? Let’s dive into some fun tips to get your creativity flowing!
A cheerful holiday-themed wide planter.
Containers
When it comes to planters, think outside the box—literally! You can use just about anything as long as it has drainage holes. Large planters are your best friends; they’re more stable and won’t dry out as quickly as those petite ones. Whether it’s ceramic, clay, stone, or plastic, the options are endless! And if you’re feeling adventurous, we’ve even seen small horse troughs transformed into fabulous planters—just remember to drill some holes in the bottom for happy roots.
Soil
Let’s talk dirt; while it might be tempting to scoop up some soil from your yard, that’s a no-go for our plant pals. Garden soil can become a compacted mess, making it tough for water and nutrients to get through. Instead, opt for potting soil or a soilless mix, which keeps the soil airy and ready to drink up that water. A general potting mix works wonders in outdoor planters, but if you’re pampering succulents, treat them to a mix tailored to their needs with extra gravel and sand to help with drainage for the arid-loving plants.
A tall winter-themed planter beside a door.
Types of Plants to Include
Get ready to put your designer hat on. Most planters look stunning with the “thriller, spiller, and filler” formula. Picture this: a standout plant in the center (the thriller) to grab attention, surrounded by some charming filler plants and a trailing beauty (the spiller) that cascades over the edge. Just remember to group your plants by their water and sunlight needs, so your planter stays lush and lovely all season long. Use colors that fit your theme. Whether it is a single color or complementary varieties, make sure to blend color choices to go together with the overall vision.
Irrigation
Let’s face it: container plants are thirsty little things. They can dry out faster than those in the ground, so keep an eye on them as the soil dries. If you already have an irrigation system, why not run an extra line straight to your planter? A drip system can keep your green friends happy and hydrated without you having to remember to water them—now that’s a win-win!
Planters flank this door and frame it for visitors.
Placement
Planters look fabulous just about anywhere. Many folks love to place matching planters on either side of their door, creating a warm and inviting entrance that greets guests with a burst of beauty. Imagine approaching a home surrounded by stunning plants—it’s a fantastic first impression. Others opt for a planter on their patio or deck, bringing a splash of cheer to outdoor gatherings. As long as your planter is stable and not too heavy for a balcony or patio, it’s sure to brighten up the space and make it feel extra welcoming.
Choices for our seasonal color planters.
Enroll in Seasonal Planter Subscription
Designing a stunning planter takes a bit of time and skill, but if you’re short on either, don’t worry! Let Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping work our magic! We’ll fill your planter with the perfect soil and plants, all in a customized design just for you. Ready to elevate your outdoor space? Simply call our office at (816) 825-2524 to sign up for our seasonal planter subscription. Don’t wait—our subscriptions are flying off the shelves.
