Garden lighting: plan it before you landscape

Order of work

Armoured cable goes in a trench before the paving and planting, not after. If the landscaper has started, ring me before the slabs go down.

What to decide

1. 1Paths and steps first: that is the lighting you use every night.
2. 2Then borders, trees and seating.
3. 3An outside socket by the back door saves running extension leads through the house.
4. 4Where the switches live, and whether you want a timer or a sensor.

Outside electrics and rain

Every outside circuit gets its own RCD protection and weatherproof fittings rated for the job. If your outside lights trip the board when it rains, that is a fault, not the weather.