Hardscaping & Outdoor Lighting Ideas for North Texas Backyards
- Marshall Grain Co.
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Light Your Hardscape, Transform Your Backyard
Explore hardscaping and backyard landscape lighting ideas for North Texas homes. See how low-voltage LED lighting enhances safety, curb appeal, and outdoor living. Thoughtful outdoor lighting is one of the easiest ways to turn an ordinary yard into a true outdoor room. When it’s designed together with your hardscaping—patios, walkways, retaining walls, pool decks, and seating areas—you get a backyard that feels welcoming, safe, and usable long after the sun goes down.
Because landscape lighting is low voltage (12v), it does not require an electrician to install and no permits are needed, which makes it easy and inexpensive to incorporate into your outdoor surroundings. Landscape lighting is used to highlight trees, gardens, and other greenery. They can also be used to accentuate beautiful architectural designs such as sculptures. An example of landscape lighting is path light, which can be used to light a walkway or frame out a specific space. Homes, public verandas, parks, and offices widely leverage landscape lighting's aesthetic and security features to beautify outdoor areas and improve security.
At Marshall Grain Co., we design and install low-voltage LED landscape lighting for homeowners in Colleyville, Grapevine, Southlake, Keller, Coppell, Arlington, Bedford, Euless, Flower Mound, Hurst, Irving, Roanoke, Richland Hills, and Trophy Club, Texas. Our lighting designs complement our organic, native-plant landscapes so your yard looks beautiful day and night.
Why Landscape Lighting Belongs in Your Hardscape Plan
When you invest in new hardscaping, lighting should never be an afterthought. Integrated lighting adds:
Curb appeal after dark. Soft, layered light shows off stonework, trees, and architectural details so your home looks just as good at night as it does during the day.
Safety and visibility. Steps, grade changes, and pool decks are easier to navigate, helping prevent trips and falls.
Security. A well-lit yard discourages unwanted visitors and reduces dark hiding spots around doors, windows, and side yards.
More usable living space. With the right lighting, your patio or pool area becomes an evening gathering spot instead of a black void once the sun sets.
When we build hardscapes, we plan the lighting layout at the same time, so wiring, fixtures, and planting beds all work together.
Backyard Landscape Lighting Ideas for Hardscapes
Here are some of our favorite ways to light hardscape features, with examples drawn from recent Marshall Grain projects like our Grapevine, TX native front and back yard redesign.
1. Seat Walls, Retaining Walls & Raised Beds
Stone seat walls and raised beds are perfect places to tuck in subtle lighting:
Under-cap lights mounted beneath the top stone gently wash light down the face of the wall, as you can see in our poolside hardscape projects. This clearly defines edges and creates a cozy glow around seating areas.
Recessed wall lights along retaining walls highlight texture while illuminating adjacent patios and walkways.
Integrated planter lighting lets you showcase specimen shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses in raised beds without visible glare.
Low-voltage LED wall and path lights along a stone retaining wall and pool deck in a Colleyville, Texas backyard
2. Patios, Pool Decks & Outdoor Living Areas
Patios and pool decks are the heart of many North Texas backyards:
Step lights built into risers or the sides of steps increase safety on multi-level patios and pool entries.
Low path lights along the perimeter of a patio outline the space without shining in your eyes.
Subtle downlighting from pergolas, porch beams, or trees creates a “moonlight” effect over seating and dining areas.
3. Front Walkways, Driveways & Entries
Your front yard is where curb appeal really pays off:
Path lights along curved walks guide guests safely from the driveway to the front door.
Column or pier lights on stone or brick pillars define the entry and help visitors find your home at night.
Accent lighting on house numbers, address plaques, or a favorite container garden makes your entry feel intentional and welcoming.
In several of our Colleyville and Grapevine projects, gentle uplighting on a focal tree near the front walk, paired with warm path lights, creates an inviting glow without over-lighting the street.
4. Trees, Shrubs & Architectural Features
Plants and architecture both deserve time in the spotlight:
Uplights at the base of trees reveal branching structure and foliage, creating dramatic shadows on walls, fences, and the ground.
Wash lights on brick or stone softly highlight the texture of your home’s façade or a freestanding wall.
Accent lights can draw attention to a specimen Japanese maple, a sculptural agave, or a favorite piece of garden art.
We’re careful to position fixtures so they protect bark and roots, and to shield bulbs so you see the effect—not the source—of the light.
5. Water Features & Special Moments
Even small features can make a big nighttime impact:
Underwater lights in fountains or small ponds add sparkle and highlight moving water.
Bistro or string lights over a dining patio or between pergola posts bring a festive, casual feel—great for entertaining.
Niche lighting under benches, around outdoor kitchens, or in masonry niches gives a custom, built-in look.
Because every yard is different, our team customizes each lighting plan to match the scale of your outdoor spaces, the style of your home, and your nightly routines.
12V Low-Voltage vs. Solar Landscape Lighting
Because it’s low voltage, 12V lighting does not require an electrician or a permit, making it an efficient, cost-effective upgrade to include with new hardscapes. For most hardscape projects, 12-volt LED lighting is preferred over solar. Here’s how it compares:
Professional brightness and consistency. Fixtures stay at a consistent brightness all evening long, even on cloudy days.
Flexible placement. Lights can be installed under caps, inside walls, near tree canopies, and in shaded areas where solar simply won’t work.
Central control. A transformer lets you manage the entire system from one location with timers, photo-sensors, and smart controls—including app-based operation and schedule changes.
Energy efficient. LED fixtures use very little electricity; many homeowners barely notice the difference on their electric bill.
Because of these advantages, Marshall Grain generally recommends 12V low-voltage LED.
Solar Landscape Lighting
Solar fixtures still have a place in some landscapes:
They work well as small accent lights in open, sunny areas.
They require no wiring, so they’re easy to move or replace.
However, performance drops in shade or after several cloudy days, and brightness and color can be inconsistent. That’s why we typically use solar only as a complement to a professionally designed 12V low-voltage system—not as the main source of lighting for hardscapes and key outdoor living areas.
What Does Backyard Landscape Lighting Cost to Run?
LED landscape lighting is surprisingly inexpensive to operate:
Modern LED fixtures use a fraction of the energy of old halogen systems.
A typical residential system with a transformer, control timer, and multiple fixtures usually costs only a few dollars per month in electricity, depending on the size and run time.
The larger investment is in design and installation, which pays off in safety, beauty, and property value for many years.
Our Process for Hardscape & Outdoor Lighting Projects
Whether you’re updating an older landscape or starting from scratch, our design-build process keeps everything coordinated:
On-site consultation. We walk your property, discuss how you use your outdoor spaces, and note safety concerns like dark steps, uneven walks, or poorly lit entries.
Concept design & budgeting. We create a lighting concept alongside any new hardscapes, planting beds, or drainage improvements so everything works together—and fits your budget.
Organic-first site preparation. For projects that include new plantings, we amend beds with compost, mulch, and natural minerals instead of synthetic chemicals.
Professional installation. Our crews install hardscapes, pull low-voltage wiring, set transformers, and place fixtures with long-term serviceability in mind.
Nighttime fine-tuning. Once the sun goes down, we adjust angles, beam spreads, and brightness so the final effect is exactly what you want.
Ongoing organic maintenance. Our Organic Lawn & Landscape Maintenance team can keep beds mulched, plants healthy, and fixtures clear of overgrowth.
Where We Design & Install Landscape Lighting
Marshall Grain Co. provides design-build hardscaping and outdoor lighting for homeowners in:
Arlington, Bedford, Colleyville, Coppell, Euless, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Keller, Hurst, Irving, Roanoke, Richland Hills, Southlake, and Trophy Club, Texas.
If you’re ready to make your backyard safer, more beautiful, and more enjoyable after dark, contact Marshall Grain Co. today to schedule a landscape and lighting consultation.
