Time to deck the halls, folks, because today, December 1, is National Christmas Lights Day! Before the invention of electric lights, families would balance candles on the branches of their Christmas trees—a risky practice that naturally led to several house fires. Electric Christmas lights were first invented in 1880 by Thomas Edison, who promptly strung them all over the outside of his Menlo Park laboratory in NJ. Because people were initially distrustful of electricity, however, it took another several decades for the invention to catch on. And it wasn’t until 1903, when General Electric began selling pre-assembled kits of Christmas lights, that electric lights became popular with people of all classes. In 1925, the brand NOMA took over the market by storm with its cheaper, colored Christmas lights. Then, in 1998, LED lights become a game changer for Christmas lights and have gone mainstream since. Today, electric lights are an integral part of the winter holiday season, and certainly aren’t exclusive to Christmas.
While the above information comes from nationaltoday.com, landscapers know that Christmas lights are not only festive, but can be a great revenue generating add-on service. Kirk Brown of Kirk’s Lawn Care in Limerick, PA found this to be true when he opened Dynamic Celebration Lighting in July of 2021. What started as a hobby for holiday home lighting and light shows has evolved into a profitable second company. In fact, Brown anticipates doubling his growth from last year! Here, we provide a sneak peek at some of Brown’s work, but look for a full article in the Turf December issue on Brown’s tips for successfully expanding your services to include holiday and event lighting. From material tips (like the Pitch Hopper) to pricing structures, you won’t want to miss it. Sign up for your Turf print subscription here.
In the meantime, FXLuminaire has created Building Your Landscape Lighting Business, a training manual loaded with essential tips and strategies to help you grow your skills. Whether you’re looking for design inspiration, need refreshers on best practices, or are new to the industry, this booklet is a resource for lighting pros of all backgrounds. The company has also introduced FXLuminaire Lighting Design Service. As a natural extension of My Design — a free online lighting design tool that offers photo uploads and Night Mode renderings — the FXLuminaire Lighting Design Service provides customized professional support for projects. Look for a Get Equipped: Landscape Lighting also in the Turf December issue.
All Photos Courtesy of Dynamic Celebration Lighting.
