Every time I call a market “mature” someone surprises me with a new product. Recently, I mentioned to a friend that Oreos have done just about everything you can do with such a simple cookie sandwich. Change a couple of flavors, add some food dye…what else is there? Then, what appears this summer? Pop Rocks Oreos! Okay, they got me, never saw that coming.

Another surprise to hit the market this year is Alliance Outdoor Lighting’s latest innovation, BT Ally Bluetooth Lamps! Designed with installation contractors in mind, these cutting-edge lamps are set to revolutionize the way you approach outdoor lighting projects. BT Ally have all the tech built right in to the lamp, there is no longer a need for installing entirely new fixtures to enjoy wireless, color-changing functionality.

Let’s dive into the details of the four new types of BT Ally lamps, their impressive features, and how they can seamlessly upgrade older fixtures.

1. BT Ally for Bullets (Spotlights): Perfect for highlighting architectural features and garden elements, these spotlights offer precise control of your light, allowing you to focus attention at areas of interest. With Bluetooth connectivity, you can easily adjust settings from your smartphone, ensuring the perfect ambiance for any occasion.
2. BT Ally for Path Lights: Illuminate walkways and garden paths with style, keeping the light directed downward and out of your guests eyes. The Bluetooth functionality allows for effortless color changes and dimming, providing both safety and aesthetic appeal.
3. BT Ally for Flood Lights: Ideal for larger areas, these flood lights deliver powerful illumination with the added benefit of Bluetooth control. Whether you’re lighting up a driveway or a backyard, you can customize the lighting to suit your needs.
4. BT Ally A19 Lamps: These versatile lamps can be installed into existing porch lights and other traditional fixtures. The A19 lamps are a game-changer for retrofitting older 120v setups with modern, smart lighting solutions.

Features That Shine

• Color Changing: The BT Ally lamps offer a full spectrum of colors, allowing you to create dynamic lighting scenes. Whether it’s a warm white for a cozy evening or vibrant colors for a festive gathering, the possibilities are endless.

Do you know how to enlighten a brick?  That is a great setup for a dad joke!  I’m a dad, and I of course love horrible and cringe-worthy dad jokes.  But bad jokes aside, how do you light up a brick?  Why would you want to light up a brick?  Can a brick emit its own light?  These are some of the questions I hear on occasion.  Let me illuminate some answers to brighten up your knowledge.

The first question is ‘how?’  The easiest way to install lights is during the construction phase of the project.  This will give you the most choices and opportunities to strategically place the wiring for the fixtures.  However, you can still add lights to your preexisting project with some ease as well.  We offer brands like Alliance and Sollos lighting products at the Hardscape Center to give you a variety of choices.  We stock path, ledge, puck, up lights, and many more types and designs in a large array of styles and sizes to meet your needs.  We offer transformers that can power a small job like a walkway to the big 600-watt transformer to tackle the backyard yard party house capable of landing airplanes.  Do you know how many LED lights you can run with 600 watts of power?!?! (Just ask the hardscape team!)

The second question is the most fun and easy; why?  One of the biggest reasons is to extend the time you can utilize your outdoor living space.  Adding lights to a seat wall around a fire pit can add to the ambiance.  Add lights around a kitchen, bar, or even a water feature.  Just like the lighting around flower beds and trees with uplighting on them, adding light enhances their beauty at night.  Another great use of lights around brick projects is for safety.  A few well-placed lights may thwart a stubbed toe or prevent an accidental fall.  Lighting stairs, landings, and walkways are a great way to avoid these mishaps.  Lights can also highlight the areas you do not want to inadvertently go into like attached flower beds.  

Do you know that we have fixtures with color-changing, dimming & warm-cool settings & capabilities? The options for how the light emits from the fixtures are almost endless.

And, yes, there is a company that does make a brick that can emit its very own light.  It uses a glow-in-the-dark material that lasts for hours after dark.  It does not have an off switch, so it’s always on.  There are other styles of lights, some that can be installed directly into the brick by boring a hole through it.  Others have a concrete-colored plastic shell that looks like a brick but is a lighted fixture.  Some of these can be more challenging to install after the project has been completed, but it is not impossible.  Finding the right style and color for your area might be the hardest task of all.  Do you know that there is a tiki torch that has a light underneath it?!?

What if you don’t have any brick patios, walkways or garden walls?  Don’t feel like you’ll be left in the dark.  These same lights can be used on poured walls or pillars, placed around cement driveways and sidewalks.  Wall sconce and puck lighting work great to add lights to a porch or side of a garage.  What if you have a deck?  Do you know that these outdoor lights can be attached to almost every type of material available including wood, plastic, metal, and of course concrete?

We have come a long way since the start of landscape lighting, there are so many more styles, colors, and options.  The way technology keeps advancing, who knows what new and exciting products they will think of next?  If you want a good history lesson, I know a guy who has been installing lights for a few moments, our very own Dave Reutter.  So, if you have questions or concerns, give us a call or stop into the Hardscape or Plant Center here at Christensen’s.  We can help illuminate any questions and bring to light any concerns you may have about shining a little light on a brick or two.  As far as the enlightened brick goes, I don’t know the answer to that; nobody has shined any light on that subject yet.

I haven’t dropped a movie reference in some time now, but I thought it would be pretty appropriate for this article.  No, the Tumbler is not available for sale.

With landscape lighting fixtures, we all know that aluminum comes in black, plastic comes in black, you can get a Model T in any color, so long as it’s black (Henry Ford),  but did you know that Alliance Outdoor Lighting has expanded their ALREADY large assortment of gorgeous, aged brass fixtures to include… wait for it… Black! 

How many times have you presented these beautiful, nearly indestructible (yeah, their fixtures are no joke!) brass fixtures to your customer only to have them say:  “I really wanted them in black”.

Alliance listened, manufactured, and released their black overcoat product line just recently!

Alliance fixtures are STILL the solid brass fixtures that you already love, but this line has a permanent, textured finish that will not corrode or blister like aluminum fixtures.  Don’t believe them?  They back it with a lifetime warranty on the finish.

That’s confidence right there, folks!

When they tested these on the market, one bullet fixture (BL115-BLK) and one path fixture (PAL105-BLK) were released.  The demand was astronomical for these, so they added more.  A LOT more!  The line has expanded to:

Want to get a better idea of what is available? Follow this link! 

This has not expanded into their BT color change series yet, but my spies… well, my sales rep Joe, says it’s a work in progress.  Just think:  Even MORE options!

Their catalog expands with new releases every year, and sometimes there’s surprise additions that get released even sooner, so stay tuned for the latest updates to help illuminate your world.

By now, you probably know that we have a landscape lighting division here at Christensen’s. We currently stock 2 product lines (Sollos and Alliance) on our shelves at the Hardscape Center, and we have a very good selection of materials available. Now with that being said, it is VERY difficult to stock every single fixture in every single size that is produced, let alone with the multiple color options available. Getting into LED lamps is an entirely different animal. With LEDs, there are multiple beam spreads, color temperatures, and bases. While Sollos and Alliance are bipin based, we do stock a few wedge base lamps if you have to swap them out from another product line. We try to save you some time instead of bouncing all over town!

There are a few new fixtures on the market, but we are not currently stocking them quite yet.  They are readily available by special order.

Alliance Bollard100-LED. Dominating in its appearance, this fixture is outstanding for commercial settings or for areas where a standard path fixture with a ground stake may not be sufficient. Standing at an impressive 36” tall when completely assembled, The Bollard100-LED makes an impressive statement when installed correctly. Watch the video above from Alliance for their recommended installation process.

Seems like there are always new fixture designs on the horizon, so be sure to check with us often for the latest updates!

Christensen’s has been around in one form or another for over 90 years. Focusing on the green industry, we’ve been growers, retailers, and now a complete wholesale landscape supplier. Last year you probably noticed our Plant Center was remodeled, this year is the Hardscape Center’s turn! The hardscape yard was added 11 years ago and is an ever-growing part of our company. During the off-season, we considered our floorplan, moved things around, and brought in some new displays. If you haven’t visited us yet, an entirely new layout will greet you as you walk in the door.

It drives me nuts when the grocery store rearranges, and I can’t find the things I need when shopping. However, we spent a lot of time deciding on the intuitive placement of products to help you shop as conveniently as possible. We feel that the new open layout flows naturally and will make your experience in our store more pleasant and efficient.

Our new lighting section includes counter space for fixture demo and a large area for putting together your order.

With the addition of BrickStik Polyurethane Adhesive, we have your vertically stacked endeavors covered. Joining SRW Solvent-Based Adhesive, SRW Rapid-Set Polyurethane Adhesive, and Structure Bond Construction Foam Adhesive, BrickStik is one more sticky solution for your installation tool kit… You can find them all together in our adhesive section.

Perhaps the most striking makeover is to our counter. It has moved to an entirely different area of the store, where our Hardscape staff will be ready to help you with your project. Behind the counter we are displaying our selection of Boar Hog and SRW concrete saw blades, as well as the wildly popular Grabo hand-held vacuum lifter.

Inside isn’t the only place we’ve updated. Outside you will find the fabrics and grids have moved from behind the bulk bins to in front of the Hardscape Center. Speaking of bulk bins… we are thrilled to announce the return of brown hardwood fines!

All the things that you’ve come to expect from the Hardscape Center are still here. And there are even more supplies to make your stop quick and easy. We love the changes… stop by and tell us what you think!

Alliance Lighting’s Bluetooth series of fixtures continue to gain in popularity. What started with the single, yet revolutionary, BL200-BT “bullet” fixture has grown to over 20 different fixtures, which include path light stems, understep fixtures, downlights, uplights, and more in a short period of time.

Let’s talk about how to market these to your clients.

Have you proposed installing these versatile, high-quality fixtures only to be told that your client is not interested in color-changers? Maybe they can’t anticipate ever using anything but white, or don’t want to be locked into “color” only. But here’s the thing - the RGB color change ability is completely optional. These fixtures can stay entirely in the white spectrum, and even have three preset “white” color temperatures. Or you can choose just the right tone and brightness from the graphical interface in the Alliance bt app.

Here’s another selling point - setting up and running your own custom lighting scheme is dead easy. You can group fixtures into zones that all run the same program, for instance. An example might be to zone six directional spots on the front of the house, another with three wide-beam spots on various focal points on the property, and a third for four or five path lights on the walkway to the front door. Each zone can be controlled independently by the client right from the app. Any fixture in your installation can be grouped with any of the others, no need to be on the same run. Also, you can define up to three "scenes" that can be toggled on and off at will.

One more feature: All of Alliance’s BT series of fixtures are dimmable. Clients have the option of changing how bright or how soft they choose to illuminate every aspect of their property, by fixture or by group. There are no additional switches, transformers, or other equipment needed, and changes take effect instantly. The app makes setting lighting schedules easy and they run on their own thereafter.

In conclusion, Alliance's BT series can be zoned, are dimmable, and run from an easy-to-use mobile app. The color change ability is an extra, fun option to use seasonally or whenever the whim strikes, without having to invest in more equipment later. The app is available for Android and Apple devices and is free to download and use.

Landscape lighting just keeps getting better and better. There are few properties that can't be enhanced by outdoor lighting and having a professionally designed and installed system like Alliance's can make a big difference in a client's property value.

There are so many options when adding lighting to your jobs - wash a wall with bullets, illuminate a path with tall hats, put ledge lights under the steps… but don't forget to look UP. Lighting draws one’s interest to noticing foliage, angles, and shadows. Fountains shimmer, boulders come alive, then one becomes entranced following the craggy trunk of a tree up into the branches.

Anyone can install outdoor lighting, but a truly captivating design that incorporates three dimensions is what's going to sell the project and have the neighbors asking for business cards.

Here’s how: Step back and look at the entire project area. Stand at the road or across it and observe the features of the home and landscape. You may want to note a few lines of sight to areas of focus such as porch pillars, dark corners, or structural trees. Also note the impact of existing light sources on the property and from neighboring homes or street lights. I like to take a screen shot from the satellite map on my phone to draw sight lines, then use the highlighter tool for light coverage areas, using different colors for existing and prospective.

After you have your general ideas plotted, move in closer. Where does the dog run and kids play? Where will people be sitting or cars be parked? Ask the customer how they plan to use the space. The more you are able to plan ahead, as with any job, the greater efficiency you'll have.

For seating areas, as fun as shadow charades may be, you don't want people irritated by a light in their eyes or to have a flood light-washed façade disrupted by a car parked close to the house. Most light fixtures stick up out of the ground, so placement is critical to avoid trip hazards. To highlight a tree trunk select a tight 10-15° beam spread. For more branches use a wider, more flood-like 30-40° pattern.

Bullet fixtures can target a specific object or be used farther away to illuminate a broader area. To really flood an area with light, a Sollos FRF058 or Alliance BL300 will do the trick. Pillars can have wall sconces like the WS200, and those confident to stray off of the instruction sheet can even mount a fixture up in a tree! Ask someone in our Hardscape building how to put a "tree loop" in your wiring so the installation will last as the tree grows.

Other options include lower profile well lights and in-ground fixtures, hanging fixtures, even rolls of tape lights. Check out Alliance's new line of color changing bluetooth fixtures for a customizable show-stopping display! With these new lights, a homeowner can change color for each season and show off to their friends as they slid their thumb around on their phone, changing the lights on a whim.

The possibilities are as endless as your imagination. Search online for inspirational photos and videos or ask the sales team at Christensen's, "What can I do that's different?" In landscaping, our projects can keep us looking down at our work, but please, don't lose sight of what's UP!

My youngest daughter loves to do arts and crafts. Her favorite part of the project has always been to add “bling” to whatever it may be. Her material of choice varies between glitter, jewels, bows and stickers. It’s just not complete until it sparkles and shines like something out of a Glamour magazine. She enhances just about everything, including my dog! She likes to add her personal touch, make it look better than what it was, and I say why not?

As hardscape and landscape designers, do you have a certain type of  “bling” that is specific to your projects?

I can't talk to you about all the different things you can do with plants, shrubs and ornamentals as I have very little experience in that department, although we do have over a dozen highly knowledgeable sales staff that do. What I can talk to you about is brick. With so many different sizes, colors, shapes and textures it’s not hard to find a way to enhance any size or type of project. However, there is so much more to work with than just the concrete product itself, so let me enlighten you.

Yes, that was a well-placed pun, but seriously, lights can make a HUGE difference in any hardscape or landscape project. You can bling out a wall, walkway or outdoor living space very easily with LED step lights and up lights. We have pillar cap lights and wall sconce lights, color changing bulbs and wireless control features. You could add more illumination with a natural gas or propane fire pit or fire bowl. We stock many types of Firegear products that will add some more sizzle so your pazizzle doesn’t fizzle. Speaking of fire, how about a pizza oven with a fireplace, already scratch-coated and ready to install into the brick or stone of your choice? Maybe that’s a bit too hot, so cool it down with a fountain or small waterfall kit. They are easy to maintain and easy to install, which makes them an easy sell.

With so many types of enhancements available, finding the right one should not be hard. Many of these upgrades can be added to existing projects and what better way to reach out to your previous customers then to show them new shiny “bling”. Show them that they can sit outside by a fire, change their lights to match their college team’s colors and wait for a pizza to finish cooking all while listening to the big game.

Technologies change rapidly, and landscape lighting isn’t any different. LED lamps have become brighter and are less expensive. Now the engineering geniuses have tapped into the color change technology. With the right lamps, clients can choose from a wide spectrum of color effects or simply adjust the temperature of white for just the right look.

We started here at Christensen’s with Halco’s color changing MR16 lamp that uses a remote control. Last year, Alliance Outdoor Lighting introduced their BL200-BT bullet fixture, which integrated a color changing MR16 that is controlled via Bluetooth with a smartphone app. Each fixture has an antenna, which makes all the linked fixtures synchronize for easy programming and coordination.

Our partnerships with Alliance Outdoor Lighting and Brilliance LED LLC are bringing even more options to the color-change palette, through both fixtures and LED lamps.

Alliance has two new fixtures to accompany their award winning BL200-BT, which also use the smartphone app for easy synchronization between all fixtures. The first is the BL300-BT, which is a PAR36 spot fixture. For areas that need that extra punch of lumen output and/or a touch extra spread, this is the one you want. It boasts up to 410 lumen output while only pulling 8 watts, which comparable to most, if not all, 8 watt MR16 LED lamps on the market today.

Alliance’s second new fixture is the PL100-BT, which is one of the first of its kind in regards to path illumination. The PL100 has the advantage of an adjustable head, both horizontally and vertically, to truly pinpoint a specific area for the desired lighting effect.

This year, Brilliance LED LLC has launched the Chameleon Series lamps. There are a MR16 LED lamp and a PAR36 lamp, and both are phone app driven via Bluetooth. This is an exceptional option for both new installations of lighting product lines that do not have color change technology, or for retrofitting an existing system. The 6 watt MR16 boasts a powerful output of up to 441 lumens, while the 9 watt PAR36 lamp produces an even more impressive output of up to 686 lumens.

Even more fixtures and lamps are expected to be released later in 2019, such as an underwater and flood fixture, but specifics and date have yet to be announced. Stay tuned! Your customers will love the flexibility and creativity of color-change LED technology.

It’s not just for December any more.

As we approach year's end, homes are being decorated and lit up for the Holiday season. However, seasonal outdoor lighting is catching on for other holidays too, like Halloween and Independence Day. Probably not Groundhog Day. But maybe we can make that a thing.

How can you give your customers the ultimate in flexibility when customizing holiday lighting?

Whether it’s a brand new lighting system with the latest technology, swapping colored MR16 lamps into an existing system, or powering regular light strands and other decorations from an adapter that you operate from the palm of your hand - we can help you customize your lighting designs for that “wow factor” that your customers deserve.

Alliance BL200-BT. The Alliance Bluetooth Bullet fixture has a 4 watt integrated color changing lamp that you completely control from your smart phone. This product is truly innovative. Pick the preset colors of your choice or use the color prism on the phone app to get the exact color that you want! Every holiday color scheme has just become easy. The fixture also has three preset white settings, and can be dimmed.

What else can these little miracles do? They can be zoned, grouped, operated individually, or together. These fixtures have antennas that operate through a mesh Bluetooth technology, meaning that each fixture networks with each other. The more fixtures that you have installed, the stronger the Bluetooth signal will be. I have personally installed 7 at 50 feet away from 2 groupings and it worked flawlessly

Because the technology is built directly into the fixture itself, there is no need for additional equipment to install, and it will operate with any low voltage transformer from any manufacturer. The BL200-BT fixtures operate through a free iPhone or Android app. We'd love to show you how these work, so please stop by our Hardscape Center for a demo.

Brilliance Smart Socket WiFi Adapter. This product is an absolute game changer! Designed by Brilliance LED for landscape lighting systems, these adapters synchronize with your home’s WiFi network so that you may operate your system from ANYWHERE, at ANY TIME. Whether you are just outside on your patio or on vacation in Australia, so long as the adapter is connected to your WiFi, you will have complete control of it. You can set up on/off times on a 7 day week, or operate it manually through your smart phone. And if your customer doesn’t have a landscape lighting system, the Smart Socket will operate nearly anything that you plug into it. Don’t be fooled by the other cheap WiFi adapters on the market. These are built to last!

Alliance iTimer. If you are familiar with Alliance’s popular BT150/BT300 transformers, then you’ll fully understand how these work. The iTimer runs on Bluetooth technology that will synchronize with your smart phone. Its internal astrological clock will do all the work for you once it links up with the GPS settings on your phone. After that, plug in whatever you wish into it, set up you timing schedules, and you’re done. These are excellent timers for locations that are just outside of a home’s Wifi range.

Colored MR16 Lamps. If you are looking for a lamp in one specific color, such as blue for enhancing a blue spruce or maybe green to give a boxwood hedge that extra pop, chances are that we can help you make that happen. Christensen’s Plant & Hardscape Centers has strong distribution relationships with Sollos, Alliance, Brilliance LED, and Integral Lighting, so chances are high that we can get the color that you’re looking for at a competitive price, and in a manageable amount of time.

These examples that I have listed for you will enable you to expand a new lighting project, or enhance a previous one. For more information, please contact us or stop by and we will be happy to show you how these products operate and how they will benefit your customer.