We’ve passed the shortest day of the year *gulp*, so garden lighting will only become more necessary from here onwards. However, it can be a little tricky to style if you’re not just going for the obvious – sometimes you just need a bit of inspiration!
I asked my Gone Gardening group on Facebook about how they styled their garden lighting, and so many people contributed their beautiful ideas! Of course, I had to share them here so that you could maybe try them out yourselves, or adapt them by putting your own spin on a particular look.
I’ll also tell you about a fantastic lighting idea from QVC which is as versatile as it is eye catching. Scroll down to find out what it is.
But first, here are six illuminating ways to style garden lighting:
1. Fringing fences
A dull or basic looking fence can easily be jazzed up with some lighting. Drape string lights along the top, or decorate vertically by placing lights along the fence posts.

c/o Nikki Jewiss

c/o Amanda McAllister

c/o Andrea Clarke
2. Hanging high
Play with vertical dimensions in your garden by hanging lighting from trees, posts and more. Lanterns are a great ways to achieve this, as they can be hung from almost anywhere. Check out the photos below for inspiration.

c/o Susan Knight

c/o Rachel Dixon

c/o Jean Langley
3. Cast light on containers
You’ve put all that effort into your pots – so why not draw attention to them?! Any lights with stakes will slot into a container arrangement nicely, or you could pepper standing lights throughout your pots to brighten up the space around them. Alternatively, planters that already have lights installed are a great way to tick two boxes at once.

c/o Sian Shapley

c/o Janet Glennon

c/o Sharon Smith Warner
4. Woven into shapes
Give your garden a creative edge by manipulating your lighting into a shape. This provides real interest when the lights are on, turning your outdoor space into a mini art show!

c/o Nicola Olsson

c/o Amanda McWilliams

c/o Amanda McWilliams
5. Tart up trees
Like fences, trees can make great vertical focal points when it comes to lighting. You can combine this with the previous lantern idea by hanging lights from the branches, or try winding string lights up the trunk.

c/o Stacy Lucas
6. Illuminate walkways
Garden lighting has a practical side, of course! Prevent trip hazards and create a safe pathway for yourself and visitors by lining your walkways with lighting. However, this doesn’t have to be dull! You can use coloured or even patterned lighting to add interest to your walkways – it’s super simple, but effective.

c/o Nicola Olsson

c/p Lyndsay Jayne Keen
Versatile lighting for any garden size or style
If you’re struggling to choose lighting for your garden, I recommend going for something versatile, like string lights. These can be wrapped around poles and trees, hung from gazebos, wrapped around garden furniture like hammocks, and so much more.
This pair of rope lights from Auraglow comprise hemp ropes entwined with 60 twinkling LED lights, giving your garden a boost of light without taking the focus away from your plants.
These rope lights can be used indoors or outdoors and will create a gorgeous ambience for any occasion. They even double up as Christmas lights and work splendidly when woven around a bannister with some foliage or other decor.
With an on/off switch and a timer that switches off after 6 hours and automatically switches on at the same time the next day, these lights can work around your schedule. Plus, the battery pack means that they can be used anywhere without the need for a mains connection.
These lights are available now at QVC!
How would you style these lights in your garden or home? Let me know in the comment section.

Michael has been involved with gardening and plants since he was just five years old. He is a self-professed Plant Geek, and was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 most influential people in the gardening world, thanks to his plant hunter role at Thompson & Morgan.
Michael was responsible for new plant introductions such as the Egg and Chips plant and the FuchsiaBerry and keeps busy travelling the world in search of new plants as well as lecturing worldwide, including stints in Japan. He is very active on social media – so why not give him a follow at @mr_plantgeek or Facebook – and writes a plant-focused Substack called Grow This, Not That.