Let me inspire you with these garden lighting ideas

Garden lighting is often underutilised. Adding a few solar lights here and there in your borders may help to add a little pizzaz to your garden, but there may be more creative and unique ways to light up your outdoor space that you might not have thought about.

How do I know what kind of garden lighting I need?

Outdoor lights can transform your garden into a cosy nook or a well-lit, inviting space – what kind of vibe you’d like to convey is really up to you! Think of your lighting as an accessory that can complement the mood of your space, but in addition to that, consider its practical role within your lifestyle. Do you spend a lot of time in your garden entertaining friends? Do you have high value items in your home or garden that could benefit from a bright light deterrent? Is your garden a hotspot for local wildlife who actually shy away from well-lit areas?

Asking yourself these questions will help you determine what kind of lighting you should ultimately choose.

Types of outdoor lighting

Floodlights

Floodlights are the ideal lighting type for increasing safety and security around a property. This is because they produces a high amount of light across a large area.

These lights should be positioned in an area where they have full visibility in order to cast as much light as possible (i.e. not behind the foliage of a tree or other obscurities), and would ideally be placed at a height which deters tampering.

The Bell & Howell 300 Lumens Bionic Floodlight is an excellent example of a powerful floodlight that is not only effective, but energy saving, as it runs completely on solar power. It features 300 lumens of light from 3 wide angle adjustable panels that can be angled to cover up to 1000 feet square of area (300m square) – that easily covers a large garden and driveway. Plus, it’s fully IP44 water resistant.

The light can be positioned in the ground with a stake or affixed to a wall, fence or tree with the included hanging attachments, and it comes with a remote control to turn the motion sensor on and off or employ a strobe function to deter intruders.

Available soon at QVC.

Fairy lights

Fairly lights are perfect for creating a cosy, inviting environment in your garden, offering a warm glow remiscent of rustic weddings and outdoor festivals.

 

Not only are fairy lights pretty, but they’re also versatile thanks to their string format. Many people drape them over fences to line their garden with light, over and under pergolas to form a beautifully lit seating area, or wrap them around posts or tree trunks.

Hanging lanterns

Like fairy lights, lanterns can bring a magical feeling to an outdoor space with very little effort. Traditional lanterns were often made with paper, but sometimes metal, and featured a flame as a light source. However, for safety purposes, the best lanterns to use these days are electric, with solar power being an energy-saving alternative.

 

 

Lanterns can be dotted around your garden by hanging them from tree branches, on hooks to display on fences or posts, or from ropes hung around a pergola.

 

 

If the lantern has a flat bottom, you can place it on the floor or on a table to bring light to a particular area of your garden. Try coupling different sized lanterns together to bring some dimension to your lighting display.

Stake lights

These types of lights are affixed to a stake that can be pushed into the ground to add low-level lighting to a garden. Many people use these to make a feature of beds and borders, as well as lining pathways to form a flow of light.

 

 

You can find stake lights in all shapes, sizes and heights, but personally I love the more unique and artistic styles of stake lighting that mimic the natural shape of a flower, allowing them to blend in amongst the plants in your garden.

Firepits

Firepits are unique in that they also double up as a decorative feature, one that provides warmth on cold evenings, and can even be used for toasting marshmallows (yum!).

 

 

These light sources are great for making a space feel comfy and cosy, and are often placed in the middle of a seating area so that you and your guests can enjoy the warmth and light that it provides.

 

 

Firepits require safety awareness, and should never be left unattended, as there is always a possibility that the fire can spread to nearby trees and furniture. In addition, you should keep children and pets away from firepits to reduce the risk of burns.