Solar Garden Lighting Ideas For A Gorgeous & Sustainable Garden
Published: 05/12/2022 | Updated: 29/03/2023Solar garden lighting is an easy way to add ambiance and create a more beautiful outdoor space. It’s also sustainable, eco-friendly, and saves money on electricity bills!
Luckily for us, there are lots of ways to make use of solar lights around the house and ShrubHub is here to tell you all about them.
In this post, we will cover all the main types of solar garden lights, as well as the perfect way to use them around your garden.
Types of Solar Lights
Solar Lights are an environmentally friendly way to light up your garden or patio. They're easy to set up and don't require any electricity—just place them in an area that gets a lot of sunlight during the day and at night they'll automatically turn on!
There are many types of solar lights to choose from. Here are three of the most popular outdoor lights to use around your garden:
-
String Lights
-
Fairy Lights
-
Solar Spotlights
In the upcoming sections, we'll discuss these three and other popular types of string lights in detail:
Solar String Lights or Fairy Lights
Solar string lights are one of the most popular types of solar garden lighting. They can be used to create a focal point or as a background for your garden.
You can use them to illuminate paths and borders, hang them from trees or posts, or attach them to walls and fences.
The great thing about solar string lights is that they don’t require any wiring or power cords (so no electrical installation is required), which makes it easier to install in small areas like patios without having to run power lines all over the place.
Solar Deck or Patio Lights
Solar deck or outdoor patio lights are another popular type of solar light that is ideal for illuminating your deck or patio, especially if you have a lot of trees that block the sunlight.
These outdoor lamps can also be used in conjunction with other types of solar lights. For example, one could use a combination of solar path lights and solar wall-mounted lanterns to highlight architectural features as well as plants and foliage.
One of the key benefits of solar deck or patio lights is that they’re easy to install. You simply place them on your deck or patio, plug them in and let the sun do all of the work for you!
Solar Post Lights
Solar post lights are versatile and can be used in a variety of ways to illuminate your garden. They're ideal for highlighting features such as water fountains, ponds, or other decorative elements.
When used in pairs or groups of three, solar post lights create striking statements that add interest to your landscape design.
For example, you could use them to frame a garden feature or highlight a central path through the garden. You can also pair them with other types of lighting such as spotlights or string lights for an even more dramatic effect!
Solar Flood Lights
Solar flood lights are ideal for illuminating your garden at night and can be used in several different ways.
They're perfect for lighting up a path or illuminating a garden feature that you would like to highlight. You can also use solar-powered floodlights to light up your driveway or illuminate the patio area of your home.
These lights are also useful if you have a wall that needs some extra lighting—or even if you want to add extra illumination around an entrance into the house!
Solar Lanterns
Since solar lanterns are made to be portable and easy to set up, they're a great way to add light to your garden. You can use them for evening parties, or for dining alfresco—even stringing them up as fairy lights or Christmas lights.
Solar lanterns are probably the most common form of solar garden lighting. They come in many shapes and sizes, so there's sure to be one that's perfect for your space!
When you're planning how many solar lanterns you need, remember that it's better not too little than too much (and trust me on this one).
Decorative Solar Lights
Decorative lighting is great for adding a little sparkle to your garden. You can use them to highlight key features in your garden, such as plants and foliage, architectural features, or an outdoor kitchen.
Decorative solar lights are available in a wide range of styles, from small glass globes to beautiful hanging baskets.
You can find them in many materials, such as metal or plastic, and in a range of colors too!
Solar Pool and Pond Lights
Solar pool and pond lights are a great way to illuminate your swimming pool or garden pond. They offer a safe, environmentally-friendly solution for illuminating your water features at night.
Whether you are looking for something that will create a focal point for your backyard landscaping, highlight key features of your landscape or create soft mood lighting around the perimeter of your swimming pool or pond, solar pool lights offer an easy way to illuminate these areas without draining resources from the grid.
Solar Pathway Lights
If you're looking for a solar garden light solution, why not consider pathway lighting?
These handy fixtures can be used to highlight plants, architectural features, or water features. They can be easily set up and don't require mains electricity. They also come in all shapes and sizes so there's something for every garden design.
Pathway lights are great at highlighting plants because they create a spotlight effect around each plant or tree.
When used on their own or combined with other solar lights they can create an elegant look that will often complement the current style of your property.
Solar Driveway Lights
Solar driveway lights are a great way to highlight the path from your front door toward your garage. They're also good for illuminating the path from your mailbox to the front door or just marking the edge of your driveway in general.
Solar driveway lights can be used to illuminate any area that needs extra light, and have several other benefits as well:
-
They reduce energy costs (because they're powered by solar panels).
-
They'll never need replacing (because they're powered by solar panels).
-
They're easy to install.
-
They're good for the environment (because they're powered by solar panels).
-
They also look cool.
Solar Spotlights
If you are looking to create an eye-catching solar garden lighting idea, then solar spotlights are the ideal choice. These small and portable lights can be used to highlight a particular feature in your garden.
You can use them to illuminate plants, trees, or architectural features with a striking statement that is sure to have visitors talking!
Featuring a wide-angle lens, these versatile solar lights will illuminate large areas of your garden without the need for cords or wires. Choose from models that are waterproof and durable enough for outdoor use so they will last well into autumn and winter months.
You can buy solar spotlights from hardware stores, garden centers, and lighting stores for around $30-$200 depending on their size, brightness level, and quality (check out our top picks here).
How To Use Solar Lights To Create a Gorgeous Garden
If you have a beautiful garden and want to add a touch of elegance, solar lights are a great way to create a focal point.
You can use a string of lights to create an elegant focal point in the center of your garden or around the edges.
Solar-powered lights can be used throughout your garden, but they will work best in areas that receive at least six hours of sunlight per day.
If you want something more subtle and natural looking, then consider picking out some seasonal flowers for your outdoor displays instead!
Create a focal point by having a string of lights as your main feature
The most obvious way to use solar string lights is as the main feature in your garden. This can be done by highlighting a particular structure, such as a pergola or shed, or to create an overall atmosphere that draws people’s attention.
To create a focal point it's best to place them directly on top of whatever you want people to see first when they look at your garden—this could be an impressive plant like an oak tree, or perhaps some kind of sculpture or fountain that you've made yourself.
Solar LED lights are also excellent for creating romantic atmospheres at night time; this means that if you have a date coming over then all you need do is put some candles around their house and then let the solar LED lights do all the work!
Add a little sparkle and create a romantic, warm atmosphere with fairy lights
Fairy lights are an easy way to add sparkle lighting and create a romantic, warm atmosphere. They’re especially handy if you have a large garden or terrace since they can light up large areas in no time at all.
They’re also great for creating focal points, such as the entrance to your home or decking area. Solar fairy lights are brilliant for this too since they don’t need any wires to run out of sight before they start working (and often don’t even need that much wiring either).
If you want some extra colors in your garden or yard, then solar fairy lights will be perfect for you – after all who doesn't love being able to change their décor without having to buy new pieces?
From pinks and purples through blues and greens, these versatile little lights come in so many colors that there's sure to be something suitable for whatever moods come up during your parties!
For evening parties, pendant lights are great if you have an outdoor kitchen or dining area
Pendant lights are also a great idea if you have an outdoor kitchen or dining area. There are two different options for installing them:
The first one is hanging them from the ceiling. This is probably the easiest way to install lights outdoors. You can either get some rope and hang them up yourself, or hire someone else to do it.
The second one is by using brackets. This second option is to hold up your pendant lights so they're off of the ground. This will give them more stability and keep them from getting knocked over easily—but it also means that your installation will be more complicated than just hanging some rope!
Hang lanterns or install festoon lights along garden paths or around water features to create a striking statement
Have you ever noticed how the light of a solar lantern can illuminate a garden like magic?
These gorgeous decorative lights are the perfect way to add a little sparkle and create a warm atmosphere in your outdoor space. They're also great for parties, as you can hang them around your garden with ease.
For example, they make excellent pendant lights if you have an outdoor kitchen or dining area. For those who want to incorporate more color into their garden design, festoon lights are a must-have item!
Festoon lighting creates an elegant look that makes any space feel glamorous immediately.
Use solar exterior lighting to highlight key features in your garden
These may be plants and foliage, architectural features, or an outdoor kitchen.
Solar garden lighting is a great way to highlight key features in your garden. This can be used to create a striking statement or create a romantic and warm atmosphere.
When you think about it, solar power is the perfect solution for outdoor lighting as it's completely free and environmentally friendly.
Solar light bulbs are easy to install, so installing them around your garden will not only add value but also save you money on electricity bills!
Add interest to steps and staircases with solar step lights
Solar step lights are a great way to add interest and beauty to steps and staircases. They can also be used to highlight garden paths, borders, and water features.
They’re also ideal if you have trees or plants that need some extra illumination at night time.
Step lights are also useful when you need to highlight areas such as driveways or paths that lead up to a front door. They’re especially useful if you want to avoid tripping over any obstacles in the dark.
Have low-level wall lights along the garden path, or highlight borders with subtle stake lights
Solar garden lights are a great way to highlight your garden's features. They can be used to illuminate the edges of flower beds and borders, as well as architectural elements like steps and staircases.
As well as highlighting specific points of interest, solar garden lights are also great for lighting up dark areas like corners or areas under trees where there is little natural light.
Illuminate borders using low-level border lighting, or up lighters set by trees and plants to create shadows on walls and fences
The use of solar-powered lights to illuminate borders is a popular choice for creating interesting focal points in the garden. These can be either low-level border lighting or up-lighters set by trees and plants to create shadows on walls and fences.
Uplighters are used as well for highlighting architectural features such as pergolas, arbors, and planters.
They also work well for highlighting outdoor kitchens or other functional areas that you want to highlight with light at night time.
Solar-powered lights work great for highlighting plants and foliage too, whether it’s just one type of plant or many different species throughout your garden!
Use outdoor lighting to create soft mood lighting for alfresco dining during the evening
Let’s face it, dinner time is the most romantic time of day. And what goes better with a romantic atmosphere than soft lighting?
The good news is that solar garden lights come in a range of styles and shapes that can be used to create gorgeous lighting for alfresco dining during the evening.
Choose from spotlights, lanterns, and even bollards! These are all fabulous options if you want to create a warm atmosphere.
If you’re looking to create a cozy atmosphere, then why not try some fairy lights? They come in so many different colors and styles that you can truly make them work with your existing décor or interior design scheme.
If relaxation is more your style – why not opt for some color-changing LED lights?
In conclusion, solar garden lighting can help you create a stunningly beautiful scene in your garden
They’re not just good for the environment, they also save you money on electric bills and reduce carbon emissions. And the best part? They come in every shape and size. They're perfect for any evening garden.
You can use them all year round and they can be a key part of your landscape!
And if you're not sure how to implement them in your garden design, then contact the landscaping experts at ShrubHub! You can get 70% off on your first landscaping project!