With the right garden lights and a well-thought-out outdoor lighting plan, you can enjoy your garden long after sunset – more time to actually use it in summer, and an atmospheric view from your living room window in winter. We show you how to create a beautiful ambience in your garden after dark.
Garden lighting: tips for harmonious outdoor lighting in your garden
- Planning your garden lighting – what to consider
- The right type of light: what are the benefits of LED, solar and more?
- Creating decorative eye-catchers with outdoor lights
- How to light your garden with solar and rechargeable lights
- IP rating: how weatherproof is my light?
Planning your garden lighting – what to consider
1. Create accents of light: Avoid flooding the whole garden with light. In garden lighting, carefully placed accents create an atmospheric play of light and shadow.
2. Create a three-dimensional space: Remember to place lights towards the back of the garden, too. This gives your outdoor space more depth.
3. Choose the right light colour: Warm light softens contours and is ideal for bathing the garden in a natural, gentle atmosphere. At the front door, on the other hand, you need clear visibility – so cooler light is the better choice.
You'll find all the information about the light source in the product details on each product page. With some lights, the bulb can be replaced, so you can choose the light colour and brightness yourself.
The right type of light: what are the benefits of LED, solar and more?
Which lights and light sources are available, and where are they best used? New technologies complement tried-and-tested solutions.
Mains-powered outdoor lights
Light sources connected to the mains provide reliable lighting at the touch of a button or via a motion sensor. Here, functionality plays a very important role alongside aesthetics. Lights with motion sensors are especially practical: you don't have to search for a light switch in the dark, and they don't waste electricity.
Solar garden lighting
Choose solar-powered garden lights to light your garden in an environmentally friendly way. The integrated solar cells charge in the sunlight during the day and give you atmospheric light in the evening. An LED light source ensures a long running time – LEDs use little energy but are still powerful. No cables, no electricity costs and no expensive, complicated installation.
To make the most of the sunlight, position solar lights in the garden so that the solar cells aren't covered by plants or other objects. That's why many solar lights come with a ground spike, so you can push the light into the soil.
Garden lighting with rechargeable LED lights
Thanks to modern LED technology, rechargeable lights also provide atmospheric light for several hours without a direct power source. They are charged with a charger and store the energy. So with rechargeable LED garden lights, you also avoid expensive installation work. Being cordless, they are extremely flexible and give you complete freedom in how you use them – on a patio without a power socket or in the middle of the garden, up in a tree.
What's more, the line between outdoor and indoor lights is becoming increasingly blurred in terms of design, so you can make a real design statement both indoors and outdoors.
Fire and flame – natural light sources for your garden
If you like, add a natural light source to your garden lighting. The flickering, warm flame of candles or oil lamps gives an idyllic light, but only illuminates what's needed. Hurricane lamps and lanterns protect the delicate flame from the wind. Some hurricane lamps come with an additional spike, so you can place them anywhere you like in the garden.
A fire pit brings the campfire feeling right into your own garden. Manufacturers such as Röshults and höfats specialise in attractive fire baskets in a wide range of designs.
Creating decorative eye-catchers with outdoor lights
Garden lighting isn't just there to highlight plants after dark or light up the seating area. With the right light, you can create a wonderful ambience – and with the design of your outdoor light, you can make a design statement. Unusual pieces such as the Kartell Kabuki outdoor floor lamp take the place of decorative accessories and become a decorative piece in their own right.
How to light your garden with solar and rechargeable lights
For the following garden lighting ideas with rechargeable and solar garden lights, you don't need a direct power connection:
Lighting for outdoor seating areas
Good lighting is particularly important for your seating area, so that games nights, barbecues or cosy evenings with a book don't have to end when the sun goes down. Choose one or two light sources for your dining area.
Compact table lamps light up the garden table without glare. The rechargeable LED light from Fermob is more than a handy table lamp: combined with its stand, it becomes an outdoor floor lamp. Floor lamps keep the table clear and provide enough light for you to sit back and read a book.
Rechargeable hanging lights are a particularly idyllic solution for seating areas under trees. Like a pendant light, they hang above the dining table and, like a floor lamp, leave enough space for eating and playing board games. You can hang the light from a branch in seconds. Beams and parasols can also be used as supports.
Garden lights for flower beds and paths
Illuminated flower beds and front gardens add colourful accents of light, while lights along paths create structure. The following lights are suitable for lighting beds and paths.
LED garden lights with a spike are easy to push into soft ground. Small lights create structure along paths, while larger lights add colourful accents in flower beds. For path lighting in particular, where several lights are used, solar-powered garden lights are a good choice, as they save you having to charge them manually.
Our product recommendations for lighting beds and paths:
IP rating: how weatherproof is my light?
The IP rating tells you how weatherproof a light is. You'll find it in the product details on each product page in our shop. The first digit indicates the level of protection against solid objects, and the second indicates protection against moisture.
IP rating table
For example, a light with an IP44 rating is protected against solid objects larger than 1 millimetre and against water splashing from any direction.
We hope this helps you plan your garden lighting.
