We spend a lot of time considering different lighting options for our home, but most of us never consider adding lights to our outdoor spaces. Outdoor illumination can transform the appearance of your garden, making it a space you’ll want to enjoy more often.
A welcoming entrance – Make your home look more welcoming by putting lights around your gate or front door. Ensure your entrance is lit when you arrive home late also means you don’t have to fumble for your keys in the dark.
Safety – If you have a path or walkway that’s difficult to navigate in the dark, adding lights nearby creates additional safety. Lights that operate using motion detection will automatically activate as you approach. They are also useful for providing a light when you step outdoors in the dark.
Security – Security lights are great for anyone who is worried about prowlers or intruders. Usually designed with a motion-detector, these lights come on when anyone approaches. This will deter criminals.
Entertaining – If you love hosting outdoor parties or barbecues, lights can create a special ambiance. Outdoor fairy lights suspended from trees, or uplighters positioned within flowerbeds or planters work well. Alternatively, candles in lanterns are a pretty way to add light to your garden at night. Just remember not to leave a flame unattended and ensure you place the lantern well away from materials that could catch fire.
Enhance existing features – Highlight structures such as a rockery or pond cast interesting shadows onto a plain wall – for example, by projecting a light onto a garden sculpture. If money is no object, there are many fabulously-designed lighting sculptures that you can incorporate into your garden, including garden tables with up-lights, and artificial cherry trees with ‘blossom’ created from fairy lights.
Harness solar power – Are you making the most of the sun in your garden? Not only is this natural resource essential for plant growth but it’s also a useful source of energy for providing free and environment-friendly energy for garden accessories. During the day, solar-powered lights capture the sun’s energy and store it ready to use after sundown. This means you have lights that will automatically illuminate after dark. Not only is the energy free but it also means you don’t need to plug the lights in so there are no worries about the dangers of trailing wires in the garden. It’s also an environmentally smart choice and there are lots of different solar-powered garden lights available – from security lights to fairy lights.
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