30 Garden Lighting Ideas to Light Up Your Outdoor Space
Gardens are such a source of joy and enchantment. Whether they be functional gardens filled with herbs and medicinal plants, beautiful flowering gardens, or both, they are outward-facing demonstrations of the love and care you have for your home, welcoming visitors and providing a quiet and peaceful place for relaxation.
By lighting them thoughtfully, you extend their beauty beyond the daylight hours well into the evening and even night. We’ve put together a list of 31 practical, fun, and creative ideas to inspire and brighten your outdoor spaces.
Pathway and Step Garden Lighting
These lights serve a functional purpose: to help you find your footing and step safely from the street or driveway to your front porch. But they can also be attractive, both in terms of the fixtures you select and how you choose to place them to accentuate your plants and flowers.
1. Pathway Lights
Typically solar-powered lights that click on after dusk, pathway lights are small but mighty freestanding lights that illuminate sidewalks or paths, or to accentuate walkways in your garden.
2. Bollard Lights
Bollard lights are outdoor fixtures that can be used to illuminate both pathways and landscapes. Mounted on a two to four foot sturdy post (or “bollard”), bollard lights can project light horizontally or downward.
3. Recessed Ground Lights
Just as some lights can be recessed into a ceiling indoors, others are designed to be embedded into the ground. By casting light upward with very little visible fixture, these create a seamless look in your flower beds or alongside pathways.
4. Step Lights
Integrated into the steps or stairs leading up to a porch, patio, or deck, step lights help make walking outside at night much safer. When used in your front yard, they can also add curb appeal to your home, especially when used in conjunction with other types of accent lighting.
Decorative and Accent Garden Lighting
Safety and curb appeal are important reasons to incorporate outdoor lighting into your yard, but sometimes you just want something that is gorgeous and that enhances your own enjoyment of the garden.
5. String Lights
Draped across trees or pergolas, string lights are a very popular choice for setting the mood outdoors. Whether you go with larger Edison bulbs or smaller glowing bulbs, you’ll find that these are symmetrically spaced along a cable, giving a bohemian outdoor feel to your yard while also illuminating the ground underneath. They can even be used to outline the shape of a tree while casting a glow on the plants below. Look for solar-powered string lights, to avoid the need for extension cords.
6. Fairy Lights
Similar to string lights but with smaller bulbs placed more closely together, like Christmas tree lights, these come in different sizes and colors. Because they are not as bright as string lights, these are used primarily for decoration. They can be easily installed almost anywhere: weave them into bushes, hang them from tree branches, wrap them around columns, or use them to form curtains of light.
7. Lanterns
Placed on shelves and tables or hung from hooks, lanterns are for so much more than lighting your porch! They can be installed along hedges or behind bushes to give a soft light that seems to peek out from deep within your garden. Solar and battery-powered options are readily available.
8. Accent Lights
Just as you would use an accent light fixture indoors to feature a particular design element or piece of artwork, you can apply the same principle in your garden. A particular tree, bush, or flower becomes a conversation piece when you spotlight it; just be sure that the light fixture you choose is rated for outdoor use.
9. Solar Stakes
Small stake lights are ideal for your flower beds. Charged by sunlight during the daytime hours, they automatically come on after dark. Direct them downward to provide illumination on a particular part of your garden, or upward to give a subtle but dramatic effect.
10. Wired Garden Bed Lights
Wired garden bed lights function much like solar stakes, but they are hardwired into your home’s power supply. Because they are wired to a transformer, they have a steady glow even on cloudy days, ensuring that every corner of your garden is illuminated. They can also usually be set with timers and switches, giving you control of when the lights are on or off.
11. Gnome or Statue Lights
If garden gnomes tickle your fancy, or if you have a concrete or marble statue in your yard that is meaningful to you, integrate small spotlights into their placement to draw attention to them and give your family and house guests a moment of delight.
12. Mason Jar Lights
You can create these yourself, by inserting a string of fairy lights willy-nilly into a mason jar. The effect is almost like lightning bugs in a bottle, giving off a warm and welcoming glow with a rustic farmhouse vibe.
13. Color-Changing Lights
Colored lights aren’t just for the holidays! With a programmable string of lights, these change their color on a timer, bringing a party atmosphere to your garden any time of year.
Dining Room
Love your trees? Fanatical about flowers? Show them off with lights that make them standout features in your garden.
14. Spotlights
Spotlights can be placed strategically in your beds to highlight the leaves and flowers of ground-level plants, as well as taller shrubs and trees. Keep in mind that you typically want multiple spotlights to work together, as each fixture only casts a small beam of light that can be lost outdoors. By providing even illumination or lighting a particular tree or plant from multiple angles, you bring a high level of visibility without a single, overpowering light source.
15. Uplights
Inserted into the ground and placed at the base of a tree, these create a wonderful sense of drama. Be sure to direct the beam of the light upward toward the tree’s branches rather than out across your lawn, to complement both the tree and the yard as a whole.
16. Downlights
Mounted on walls or trees, these lights cast beams downward to illuminate paths, walkways, or sections of your flower bed that you want to feature. They are also a great way to illuminate a garden bed next to your house. Choose beam angles that give wide (60 degree) or medium (36 degree) coverage, depending on the size of the area you are illuminating.
17. Tree Wrap Lights
Another choice that is popular around the holidays but can work beautifully all year round is using string or fairy lights to wrap your tree trunks. By starting at the base of the tree and spiraling the lights upward, spacing the bulbs evenly, you will create a classic and elegant look. Or you can hang strands of lights vertically from the top to the bottom of a tree, creating a stunning effect.
18. Moonlighting
Moonlighting is a landscape lighting technique where you place soft white lights high in trees, to mimic natural moonlight. Although these lights can be more challenging to install, it gives a breathtaking look to trees by casting light downward through their branches.
Water Feature Garden Lighting
Underwater lights can turn your water feature into a dynamic display that becomes a centerpiece of your garden. Be certain to choose a light designed to be submerged under water, and if possible opt for a LED bulb as it produces less heat than other bulbs and also does not need to be replaced for many years.
19. Submersible Lights
If you’re lucky to have a pool, fountain, or water feature at your home, then the right lighting will let you enjoy these serene spaces all evening long and into the night. The best time to plan placement and installation of these lights is when designing your pool or water feature, but a professional expert can help you install them even once they are complete
20. Floating Lights
LED lights also come as free-floating fixtures that enhance the aesthetics of your pool or pond and add soothing nighttime illumination to the water feature experience. These can be solar or battery powered, so no installation or cords are necessary.
Wall and Fence Garden Lighting
Walls and fences do more than keep people and animals out, they are also architectural features that can be used to enhance the beauty and curb appeal of your garden.
21. Wall Lights
If you have a retaining wall to prevent erosion and allow for a multi-level garden, then use outdoor-rated puck lighting along these walls to provide plenty of illumination along the wall or even underneath blooming hedges. But there are other options for any wall or fence, including the use of outdoor lanterns to cast downlight onto beloved sections of your flower beds. Just be sure to select wet-rated LED lights for outdoor use. You can even install outdoor sconces as accent lights to feature select plants, or choose an option that does not require hard wiring or an outlet, making it simple to rearrange your outdoor lighting as often as you like.
22. Fence Post Lights
Timeless and beautiful in any garden, post lights can add a touch of whimsy as well as necessary illumination along driveways or quiet paths. With a wide variety of fixture shapes and finishes to choose from, you can bring a touch of rustic farmhouse, Gothic, or Parisian atmosphere to your garden.
Functional and Security Lighting
Light the way to greater home security while beautifying your garden.
23. Floodlights
Of all outdoor lighting choices, floodlights cast the widest beams, whether they are single or double fixture. This makes them an excellent option for dark areas like alleys or driveways, but also for lighting large swaths of your garden. Although the light can tend to be harsh and overwhelming by design, when used judiciously (and turned off when you want a relaxing evening outdoors) they add an important layer of security to your home.
24. Motion Sensor Lights
Of all outdoor lighting choices, floodlights cast the widest beams, whether they are single or double fixture. This makes them an excellent option for dark areas like alleys or driveways, but also for lighting large swaths of your garden. Although the light can tend to be harsh and overwhelming by design, when used judiciously (and turned off when you want a relaxing evening outdoors) they add an important layer of security to your home.
Other Fun and Creative Garden Lighting
When it comes to lighting your garden, the opportunities are endless. Here are a few of our other favorite touches for making your landscape complete:
25. Rock Lights
Another fun option is a rock light, which is shaped like a natural stone but illuminated from the interior to provide a soft glow. Other rock lights are crafted to look like river rocks, with slits cut into the sides to allow an interior bulb to shine through.
26. Birdbath Lights
Although your feathered friends are most likely to visit a birdbath during the day, they get thirsty at night too! A garden birdbath sculpture benefits from illumination not only by making it easier for birds to find their way, but also from lights integrated around the base and pointing upward to cast beautiful beams and shadows out in your garden.
27. Garden Torches
For a tropical or rustic vibe, you can stake torches throughout your garden. Typically fueled with oil that is contained in a hidden reservoir with an exposed wick that you can light with a match, these can be hazardous in dry weather, but with a watchful eye and the right environment they can add a beautiful and wild look to your garden.
28. Pergola Lighting
String or fairy lights can be integrated into pergolas as overhead lighting, letting you use these outdoor lounges during the evenings. With the right structure, you can even hang pendant lights in your pergola (so long as they are outdoor rated), giving you an incredible space for outdoor dining with family and friends.
29. Fire Pit Lighting
Does your garden include a fire pit? While the flickering firelight is lovely and warm, it often does not provide enough light for outdoor entertaining. Installing spotlights and lanterns around your fire pit will let you see clearly, without overwhelming the effect of the fire pit.
30. Temporary Lighting Types for Garden Parties
Of course, there might be times that you want more light throughout your garden, for events or special occasions, without having the fixtures be up permanently. For these times, look to portable lanterns (solar or battery powered), or the fun and festive festoon lights, which are string lights with oversized bulbs evenly spaced along the cables.
Helping Make Your Garden Shine
No matter what your garden lighting needs, here at Visual Comfort we are pleased to bring you many options that will help round out the picture you are longing to create. Visit https://visualcomfort.com to see the many different choices we have on offer.
FAQs
What are the best types of lights for garden pathways?
You have many options available for lighting garden paths, from solar stake lights to hardwired fixtures integrated with your home’s power source to bollard lights and lanterns on posts. Which ones you choose depends on your style and the aesthetic of your garden. Just be sure to select lights that are rated for outdoor use.
How can I make my garden lighting more energy-efficient?
LEDs are a good choice for your garden, because they are up to 90% more energy-efficient than other bulbs, don’t produce excess heat, and can last up to ten years without being replaced.
How do I maintain and clean my garden lights?
All outdoor lighting needs regular maintenance. Be sure to check their bulbs and wiring for weather corrosion at least once a year. To clean them, use a soft cloth to remove loose dirt, then gently wash with soapy suds to wipe down the fixture and post, avoiding any electrical connections. Dry with a towel before applying any metal polish. But be sure to avoid harsh abrasives or chemicals, as they can damage the finish.