How to Choose Outdoor Garden Lights For Summer
With the days getting shorter, a carefully planned lighting scheme can provide warm ambience and offer a measure of safety along any garden paths. Whether you opt for wall-mounted lamps, string lights or lanterns, the best outdoor garden lights can really transform a space. Often, the choice comes down to a few key considerations. With a Home Depot Money Saving Coupon from We Are Coupons outdoor lighting costs less.
Decorative
Whether you’re working with a sizeable garden, a compact balcony or even just a tiny patio there are plenty of outdoor lighting options that will turn your garden into a sparkling wonderland. From ceiling lights that hang from canopies and umbrellas to string lights that dance along walls there’s a huge choice of options to create an instant, mood-boosting effect.
Alternatively, if you’re looking to add a more focused glow to your garden consider using uplighting to really draw attention to specific design features of the space like this textured brick wall in this patio idea. These John Lewis & Partners Strom up and down wall lights work well with uplighting as their steely silver colour helps them blend in with the dark while their directional beams throw more useful light up and downwards than other styles like a halogen spot light.
Observe your garden to see how many lights you’ll need. It’s best to stick to one to two fixtures per metre of garden so you don’t end up with a lighting scheme that looks overdone.
Security
A well-lit garden is not only aesthetically rewarding but it can also help with security. Lights that are switched on by a motion detector only activate when there is movement and switch off automatically once the area is clear. This helps to prevent lights being left on for hours at a time and can help deter intruders.
Make sure that the lighting you use is safe for your outdoor space by ensuring that it's not drawing too much power from the mains supply. Doing so may overload the circuit and cause a short-circuit which can be dangerous for anyone using or viewing the space.
Avoid grouping too many light fixtures together unless you want to create a dramatic effect as this will draw more attention to the individual lights rather than the surrounding area. Try to spread out the placement of your landscape lighting and consider using a mix of lighting styles. This will ensure that the entire garden is lit but it will still have an appealing aesthetic.
Energy-efficient
Many outdoor lighting ideas use LED bulbs, which burn cooler and are more energy-efficient than regular bulbs. They're also safer, meaning you can use them around children and pets without worrying.
If you want to go even greener, try solar-powered lights for your garden. These designs sit flush to the ground and won't require mains power - they can be powered by sunlight, so you can use them anywhere in your garden and don't have to worry about running out of battery life.
If you have a cottage or country garden, look for natural-looking lighting that fits in with your scheme. For example, these stone-effect path lights are a chic option that blends in with natural-looking planting schemes. Alternatively, you could opt for lantern-style fixtures that match your back door or a metal up and down wall light, like this John Lewis Strom model, which has a contemporary feel. It's available in a choice of finishes, including this steely silver option.
Maintenance
Whether you want to create a romantic ambiance for outdoor dining, or simply a soft glow to navigate around the garden, well-placed lighting can transform the space. This can make it a wonderful summer setting for barbecues, alfresco dinner parties, and relaxing evenings.
Ideally, the lighting should be well placed, giving coverage to key features such as trees and shrubs and a measure of safety along paths. However, it is important to choose a scheme that balances style with practicality and doesn’t overcrowd the space.
Keeping your garden lighting in good working order is crucial for maintaining its aesthetic and functionality. For example, if you have solar lights, check that the panel is not shaded by plants or roofs and has adequate sun exposure to charge. Also, it is worth regularly cleaning the panels to ensure they absorb the maximum amount of sunlight.
