Imagine a warm summer evening in your garden, with a beautifully illuminated patio and twinkling fairy lights hanging in the trees. Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? Here’s how to get a lovely ambience in your garden after dark…
I’m currently giving my garden a makeover. Well, it’s more like a complete overhaul. It’s basically just an overgrown wasteland at the moment and is in desperate need of some TLC. Sure, I’ve drawn up the plan of how I’d like it to look but getting there is another matter! Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped me from researching the ways I can illuminate my garden once it’s finished.
There are many ways that you can introduce light into your garden so that you can enjoy those long summer evenings outdoors. Some are practical, and others are just downright pretty, so whether you want to light the way along the paths or create a party atmosphere here’s how to do it:
PATIO LIGHTING
Let’s start with my favourite area to light up – the patio. It’s where I’m planning on eating alfresco for most of the summer and there’s nothing better than lounging on the patio with friends as the sun sets. There are a few ways to add light to your patio, such as with outdoor lamps like the ones in the photo above. It’ll be a fun focal point on your picnic table and provides plenty of light.
I also love the idea of having a table that doubles as a light. I came across this one above on the Lights website and thought it was a genius idea. It’s just the right size for a balcony with two seats either side or could be used as an outdoor coffee table if you have enough room on your patio for an L-shaped outdoor sofa. Heck, it could even be used as a contemporary coffee table indoors too!
SECURITY LIGHTING
It’s an essential in all gardens. You want to be able to light up the space so that you can safely use the garden after dark. Even if you’re only bringing your shopping in from the car, having a flood-light will make this task easier and safer. That said, the design of your security light doesn’t have to be dull – why not add a traditional lantern if you’ve got an older property so that it doesn’t look out of place? I’d love to get sleek tube-style outdoor lighting for my garden, to match the mid-century style of the house. Plus, you can add matching pillar lights or solar lights along paths to make it easier to move around after dark.
DECORATIVE LIGHTING
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you’ll know that I’m quite a fan of fairy lights at any time of year! It therefore shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to you when I say that I want plenty of twinkly, decorative lighting in my garden. I really like the Moroccan style of these outdoor lamps below and I think they’ll look great with the tropical-style plants I want to include around my patio. Of course, I’ll be hanging fairy lights in the trees too, but I will be using solar lights so that I don’t need to worry about plugging them in.
CANDLE LIGHT
Candles can be a great source of light to create a cosy ambience in your garden. And, if you choose citronella candles, they can help keeps bugs at bay. Doesn’t it always seem like hundreds of bugs appear as soon as the sun goes down? Usually at the exact same moment that you want to be serving a lovely alfresco dinner on your patio! Enjoying a candle-lit meal will look lovely, and the scent from the candles will ward off those gnats, too.
What do you think of these ideas for illuminating a garden? Have you already got some lovely lights in your garden that you can recommend? If so, please leave me a comment below or share your ideas for adding even more ambience to your garden for the summer.
This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
