Enhance Your Garden with Outdoor Patio Lighting

I have always believed that lighting completes an environment. Whether it is a room in the house or outside, lighting without a doubt makes a difference on how relaxed you feel or how cosy it feels. Bearing this in mind it is so important to get it right.

If you look at any lifestyle shots in a magazine or on the television – you will be sure to find ambient lighting. The garden however is an area of the home that can get forgotten about and lighting it may not be at the top of your list. This is a mistake though because if you get the correct lighting it ‘forgives’ any imperfections or projects you may be chasing every year to finish. Your garden doesn’t have to look like something taken from the Gardeners World magazine a simple form of outdoor patio lighting will transform your space and make it somewhere you want to spend most of your time especially in the summer months.

Patio lights can come in many forms depending on your budget, taste and what style you wish to achieve with it. You only have to have a good look around your local garden centres on the internet and you will find a plethora of ideas to get inspiration from. One of the main differences in the type of lighting you choose is what sort of light you want them to give off. If you go for an LED option it more often than not will give off a white or blue rather stark light. This can look good in it’s place but if you wanted a more warm yellow light – plug in or wired options are a more suitable choice. You can get a warm LED light but this will cost you more ONLY on the outset as, once installed, the running costs will be cheaper.  LED solar patio lights are great for an environmentally sound option they do not add to the issue of light pollution. They are without a doubt easier to install due to the absence of a cable and they are much safer for children and pets to play around. With solar powered garden lights you will not have to remember to turn them off after you have finished outside either!

Once you have decided on the feel you wish to achieve with your lighting you need to think about whether you would like a single source of lighting or a string of lights for example. Here I shall outline the types that I can think of to help you.

Post Patio Light

This type of lighting is usually a stand-alone single source option. This type of light will mimic the old fashioned traditional style of lamp post and usually fairly ornate and finished in black. This light is ideal if you wish to create an oldy worldy feel in your garden. It will need a bulb and will also need to be wired in, the cable will have to run under the ground to a socket. Be careful if you chose to do this and you could get advice from your local authority or alternatively do a bit of research if you want to know how deep to bury the cable. I better idea may be to bury the cable under the patio slabs – that way you know it will be safe and it will look more concealed than if you were to dig channels out of your precious lawn!

Patio String Lights

There are plenty to choose from. Some battery operated, some LED functioning and some solar – all give fantastic looks. These string lights come in various lengths so think about where they are going to go before you part with your cash! There are also plenty of fun choices of patio string lights out there too! It is worth thinking about the fact that they will invariably stay outside for the most part so you will need to go for outdoor string lights specificaly designed to endure the outdoors. These look great draped over a shrub or intertwined on a willow fence – they bring a little bit of magic in to your summer garden.

Patio umbrella lights

Patio umbrella lights are relatively new to the market. They look like a UFO but absolutely fantastic once installed! They fit around the top part of your parasol or umbrella and cast a beautiful light onto the table. These light are usually battery operated but the lifespan of them is quite good considering.

Patio rock lights / mini post lights

Again, these can be solar, wired or LED options. These can be dotted around your garden and patio to accentuate specific plants or areas of interest in your space. The rock lights in particular are more dramatic and add depth to your garden because of the fact that they can be angled. Remember if you do want the flexibility of having no wire the light will be whiter and a little colder as opposed to an amber light that you get from wired lights. It is possible to obtain amber hues with an LED source but you may have to be prepared to spend a lot more.