Garden lighting ideas: 10 ways to light up your garden

The 10 ideas at a glance

Every spot in the garden calls for its own type of lamp. This table shows, for each idea, which type of lamp suits it and which example we highlight further on. All examples are from Garden Lights and run on 12 volts.

Not sure whether to choose 12V, 230V or solar, or want to know what IP44, 3000 K and lumens actually mean? It's all explained in garden lighting buying guide: what should you look for? Here, the question is where to place which lamp.

1. Lighting the garden path

A lit path is the most practical idea: you can see where you're walking, and the garden instantly gets a line. For this, choose low standing lamps that shine all around or downwards. That way the light falls on the paving and not in your eyes. Place them at a steady rhythm along one side of the path, or alternating, and keep the same distance throughout.

The Lunia Black is a slim black outdoor lamp, 44 cm tall, that gives off 60 lumens all round. That's soft light, just enough to mark out a path. You can set the light colour yourself to white or warm white.

Other lamps for the path:

Prefer standing lights on 230V, for example along a driveway? Then take a look at the standing lights from Lutec, Eglo and Lucide.

2. Uplighting a tree

A tree lit from below is the most striking feature of the garden after dark. The light sweeps up the trunk and illuminates the crown. There are two types of lamp for this:

• Uplight: sits in the ground and is barely visible during the day. Must have at least IP67, as water may stand around it after a downpour.
• Spike light: stands on a spike above the ground. Easy to move if the tree grows or you want to change the effect.

Place the lamp a little way from the trunk, so the light also reaches the underside of the crown. For a large tree, two lamps shining from two sides give more depth than one bright lamp. You can read more about the difference between a spike light and an uplight in ground spotlight buying guide: what should you look for?

The Rubum is a 3.5 W uplight that you place in a 120 mm drilled hole. It gives off 280 lumens of warm white light (3000 K), has IP67 and the beam angle is adjustable.

Prefer a spike light? The Lovi is a black 1.8 W spotlight with an adjustable head and 189 lumens of warm white light, designed for trees, hedges and borders.

3. Lighting the facade

A wall light beside the back door or on the facade makes the house inviting in the evening. You can see the key in the lock, and from the garden the facade provides a warm backdrop. When choosing a wall light, pay particular attention to the direction of the light:

• Downwards: soft light on the ground, for example by a door or along a path.
• All round: the lamp itself is a feature and the wall picks up some of the light.

The Columba is a black aluminium wall light with a 2000 K filament LED. It gives off 98 lumens all round: not working light, but a warm glow like the one you know from an old-fashioned light bulb. Lovely on a rural or classic facade.

If you only want a small point of light shining downwards, the Palm is a round stainless steel wall light of 1 W with 10 lumens.

You'll also find 230V wall lights from Nordlux, Konstsmide and Lutec. If the light by the front door should come on as soon as you get there, choose a wall light with a motion sensor from Steinel, or a smart wall light from Philips Hue that you control with an app.

4. Defining the terrace with light

A few points of light along the edge of the terrace or decking show in the evening where the outdoor floor ends. That's cosy and also safe, especially on raised decking. For this you use deck lights: small lamps you set into a drilled hole so they sit flush with the surface.

The Leda is a square deck light in 316 stainless steel that you place in a 60 mm hole. At 1 W and 20 lumens upwards, it's meant as a point of light, not to brightly illuminate the terrace. IP67 makes it suitable for a spot in the floor.

5. Ambient lighting above the table

A string of lights above the table is the quickest way to create instant atmosphere. Stretch it between the facade and a post, a tree or the pergola, and let it hang slightly. Choose extra warm white light: that gives the glow of a terrace in southern Europe and makes faces at the table look soft. Hang the string high enough that nobody bumps their head on it.

The Partylights Filament is a black light string with ten 2200 K filament bulbs. It runs on the 12V system and uses 8 W, so factor that in when you choose your transformer. How that works is explained in the buying guide.

Is your table under a cantilever parasol from Platinum? Then the light can also come from the parasol. According to the product information, the Platinum parasol light is suitable for all Platinum Sun & Shade cantilever parasols and has a remote control and a USB charger. Also read what is a cantilever parasol?

You'll find more string lights from Konstsmide. Want to dim the string or change its colour from your phone? There are smart string lights from Philips Hue among the smart garden lighting.

Next winter, have a look outside from your living room. A garden that's pitch black then feels like a wall. A single tree or a string of lights you can see from the sofa makes your home feel bigger, even if you're not sitting outside yourself.

6. Lighting steps and treads safely

A flight of steps down to the lawn, a step up to the decking or a few stairs to the front door: in the dark, these are the spots where you trip. The light doesn't need to be bright here, as long as you can see the edge of each step. There are two ways to do it:

• In the step: a small deck light in the step or just in front of the tread.
• Beside the steps: a spotlight or wall light that shines diagonally across the treads, such as the Ilva or the Palm.

The Alpha Warm White is a small stainless steel deck light of 0.5 W for a 30 mm drilled hole. At 5 lumens it's really a guiding light: you can see the step without it being dazzling.

7. Lighting up the pond

In the evening, water becomes a mirror. A lamp that lights up a water plant, a stone or a waterfall creates reflections on the surface that you don't see during the day. Aim the light at something in or beside the water, not straight at the water itself.

With a pond, the IP rating matters most. Choose a lamp with IP68 that the specifications list as suitable for underwater use. The Protego is a 5 W stainless steel spotlight with 260 lumens of warm white light and an adjustable beam. It has IP68 and, according to the product information, is suitable for underwater use.

Smaller and more economical is the Arigo: also stainless steel with IP68 and suitable for underwater use, with 2.6 W and 195 lumens.

8. Highlighting borders and shrubs

A border that disappears in the evening is a shame after a day in the sun. With a few small spotlights among the plants, you can bring an ornamental grass, a butterfly bush or a hedge into the light. Set the spotlights low among the plants, angle them upwards and hide the lamp itself behind the foliage. That way you see the effect, not the spotlight.

For borders, a set is handy: you get the transformer and cable included. The Neso set contains three compact black spotlights of 2 W, each with 172 lumens of warm white light, a 12 W transformer and 8 metres of cable with 4 connectors.

You'll also find garden spots on 230V or with an app among the spots, including Philips Hue and Steinel.

9. Light on the fence

A fence is often the largest surface in a small garden. If you light it up, the garden looks deeper and you get an attractive backdrop for the plants in front of it. There are three ways to do this:

• Wall lights on the fence: a few lamps at equal distances create rhythm.
• Uplighting from below: a spotlight low in front of the fence brings the wood or a climbing plant into light.
• A light string: along the top edge or through the climbers for a soft glow.

The Ilva is a compact black spotlight of 1.8 W with warm white light (3000 K). You can stand it on the ground, but you can also mount it on a wall or fence. That makes it handy if you want to try out what looks best.

Looking for ideas for the fence itself, or for a small garden in general? Read ideas for a small back garden.

10. Lighting the balcony

Even on a balcony, light makes the difference between a place you go back inside from in the evening and a place where you stay sitting. First check whether you have an outdoor power socket. A 12V system needs one for the transformer. Without a socket, solar lamps or rechargeable lamps are the way out.

On a balcony, a light string works best: along the balustrade, through a planter or wrapped around a flower box. The Linea all seasons is a black light string with 100 small LEDs in very warm white (2500 K). The string uses 4.5 W and has a 10-metre cable.

For more tips on a cosy balcony, from furniture to plants, read balcony furnishing tips.

Your lighting plan in 4 steps

The most beautiful gardens don't have the most lamps, but the best mix. Combine functional light (path, steps), accents (tree, border, fence) and atmosphere (terrace, table). You can read how to play with those layers in creating atmosphere with garden lighting. Here's how to go about it:

Common mistakes

Is your terrace becoming the favourite spot in the evening, and are you still looking for the right garden furniture? The selection guide will help you on your way in a few steps.

Checklist

• Decide from inside the house which spots you want to see in the evening
• Make a sketch with the path, trees, terrace and power socket
• Choose the lamp type for each spot from the table
• Keep one light colour throughout, for example warm white 3000 K
• Check the IP rating: IP67 in the ground, IP68 by the pond
• Add up the wattage and choose the transformer using the buying guide
• Test on a dark evening and move the lamps until it's right