Solar garden lights bring a warm, cosy glow to even the smallest outdoor spaces, creating an inviting area where guests feel comfortable relaxing as the evening comes around.
But what are some of the best ways to decorate a smaller garden?
In this guide, the lighting experts at The Solar Centre suggest some effective solar lighting ideas for your small gardens to enhance the atmosphere of your outdoor space.
Cheap Solar Light with The Solar Centre
At The Solar Centre, we offer cheap solar lights to help enhance your outdoor space and provide a warm, cosy atmosphere.
From solar garden lanterns to solar decking lights, find the right balance of subtlety and atmosphere to bring life to your garden.
Affordable Lighting Ideas for Your Small Garden
Below is a selection of stunning garden lighting design ideas for small gardens categorised by front garden, back garden and vintage lighting ideas using decorative solar lanterns:
Front Garden Lighting Tips
- Garden Furniture Uplighting
Solar garden uplighting can be used as both a safety feature and a way to draw attention to the key features of your front garden, like ponds or garden furniture.
We recommend using our Atlas Solar Spotlights, due to their cost-effective price and subtlety, bringing your garden accessories to life.
- Driveway Lighting
If you have a driveway, solar lighting can be used to bring out the best in your paving.
Incorporating materials like stone or brick around pathway lights can help increase the aesthetic value of your driveway.
For driveway lighting, we recommend the Onyx DualWhite Solar Brick Lights, which bring a soft white glow to your driveway.
Back Garden Lighting Tips
- Solar Overhead Lighting
Overhead solar lighting provides a warm, inviting atmosphere to your back garden, while limiting distracting wiring and preventing slips, trips or falls.
Our Madison Solar Drop Bulbs offer a vintage feel that’s perfect for complementing rustic home gardens. They come in a set of 10, providing ample brightness to keep your overhead spaces illuminated.
- Solar Tree Lighting
Solar Tree Lighting is a great way to add a warm backdrop to your garden to provide a natural source of light in the evening. Wrap lights around the branches of a tree to act as a cosy canopy.
If you’re hoping to make your small garden feel more grand, you can also adapt this idea for vertical lighting, leaving these lights between trellises to create a cascading effect.
We recommend our Elan Solar Fairy Lights for an affordable and flexible way to illuminate even the darkest corners of your garden.
Decorative Solar Lantern Ideas
Decorative solar lanterns can be used in both front and back gardens to create a unique and eye-catching atmosphere. Try our favourite decorative ideas for solar lanterns below.
- Perimeter Post Lights
Decorative solar lanterns can be placed at the perimeter of a garden, on fence posts or on poles. This design idea not only acts as an illuminating deterrent to passers-by but also creates an effective backlight for your garden.
For this design, we recommend the Sandringham Solar Crook & Wall Lantern, which blends effortlessly into its garden surroundings with its vintage styling.
- Central Table Lights
Solar lanterns are also a fantastic way to create lighting in the centre of a larger table, giving you the perfect social space that stays well-lit during dinner parties or barbeques.
The soft lighting of our Solar Traditional Gas Lantern makes it perfect for use as a table centrepiece, providing a balance of illumination and soft lighting that’s easy on the eyes.
More Expert Solar Lighting Advice
Like our small garden lighting ideas? Check out more of our expert lighting advice below:
- Outdoor Decking Lighting Ideas
- Wedding Lighting Ideas
- Christmas Lighting Ideas To Transform Your Garden
- Halloween Lighting Ideas To Transform Your Garden
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How can I make my garden look good all year round?
A: To make a garden look good all year round, pick solar garden lights specifically designed to withstand harsh elements outdoors and provide illumination in the summer or winter. It’s also important to maintain your solar lighting year-round with solar accessories.
Q: How do I make my garden look cosy?
A: To create a cosy garden, use soft illumination with fairy lights or lanterns to enhance the ambience. Introduce comfortable seating with cushions and throws. Add fragrant plants like lavender or jasmine for sensory appeal. Use garden decor, such as trellises or arbours, to create intimate spaces and define areas for relaxation.
Q: How to design a minimalist garden?
A: To design a minimalist garden, focus on simple warm white colours. Choose options that blend in with the environment, like solar paving lights or pathway lights. Enhancing larger garden features with solar uplighting or tree lighting can also draw attention away from the lights themselves and toward a central ornament.
Q: What is the best colour light for a garden?
A: The best colour light for a garden is warm white, which creates a cosy and inviting atmosphere. It highlights plants and features without feeling harsh on the eyes. For accenting specific areas, consider soft colours like amber or subtle coloured lights, which can enhance the garden’s beauty and mood.
Q: How to bring light into a shady garden?
A: To bring light into a shady garden, use reflective surfaces like mirrors or light-colored furniture to bounce light around. Choose shade-tolerant plants with bright foliage or flowers. Incorporate lighting features, such as solar-powered lanterns or string lights, to enhance visibility and create a warm, inviting atmosphere in darker areas.
Q: How far should outdoor lights be from the door? A: Outdoor lights should be positioned about 6 to 8 feet away from the door, providing adequate illumination without causing glare. Mount the fixtures at a height of 6 to 7 feet to effectively light the entrance while maintaining safety and aesthetic appeal in the surrounding area.
