Solar lights are a popular garden feature – creating a stunning backdrop or useful task lighting, as well as enhancing safety and security around your home. All while proving eco-friendly and cost-effective compared with wired lights.
But what are the best ways to add versatile solar lights to any garden design? In this guide, our solar lighting experts explore various styles that can turn your outdoor space into a safe, secure, and ultimately enchanting oasis.
From path markers to mood lighting, and everything in between – these solar-powered solutions are easy to install and will transform your garden with an eco-friendly glow.
Solar Lighting Design Ideas
Below you’ll find several Solar Lighting design ideas to enhance any outdoor space:
Tree Lighting
Tree lighting is the perfect way to create a central column of light and highlight the features of your outdoor space.
This lighting method is achieved by wrapping solar fairy lights around the trunks or over the branches of trees to create warm pillars of authentic light at night.
These Lumify USB Solar Fairy Lights are one of the best options for this lighting style.
Bright and energy efficient, these strings of 100 LED solar fairy lights can run for up to 12 nights on a single charge. Ideal for adding decorative lighting to trees and other natural garden features year-round.
Garden Feature Uplighting
Garden feature uplighting is a great way to draw eyes toward the stylish statement features of your garden. Whether it’s a statue, mosaic or simply a stunning flower bed.
Targeted uplighting makes these features appear larger than life, as well as highlighting potential trip hazards at night.
These Atlas Solar Spotlights are the perfect product for those looking to create atmospheric uplighting in their garden.
These warm white LED spotlights offer 100 lumens of brightness with flexible heads and a 2.5W solar panel that functions year-round, for eco- and cost-friendly illumination.
Pathway Lighting
Pathway lighting is an effective way to create a welcoming ambience at the entrance to your home or draw attention to the detailing of your paving.
It also boosts safety and security around the property – helping guests find their way around easily and deterring unwanted intruders.
To create effective pathway lighting, simply place lighting along the path at regular intervals. It’s important to choose lights that don’t shine upwards and potentially dazzle guests.
Our Newbury Solar Garden Lights are an effective choice for pathway lighting, coming in sets of two. The wide crown of these lights also makes them gentle on the eye.
Water Feature Lights
Water features can create a calming and relaxing centrepiece in gardens with pools, especially during the warm summer months.
For effective water feature lighting, place flat lights around the decking of a pool or the edge of a fountain. This also keeps features lit to help avoid slips, trips, and falls.
The Paverlight Solar Brick Lights add stylish, practical lighting to water features or poolside decking and patios. With a standard block size, they seamlessly integrate with the flat poolside terrain, with up to 12 hours of solar charge.
Solar Rock Lights
Rock lighting involves using solar-powered lights disguised as rocks or stones to blend seamlessly into a natural landscape.
It’s the perfect solar lighting idea for homeowners who want to add a natural, rustic look to their garden.
The best way to create effective solar rock lighting is to place smaller lights in and around rocks or gravel beds that are small enough to be disguised.
The Sunlit Solar Spotlight is the perfect discreet compact outdoor solar light. With 100 lumens of brightness, this spotlight offers versatile and energy-efficient lighting. Its sleek and modern design makes it a stylish addition to any outdoor setting.
Flower Bed Lighting
Flower bed lighting is an effective way to improve the natural ambience of your garden, by highlighting flower arrangements with a warm glow that makes their colours pop.
To create effective flower bed lighting, simply place small solar-powered lights at the edge of flower beds or spaced equally between plants in larger gardens.
Our Hamptons Solar Garden Lights are perfect for adding soft light to your flower beds while maintaining a natural aesthetic that blends in with the rest of the garden.
These lights feature a sleek black finish, captivating filament-style bulbs and integrated solar panels for hassle-free installation and zero running costs. Available in sets of two.
Perimeter Lighting
Perimeter lighting provides a delicate border glow for your garden that can act as a backlight for eye-catching garden features, while also illuminating darker areas and potential entry points for unwanted guests.
To achieve a warm and gentle solar lighting border, simply place wall lanterns along your fence line at regular intervals.
The Truro Solar Wall Light is a stylish and versatile lighting solution for your outdoor spaces, and perfect for perimeter lighting.
Featuring a weather-resistant stainless-steel design, integrated solar panel and automatic operation, this light provides up to 40 lumens of illumination without the need for wiring.
Easy DIY installation and a 12-month warranty make it a hassle-free addition to your home.
Pergola Lighting
Pergolas make the perfect outdoor social space all year round. And lighting is the perfect way to illuminate your sheltered area and enjoy the ambience of their garden over meals with family and friends.
There are many different ways to achieve stunning pergola lighting, including using fairy lights and festoon bulbs.
Wrap solar lights around the supporting pillars of your pergola or drape them across the roof beams for warm overhead lighting and a rustic glow.
Create the perfect inviting ambience in your gazebos or pergolas with the help of these Solar-Powered Elan Festoon Lights.
Strings of 20 LED bulbs illuminate your outdoor space with a natural white glow, while the 9.5m light length provides ample coverage. Maintenance-free with zero running costs, these versatile lights are perfect for any outdoor area.
Related Products
Looking for even more garden solar lighting ideas to transform your outdoor spaces? Check out these bonus design tips using products available from The Solar Centre:
- Peake Solar Post Cap Lights: A sleek and versatile solar-powered lighting solution for your outdoor spaces. Designed to fit seamlessly on top of fence posts or garden poles, these lights provide warm white illumination with 15 LED lumens. With a durable construction and free UK delivery, it’s a practical and affordable lighting option.
- Apollo DualWhite Anthracite Solar Spotlights: This adaptable set offers both crisp, natural light and inviting glow options, allowing you to tailor the perfect mood. With flexible placement and effortless installation, these energy-efficient solar-powered spotlights bring style and functionality to any outdoor space.
- Advance DualWhite USB Solar Deck Lights: These lights feature a dual-white LED design and built-in solar panels for up to eight hours of illumination. The sleek, low-profile lights blend effortlessly into your décor and offer convenient USB charging for versatile use.
More from The Solar Centre
For more solar lighting tips and tricks, browse our related guides below:
- Outdoor Cottage Lighting Ideas to Transform Your Garden
- Outdoor Stair Lighting Ideas – How To Light Up Outdoor Steps
- Driveway Lighting Ideas: The Best Solar Driveway Lights and How To Install Them
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Do You Leave Solar Lights on All the Time?
A: Solar lights are designed to turn on automatically at dusk and turn off at dawn, so you typically don’t need to manually control them. The built-in solar panels and batteries allow them to operate continuously without the need for manual intervention, making them convenient and energy efficient.
Q: Do Solar Garden Lights Work in The Shade?
A: The performance of solar garden lights can be impacted by shade, as they rely on sunlight to recharge during the day. While they may still provide some illumination in shaded areas, their run time and brightness may be reduced compared with lights placed in direct sunlight. Positioning them in sunny locations is recommended for optimal performance.
Q: Do Solar Lights Work on Rainy Days?
A: Solar lights can continue to function on rainy days, but their performance may be affected. The solar panels need sunlight to charge the batteries, and prolonged overcast or rainy conditions can limit the amount of charge they receive. This may result in shorter run times or dimmer illumination on rainy days. Placement in sunny locations is important for reliable performance.