We all love getting out in our gardens and outdoor spaces, and as summer begins to roll into autumn we start to think about how we can make the most of the shorter evenings and enjoy our outdoor spaces to the fullest, even once the sun’s gone down.
Often we get asked the best ways to light up the garden without having to go to the effort of installing wires and digging up the lawn, as well as the fact that mains electric lights can easily drain your budget and add extra costs to your electric bill. So today we thought we’d share a few ways to light up your garden without the need for electricity, and without breaking the bank.
An easy and low cost solution is the use of solar lighting. Self charging and therefore self sufficient, and sustainable, they use the power of the sun to charge during the day, so once they’ve been bought they pay for themselves and add a warm glow to your garden once the sun goes down. Automatic once it reaches dusk, there’s no need to turn them on, allowing for low maintenance and hassle free garden lighting.
Lightweight and easy to install, solar garden lights can be added to a wide variety of outdoor spaces. Place solar stake lights into the ground around borders and along pathways to add light to the lower parts of your garden with ease, and the fact that they are lightweight means that you can always move them somewhere else if needed.
Solar lanterns such as our Moroccan solar lantern can easily be hung from branches, hooks or pergolas to add some much needed height to your garden lighting, without having to install wires up the walls or along trellises. Suspend them above your seating areas and garden furniture to light up and create a romantic setting. Similarly, beautiful fairy lights such as Festoon lights are simply perfect for stringing around the garden, and add a festive vibe to your outdoor spaces for you and your guests to enjoy.
We’ve used candles and candle lanterns since the dawn of time to decorate the garden, and they certainly worked before the invention of electricity, so why not use them in our gardens? Wax candles are another low cost and low maintenance alternative to electric lights; they won’t run out of power until they’ve burnt out, and again cost you nothing once you’ve bought them. Add a dazzling outdoor candle lantern either in stunning stainless steel or timeless wood to stop the flame flicking out in the evening breeze, and the lanterns can be arranged in attractive groups using different heights, or display them around the garden for the perfect ambient mood lighting. Nothing says romance like a candle lantern, so make those home date nights special! Why not also use candlesticks and tealights on garden tables to add a little mood lighting to your seating areas too? Just make sure to take them inside once you’re done.
Similarly oil lamps are one of the oldest and most traditional ways to light up a space, and since the ancient Egyptians we’ve used oil lamps and oil torches to create light in the darkness. Although technology has advanced considerably since then, oil burners are still a great way to light up a garden space on a relatively low budget, with the burners running on torch oil rather than electricity. We love using Citronella torch oil, which has the added bonus of helping to keep those troublesome insect pests away from your garden parties and outdoor soirees. Oil lamps are great for putting on an outdoor table whilst oil torches can be placed around the garden on poles that can be staked into flower beds or grass, or you can use an oil torch base to place them on hard surfaces. Alternatively gel lamps are another great option to oil lamps, and use gel oil rather than torch oil to burn.
If you’re at all concerned about the outside temperatures at night then we’ve got you covered! Fire pits are a great low budget option for heating outdoors, without literally burning a hole in your pocket. Simple but effective; they use logs as a power source and are much cheaper to run than patio heaters and throw out just as much heat, with the added bonus of romantic light from a flickering flame. Place them on a patio or an outdoor seating area, and keep you and your guests toasty warm long into the evening. Why not toast marshmallows or s’mores whilst you relax? The glow of the firepit will also help keep you illuminated, and why not use them in conjunction with lanterns, oil torches or solar lights for the ultimate garden lighting ambience.
However you decide to do it; we guarantee that you’ll be able to find a fun and cost effective way to light up your gardens without spending a fortune. So hopefully you’ll never have to ask again; how do I light my garden without electricity? If you have any further questions then feel free to drop us a message HERE. Bring your garden to life without electricity, and create a setting that you can revisit time and time again, no matter the season.
