Decorative Lighting Options for Your Yard and Garden

There are many great decorative outdoor lighting options to choose from these days.

SolarLighting is the most economical and easiest to install. Solar lights have staked ends and can be inserted into soil or mulch. Once the battery inside the light is activated (often by just pulling a tape that prevents contact with the photo cell) it takes about ten or twelve hours of exposure to sunlight to charge the battery and your solar light will be ready to illuminate your sidewalk, driveway, shrubs or flowers at night.

Solar lights come in a variety of styles: two or three tiered lamps, lanterns that hang from an ornamental rod, bollards (small, dome-shaped lights,) tiki torches, fence lights, post lights, small reflector-type flood lights and walk lights with star-patterned down lights. The average cost of a solar light can range from $2.50 to $5.00 depending on the size and whether it is metal or plastic. Most solar lights are LED’s today and give a crisp white light that lasts longer than an ordinary incandescent bulb. Solar lights can last for two, three and sometimes four years-the rechargeable battery can easily be replaced when the light grows dim.

Solar light provides an attractive accent light that can be used in any area of a yard or garden. Place them where they can be exposed to sunlight all day to get the best and longest illumination at night (usually eight to ten hours.) Solar lights can be purchased singly or in packs of six and ten.

Rope Lighting is ideal for accent lighting covered decks, porches, patios and gazebos. They come in a range of lengths (3 ft. to 25 ft.) and can be linked by plugging them together end to end. They are available in many colors including clear white, yellow, red, blue and green. The tiny bulbs used in rope lights can be incandescent or LED’s. The bulbs are a bright white, color variation is produced by the tubing around the light rather than the bulb itself. » Read more: Lighting Options For Your House and Garden