The right garden lights can transform your outdoor space in ways you never thought possible. They can highlight particular plants, cast an ambient glow or provide a striking focal point.

There are many types of garden lights to choose from, including solar and battery-powered options as well as sconces and lanterns. The style you select should be based on your budget, as well as the lighting goals for your garden.

Sconces, which have a small, recessed light that sits on a wall or fence and casts an ambient glow, are popular and versatile. They can be placed in any area of the garden for illuminating pathways or gathering spaces, and can also be used to add mood lighting or accent features like a water feature or ornamental swing.

LED sconces, which look and feel like a candle, are also very popular and can be moved around to illuminate different areas of the garden. They are also very energy-efficient, and you can often buy them at low or medium voltage to suit your power requirements.

Festoon lights are another common type of garden light that are great for highlighting a relaxed and cosy vibe in the garden, especially on a deck or patio. They come in a range of styles and are easy to install.

Adding lighting to your garden can be a fun and rewarding project. It can also create a stunning and magical atmosphere in the evenings.

It is important to plan out where the garden lights will go and make sure you get them in places that are going to receive enough sunlight during the day. The sun’s light is what charges the solar panels on the top of the lights. Once the sun goes down, the solar panel registers the absence of sunlight and automatically turns on the light.

There are solar-powered pathway lights, such as this set of four from Maggift, that can be driven into the ground to provide a soft glow along paths at night. They’re on the dimmer side but can be easily installed in any garden to create an attractive and safe walkway.

They’re recommended for south-facing gardens, and they worked in our test, emitted a soft glow that lasted up to 10 hours from a single charge in daylight, and didn’t interrupt wildlife too much. They were easy to assemble and come with an average one-year warranty.

Garden lanterns are usually electric or solar, but they can also be candles or tealights. They can be hung from hooks or posts, and they can come in unique designs to match their intended feature.

Some lanterns are designed to be placed close to water, such as this pair of hanging garden lanterns from Dusk Lighting (opens in new tab). Others are positioned at intervals, such as this pair of candle-shaped garden lanterns from Lights4fun.

These lanterns have an interesting design and can be a great addition to any garden. They can be used to highlight a water feature, a fountain or an ornamental swing.