Transform your outdoor space into a warm and inviting retreat with thoughtfully layered garden lighting. From twinkling fairy lights and festoons draped overhead to glowing lanterns nestled among borders, the right outdoor lighting can completely change the atmosphere of your garden after dark. Whether you’re hosting friends for alfresco dining, relaxing beside a firepit, or simply enjoying the view from indoors, lighting helps your garden feel bigger, cosier and far more usable long after sunset.
How to add atmosphere to your outdoor space with lights
There’s nothing more enchanting than sitting beneath a canopy of outdoor fairy lights as dusk settles in. Soft lighting instantly creates a relaxed mood, helping your garden feel more cosy and welcoming long into the evening. Rather than retreating indoors once the sun goes down, layered lighting encourages everyone to stay outside for longer.
Mix different types of outdoor lighting to create depth and atmosphere. Festoon lights are ideal for larger entertaining areas and pergolas, while rope or string lights woven through trees or planting add subtle sparkle. Solar lanterns or outdoor LED candles placed around seating areas create pockets of warm light, and string lights zig-zagged overhead help define social spaces beautifully.
When choosing lighting, warm white bulbs are often best for creating a soft, intimate glow, while cooler white tones work well for modern gardens or pathways where visibility is more important. Combining lighting styles and colour temperatures carefully will help your outdoor space feel balanced rather than overly bright.
Gather around an outdoor firepit
One of the easiest ways to make your garden feel inviting after dark is with a firepit or chiminea. The flicker of real flames naturally creates a relaxed, campfire-style atmosphere that draws people together and makes outdoor entertaining feel effortless.
A firepit also adds practial warmth on cooler evenings, extending the amount of time you can comfortably spend outside. Position seating around the fire to create a sociable focal point, and complement the glow with nearby lanterns or festoon lights for extra ambience.
If you are looking for a streamlined solution, a garden table with an integral firepit like our Tallinn Corner Firepit Set or Tallinn Lounge Firepit Set combines warmth, lighting and entertaining to create the ultimate Scandi-inspired hygge setting for relaxed summer evenings.
How to hang garden string lights
A ceiling of festoon lights in the garden will zone your social area, and we recommend that you zig-zag the lights above you rather than running them along fence edges – it has a much more magical effect. To hang string lights on a covered patio without nails or in an open space in the absence of a pergola roof, employ available fence poles and guttering and use outdoor “S hooks” and “gutter hooks” that hang over the top of posts to provide a sturdy bracket hook suitable for hanging outdoor lights. Employ the additional vertical of an outdoor shepherd’s hook/festoon holder and secure it with zip ties.
How to install garden lights on a covered patio
We recommend not lighting the edge of your space when looking at how to light a patio because it only highlights the edges. Create a ceiling of lights if you’re lighting a covered patio and use gutter hooks and s hooks for a zig-zag design. Alternatively, hang a solar outdoor pendant light or design an outdoor lighting scheme at ground level, making use of outdoor solar lanterns on tables, and smaller outdoor wire lights that can be added to your planting for that added summer magic – the variance in height across the space will draw the eye through it, adding depth.
How to make a simple fairy garden
A fairy garden - that heady combination of crafting and gardening - should feel whimsical, layered and full of character. A hangover from childhood, when we created miniature gardens in seed trays to enter in the village flower show, grown up versions offer a seductive escape from the digital world. Lighting plays a huge role in creating that magical atmosphere now, especially to enhance the magic once the sun has set. Little bunches of solar lights woven through miniature planting or highlighting the cutest garden ornaments help make a simple fairy garden, tucked into borders, pots and softly glowing pathways all help bring joy to the space at night.
Wire-free garden lighting
Wire-free garden lights are an easy way to add atmosphere to your space because you don’t need a big garden to experiment or a big budget and professional wiring. A quick and easy way to add light to the garden is using the best garden solar lights, stylish solar-powered lanterns and solar stake lights that will elevate the look of your dining table, pathways and flowerbeds. Garden solar lights work with no need for batteries because they use direct sunlight so that you are free to move them around as you wish, adding atmosphere where and when you think it’s lacking. Another easy option are rechargeable LED stake lights. Complete with a built-in dimmer, the Nocturne Lamp lets you create the perfect atmosphere, from a soft, ambient glow for quiet moments to a brighter light for relaxed outdoor entertaining. It also extends from table lamp to pathfinder stake light!
What are common outdoor lighting mistakes?
One of the most outdoor lighting mistakes is using too much bright white light which can make a garden feel cooler and a little stark. Instead, layer softer warm lighting throughout the space to create a more relaxed atmosphere.
Another mistake is focusing all lighting around the edges of the garden. Instead, highlight different levels by placing lights in borders, through trees and around seating areas, or even overhead to create depth.
You should always check that outdoor lights are weatherproof and securely fixed, with the correct IP rating. Watch out for trailing cables, overloaded sockets and any temporary fixes which could become hazardous when entertaining.
Finally, avoid relying on one type of light. Using a mixture of festoons, lanterns, path lighting and candles will provide the most atmospheric and functional effect.