30 Garden Lighting Ideas to Make Your Plants Shine

Enjoy the beauty of your landscaping even at night by adding garden lighting. The most popular options for garden lights are spotlights, stake lights, or string lights—all of which can be solar or battery-powered.

When deciding on the best garden lighting options, consider your purpose. Are you looking for an ambient glow or seeking brighter light to increase visibility along pathways and water features? Warm, soft light is great for giving gardens a glow, while larger, brighter bulbs are typically a better pick if you want to illuminate tripping hazards or keep wandering feet out of your flower beds.

Whether you have a large garden bed, vertical garden space, or container plants, get inspired with these garden lighting ideas.

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Globe Lights

AHatmaker / Getty Images

Make your garden glow with globe-shaped lights. This spherical alternative to traditional stake lighting provides visual interest and works especially well in gravel gardens or a xeriscape landscaping plan. Place lights along top tier areas of your garden or behind and underneath plants for spotlight illumination.

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Retaining Wall Lights

AndrewFurlongPhotography / Getty Images

Retaining walls prevent erosion and allow for multi-tiered gardens. Provide plenty of light along the wall and up the stairs by using puck lighting. Underneath the blooming hedges of this retaining wall garden, evenly-spaced lights guide nighttime visitors through the garden safely while putting plants on display. Be sure to choose wet-rated LED lights for this garden lighting option.

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String Lights for Trees

hdoggrafix / Getty Images

Trees growing in your garden can make a major statement with the help of string lights. Tiny glowing bulbs covering the trunk and main branches outline the tree's shape while casting a glow on the garden below. Soft white lights, as seen on the property of this stately home, are suitable for year-round garden lighting. Use solar-powered string lights to avoid the need for a nearby electrical outlet.

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Contemporary Landscape Lighting

Brophy Interiors

Brophy Interiors softened the front garden of this contemporary Southern California home with warmly lit landscaping around the stone wall and potted plant-lined walkway entrance to create a welcoming glow.

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Backyard Garden Lighting

Brophy Interiors

The sunken backyard of this contemporary home from Brophy Interiors is framed with a retaining wall planted with greenery and softly lit so that it can be used in the evening.

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Lantern Lighting

Catherine Lane / Getty Images

Lanterns hanging from a post can be installed along hedges or behind bushes to provide soft lighting from within your garden. The options for lantern types range in style and materials, but solar or battery-operated candle lanterns give a classic glow. Install posts at even intervals and decided whether you want the lanterns to hover above your foliage (accounting for the mature height of the plants) or peek out of the space between plants.

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String Lights + Hurricane Lanterns + Fire Pit

Inspired By Charm

A combination of string lights hanging in the trees above, hurricane lanterns lit with candles on the ground, and the light from a fire pit gives this backyard gathering space from Inspired By Charm a cozy feel.

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Arborvitae Illumination

@ladylandscape / Instagram

Arborvitae trees are frequently used as a living privacy fence for gardens. Illuminating the trees can give your garden a bright border that is both attractive and helpful in seeing the edges of your property at night. Upward spotlights highlight the tall, conical shape of the arborvitae while remaining concealed behind the garden's low hedgerow.

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Small Front Garden Lighting

White Sands

Even if your front garden amounts to some small hedges on the curbside and a flight of steps lined with plantings and bushes, like this Southern California home from White Sands, adding warm light that runs throughout the outdoor space can make it feel warm and welcoming when the sun goes down.

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String Lights for Raised Garden Beds

Lexia Frank / Stocksy

Raised garden beds are the perfect spot to string small lights, especially if your gardening setup includes a trellis. The string lights provide ambiance but also mean that you can check on your garden at any time of the evening without bringing along a flashlight. In the absence of a trellis, you can use planter posts at the corner of each garden bed or string them along a fence to provide the same effect.

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Make It Festive

My 100 Year Old Home

String lights help bridge the gap on this large backyard lawn from My 100 Year Old Home to make the space feel welcoming for entertaining guests and special events.

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Overhead lighting for seating areas

Lexia Frank / Stocksy

Gardens are the perfect spot to sit and reflect and by adding overhead lighting, you can use the lounge area during the day or night. This garden benefits from a group of four pendant lights, placed over an outdoor seating arrangement. The number and type of lights you choose will depend on whether you are looking for soft evening illumination or enough light to enjoy dinner in your outdoor oasis.

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Front Yard Lighting

Blanco Bungalow

The enclosed front garden of this Los Angeles Spanish-style bungalow from Blanco Bungalow is softly lit to highlight palm trees and ensure that the outdoor space feels balanced and bright.

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Statement Lighting

Rowena Naylor / Stocksy

Garden lighting is usually subtle, highlighting specific plants or providing an ambient glow. However, you can also use a statement light in the garden to provide a focal point at night, as seen in the front yard of this modern home. The light casts a glow while drawing the eye to its unique shape and design details. Statement lighting for the garden works best when paired with simple, low plants that won't compete for attention or make the space feel too busy.

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Light the Periphery

My 100 Year Old Home

Lighting the periphery of this backyard from My 100 Year Old Home ensures that the large lawn and pool area is well lit at night.

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Garden Bed Illumination

welcomia / Getty Images

A floating garden bed this one commands attention in the center of the yard with its showy display of plants. Use LED lighting to further enhance the garden's features, especially at night when the garden (and its borders) are harder to see. Spotlights are placed strategically in the garden bed to highlight the foliage of ground-level plants along with the taller trees and shrubs. Keep in mind that for symmetry, you want to provide illumination evenly across the entire bed, rather than focusing your lights on one end or another.

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Use Multiple Lighting Sources

Seed Studio Landscape Design / Travis Rhoads Photography

Integrated lighting throughout this Northern California outdoor space from Seed Studio Landscape Design is complemented with a pendant light over the dining table and a fire pit conversation area that creates a warm and cozy atmosphere in the shadow of two large backyard Redwood trees.

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Lily Pond Lighting

alexeys / Getty Images

Lily ponds are a beautiful feature for your garden and the right lighting allows you to enjoy their serenity throughout the evening. In this example, the water feature benefits from small underwater lights that make the pond and series of small waterfalls seem to glow. Additionally, the lily pads and other vegetation surrounding the pond are illuminated by the light. It's best to plan out your garden pond lighting when designing your water feature, but a professional can also help you select and install lighting that is compatible with your space.

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Update Your Spotlights

My 100 Year Old Home

My 100 Year Old Home gave the backyard garden a refresh with new raw copper spotlights that glimmer in the sunshine and highlight greenery at night, helping to spread the light throughout the large space.

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Stake Lighting for Garden Pathway

cjmckendry / Getty Images

Stake lighting guides the way along paved garden paths, giving you easy access to gardens, gazebos, or patios even after the sun has gone down. In this example, shaded stake lights provide downward illumination on the path, instead of upward illumination to highlight plants or garden features. It also preserves the serenity of the garden and shields the eye from a bright beam during low light conditions. Solar lights are the most popular option since the lights require no power source other than the sun's rays.

The 9 Best Solar Pathway Lights of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

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Stake Lights in Flower Bed

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Small stake lights are a great option for garden lighting in flower beds. Usually powered by the sun, these lights come on at dusk and provide subtle light in and around your flowers. Aside from being attractive, stake lights can also keep passersby from accidentally stepping off the path and onto your flowers.

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Water Garden Lighting

@ladylandscape / Instagram

Water gardens have a soothing sound and offer the opportunity to grow aquatic plants. Use lighting features to give your garden pond a special spotlight. In this example, the small yet eye-catching water garden features symmetrical lighting on either side of the center stepping stone. The warm hue of the light also harmonizes with other lighting features used in the garden, giving the entire space a cohesive lighting plan.

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Lighting for Vertical Gardens

Dulyanut Swdp / Getty Images

Vertical gardens can benefit from lighting, as well. In this example, lights extend out from each tiered wall of the garden, illuminating the plants underneath. Downward lighting puts a spotlight on the plants at the level below, without getting lost in the lush tropical foliage that spills over each level of the garden.

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Lawn Lights

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A lush and healthy lawn is the perfect foreground for a manicured garden, so why not highlight your grass as well? Globe lights placed on the lawn are a surprising option for garden lighting and work especially well during parties or special events as festive décor. Alternate between placing single lights and pairs of lights on the lawn to keep the look unique and unfussy.

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Backlighting for Potted Trees

@ladylandscape / Instagram

If you have potted trees in your garden, backlighting is a great option for highlighting their beauty even at night. In another example, this potted tree benefits from the warm glow of a spotlight behind the large container. The warm light plus the yellow-hued foliage is a perfect combination in front of the privacy screen completing this intimate garden setting.

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Spotlights for Garden Features

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Pivoting spotlights give you flexibility and options for illuminating your garden area. In this lush garden setting, the spotlight on the perimeter of the water feature is angled to illuminate the heron statue and tall grasses along the edge of the garden. In comparison to fixed-position stake lights, you can adjust the beam of light to hit the right spot. Change the light's focal point as your plants grow or you make adjustments to garden sculptures or features

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Lighting for Ornamental Grasses

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Ornamental grasses are a full, soft feature for gardens of all sizes. While many garden lighting options focus on flowers or tree foliage, shining a light on your garden's thick, full ornamental grasses is another great option for nighttime visual interest. In this garden, a small water feature makes the perfect spot to conceal a lighting fixture that casts light onto the surrounding grass plants. Even without a water feature, you can give your ornamental grasses a special focus using stake or pivoting spotlights.

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Scattered Spotlights

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Scattered spotlights contribute only a small beam of light on their own, but when viewed together, this is an effective option for garden lighting. As seen in this garden, small spotlights distributed throughout the garden area illuminate small, medium, and large plants, giving the garden excellent visibility without a single, overpowering light source. When arranging garden spotlights, divide the garden into zones and aim to use the same amount of spotlights within each zone. Periodically step back to view the garden as a whole and make adjustments to keep the look balanced.

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Container Garden Lighting

Amir Mukhtar / Getty Images

Container gardens are a great option for adding color and visual interest to patios or courtyards. You can enjoy the beauty of your potted plants even at night by adding some garden lighting. In this example, string lights on the potted palms illuminate the container garden and seamlessly blend into the string lighting along the wall of the patio.

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Light the House and Garden

Design by AHG Interiors / Photo by Nick Glimenakis

This 1960s Catskills home from AHG Interiors is lit up like a fairytale in the woods with string lighting that extends from the A-frame facade to the yard.

What lighting is best for the garden?

The best type of lighting for your garden depends on the size of your outdoor space and whether you are looking to make your plants look better or to light up an outdoor space for safety reasons. Warm, soft, ambient light works well for highlighting trees, plants, or flowers, and creating a relaxing atmosphere if you plan to use your outdoor space at night. If you’re more concerned with keeping visibility high and discouraging intruders of the human and animal variety, opt for brighter, whiter light.

How can I light up my garden?

You can light up your garden with anything from inexpensive outdoor LED string lights to an integrated lighting system designed to highlight special trees or turn your garden into a magical setting for outdoor entertaining. Be sure to spread the light around your garden to avoid shadowy patches and ensure visibility of the entire space to make it comfortable to use.

How do I light my yard at night?

You can light the periphery of your yard with ground-level uplighting spread all around a fence or retaining wall for a balanced glow. Use landscape lighting to highlight flowerbeds, trees, fountains, or other special features. Add layers of ambient light to your yard with portable LED lamps or torches, LED candles, or a fire pit. Whatever you do, just don’t rely on a single glaring floodlight that will make your outdoor space feel unwelcoming and cold.