Garden lighting ideas- 5 places to use lighting in your garden - sparkle.lighting

Garden lighting ideas- 5 places to use lighting in your garden

With Spring now finally here, our attention is drawn to our outside spaces as we look to make them look and feel more inviting. Winter can leave the garden looking a little unloved but with just TLC, you can soon have it looking like a place to kick back as hazy summer days roll into warm balmy nights. 

Garden lighting can elevate the look and ambiance of your garden, and we have curated a list of our top 5 ways to use lighting in different areas of your outside space.

From pergolas to dining areas, flower beds to fences, and pathways to driveways, these lighting ideas will add a touch of sparkle and create a magical atmosphere in your garden.

1. Light a Pergola
2. Illuminate your dining area
3. Delicately light a flower bed
4. Add a glow to your fence or wall
5. Light up a garden pathway or drive


1. Light a pergola

I am often asked how to light a pergola and with a little thought you can make this a stunning focal point by dressing with festoon lights, pergola fairy lights, solar lanterns and even outdoor hanging pendant lights.

pergola with festoon lights

Drop Festoon Lights

Create a warm atmosphere and a festival vibe by hanging a string of Drop Festoon Lights from your pergola.

All of Sparkle's festoon lights are perfect for this and if you don't have power you can use our battery outdoor festoon lights.

Outdoor pergola fairy lights & pergola festoon lights

Drop bulb Festoon Lights & silver fairy lights 📷 @pandora.maxton

If you really want to create the wow factor, intertwine a string of fairy lights into the pergola alongside the festoon lights and it will feel like you’re sitting out under a starry sky, no matter how cloudy it may be overhead.

outdoor pendant lighting uk

Outdoor Pendant Lights

Looking for modern pergola lighting? Look no further than our Outdoor Pendant Lights and bring all the style and function of indoors, outside. These outdoor pendant lights in mesh metal really are a statement piece to hang from your pergola.

garden hanging solar lanterns

Solar Outdoor Lanterns

If you're going for a bright and playful look, our Solar Outdoor Lanterns create the ultimate boho vibe.

These outdoor solar lights are available in various colours and shapes and work perfectly together to create an impact. They feature a delicate paper-like finish but are made using a unique tyvek lightweight and durable material so you don’t have to worry about them ruining in the rain.

We think the more the better with these solar lanterns as they really do look great together in sets.

2. Illuminate your dining area

Gone are the days of having just a Citronella candle burning on the table while you’re dining alfresco. The options for outdoor table lighting are endless and offer a fantastic way to enhance your patio lighting.

Outdoor table lamps UK

USB Powered Table Lamp

We have a selection of cordless table lamps at SPARKLE that can be used inside or out while al fresco dining.

Our NEW USB Powered Table Lamp, once charged they provide 9 hours of delicate light and make the most delightful, modern & stylish garden table lights.

Cordless table lamps

Battery Operated Table Lamps

For a more classic feel, the battery powered Cordless Table Lamp is a great alternative.

Available in a variety of different colours, you can complement the colourful blooms in your garden or the outdoor colour scheme that you are going for.

outdoor LED candles

Outdoor LED Candles

If you prefer the romantic glow that a candle offers, then the LED candles are an ideal choice for your outdoor table lights.

These ‘true to life’ flameless LED candles, flicker like a real candle and give a sumptuous glow as if they’ve just been lit. They are also waterproof and come with a useful timer so you don’t even need to remember to turn them off once you have finished your evening outside. 

outdoor festoon lights UK

Globe Connectable Festoon Lights

Looking for garden table lighting overhead? SPARKLE's Festoon Lights will bring the WOW factor when strung above an outdoor table or zig-zagged over an outdoor space.

3. Delicately light a flower bed

As the sun goes down, flower beds can fall into complete darkness and you lose the lovely colour that the garden offers during the day.

Dotting solar powered fairy lights throughout your flower beds can bring the garden back to life at night and create a dramatic backdrop to enjoy your evening outside. 

The solar powered lights are charged by the sun's rays during the day, automatically switch on at dusk and offer up to 6 hours of fabulous flower bed lighting.

Fennel Garden Solar Stake Lights in a flower bed

Fennel Outdoor Solar Stake Light

The Dandelion Solar Stake Light and the Fennel Solar Stake Light are both inspired by nature’s beauty and work beautifully as flower bed lights creating a warm glow which elegantly illuminates the plants surrounding them. 

Starburst Garden Stake Lights

Starburst Solar Stake Lights

For even more twinkle in your flowerbed, look no further than the Starburst Outdoor Solar Lights. These solar garden lights can be used individually or grouped together for a more dramatic look.

If you are short of space or don’t have flowerbeds in your garden, the solar powered lights look just as beautiful in plants pots too!

4. Add a glow to your fence or wall

Most of us have a wall or fence in our garden and with a few small nails you have the perfect place to hang outdoor lights and illuminate your garden. 

Rounded bulb festoon lighting

Rounded Bulb Festoon Lights

Festoon lights are the perfect outdoor lights for fences and can be strung along it for a look reminiscent of holidays abroad.

If you want to bring a touch of sophisticated glamour, the Curtain Fairy Lights offer a real twinkle to the garden. These versatile lights can be connected together to cover any length you need and will be the talking point of any outdoor soiree.

Solar Garden Ivy Lights on a wall

Garden Solar Ivy


If you’re looking for patio lighting ideas, and happen to have climbing plants nearby, intertwine SPARKLES Garden Ivy Lights, to make a beautiful feature of them. These lights can be powered by plug-in, battery, or solar options.

5. Light up a garden pathway or drive

Add sparkle to your garden by lighting up the driveway or path to your house. Not only will this help elegantly guide you through the space but can also offer a lovely welcoming glow if you arrive home after dark. 

pathway festoon lights

Rounded Bulb Festoon Lights

A simple string of festoon lights will beautifully guide you to your front door and make perfect pathway lights.

Solar sphere lights along a driveway

Solar Sphere Stake Lights

For a more dramatic look, line both sides of your drive with solar powered stake lights that can be easily put into the ground, and will add a magical touch to your outside space. These solar sphere lights really create impact in a line along a drive.

Solar stake lights along a path to a front door

Dandelion Solar Outdoor Stake Lights

SPARKLE's Starburst Outdoor Solar Light or Dandelion Solar Stake Light are both great choices to light a path or drive too. 

Solar powered lights are also an incredibly eco-friendly and cost-effective choice for pathway or driveway lights plus you’ll never need to remember to leave lights on when you leave the house in the light and come home in the dark.  

So there you go…

With our curated list of lighting ideas, you can transform your pergola into a captivating focal point, create a dreamy atmosphere in your dining area, delicately illuminate your flower beds, turn your fence or wall into a mesmerizing backdrop, and guide your way with a welcoming glow along pathways and driveways.

Let your garden shine and become a haven of tranquility, a place where hazy summer days seamlessly transition into warm balmy nights. Step into a world where every flicker of light evokes wonder and transforms your garden into a captivating paradise.

I have no doubt that once you start adding that touch of SPARKLE, that it won’t be long before your garden is filled with lights.

Explore our wide range of garden lighting options and discover endless possibilities to bring your garden to life.