Pathway lighting is important to consider when doing landscape design. As part of your landscape lighting design you will need to determine how you will light the pathways through your garden and around your house. Lighting the path helps keep yards safer for walking through after dark and can add interest to other garden elements along the path. Solar stepping stones are a great option to consider. They are easy to install and only require sunlight to work. They can be placed in areas that are far from an electrical source since they don’t require any wiring that needs to be plugged in. This means no exposed extension cords or having to dig up your yard to bury and run any wiring. Solar stepping stones are available in a variety of shapes and designs. There are the classic shapes, such as, squares, circles and hexagons. They also come in nature themes like leaves and flowers. The stepping stones should be made from a durable hard poly-resin and are shock resistant with some being able hold up to 350 pounds. They come with an integrated solar panel typically located in the center of the stone. The solar panels absorb sunlight during the day which charges batteries that power the LED lights at night. When fully charged the battery power can last up to 10 to 12 hours. There is a sensor that automatically switches the LED lights on at dusk and off at dawn. These useful stepping stones accent the garden by day and create an illuminated pathway at night. They are simple to set up and install and don’t have any operating costs. Use them with other types of solar lights to create a luminous and soothing effect in your garden and yard. Using solar garden lights correctly can greatly enhance the appearance of your home and garden. It can create an emotional response and provide a relaxing atmosphere for you and your family to enjoy. Solar garden lights can provide a number of different functions, such as security lighting, pathway lighting and are great for creating aesthetics. Determine the number and type of light fixtures you will need and what function they will be used for. Security lighting will have a brighter light and are usually installed on the side of houses, porches and entryways. Lights with motion sensors are great for security lighting because they will turn on when anything comes into range of your house or yard. Pathway lighting will be placed along walkways and paths through your yard and garden. This type of outdoor lighting should be dimmer but bright enough to properly illuminate the intended path of travel preventing accidents from happening. Aesthetic lighting will accent special features or objects of your yard or garden, even on your house. Some lighting techniques to consider for this are called up-lighting, down-lighting, washing, and shadowing. Be careful not to over-light the intended feature or element. Try and direct the light at the center of the object. Here are a few tips and ideas for using solar garden lights to consider for your garden and yard: -Try to hide lighting fixtures when possible unless, of course, they should be a visible part of your garden design. -Illuminating certain trees and bushes will make your yard seem bigger and create a sense of wonder. -Illuminate statues to create a dramatic look. -Light up water elements such as ponds or water fountains. It takes a little planning when using solar garden lights. Take some time and think it through. When you're done you will have created an inviting and beautiful outdoor environment for you to spend time relaxing with family and friends. Many people are now choosing alternative energy sources to power home appliances. Smaller devices, such as solar garden lights, come with the ability to absorb the sun's energy without tapping into an expensive solar panel. In addition to being a green choice, solar-powered lights are also inexpensive, easy to maintain and simple to install. About Solar Powered Lights Until recently, most solar powered lights provided a weak light. New innovations in LED technology have resulted in highly efficient LED bulbs that can produce bright light with less energy. In addition to providing a bright light, LED bulbs are so efficient that most solar-powered lights will work in any weather condition. Solar garden lights come in a number of styles and designs. The three main styles of solar lights for the garden are accent lights, path lights and spotlights. Exploring the purpose of these different designs can help consumers choose the right model for their needs. Solar Accent Lights Accent lights are typically used to provide a decorative glow to a garden. Accent lights can be used to mark a landscape hazard, such as a stone that may be tripped over or the boundaries of a garden. Their output is minimal and is not enough to mark a path or illuminate an object. Solar accent lights charge very well in overcast conditions and may run from 8-12 hours on a single charge. Solar accent lights are typically the least expensive option. Solar Path Lights Solar path lights are used to illuminate paths, driveways or other perimeters in a home garden. These lights are available in three common varieties: ground stakes, flange mounts and hanging hooks. Path lights may come with an on/off switch, enabling the homeowner to reserve stored power for when it is needed. Other options available in some path lights include the option to switch between bright and dim lighting, colored lenses and timers. Solar Spotlights Spotlights are the most expensive and brightest solar light option. Solar spotlights produce a single bright beam of light to aim at a statue, doorway or other object. These lights frequently allow the solar panel to be mounted separately, ensuring maximum solar collection. In addition to these different designs, solar lights also come in a number of colors and styles. Whether searching for an attractive glow, useful path illumination or a bright beam of light, solar garden lights can meet any homeowner's need affordability. Garden decor comes in a variety of styles, colors, shapes, and sizes. There are water fountains, garden statues, decorative lights and more. Garden accents can consume a good amount of energy from a home. Outdoor water fountains, bird baths and decorative outdoor lights all work on electricity. Leaving these on all day and at night can produce a high energy bill. To avoid a costly bill consider using solar garden decor to accent your garden. There is not much difference in product offerings between regular garden decor and solar garden decor. You can find many of the same decorative items with or without solar capability. Using solar garden decor will let you enhance the curb appeal of your home and beautify your garden without high energy costs. Solar garden fountains bring the relaxing sound of water and help create a sense of privacy. They can mask unwanted noise from the street or a noisy neighbor. Not only are they great at creating a soothing and relaxing feel in the back yard but also look great in the front of the house. It will be the first thing a visitor will notice as they approach your home. Water fountains help to create a positive mood in people. Solar garden statues add fun and interest to any garden. There are many types of solar garden statues available. Some popular ones are a gnome holding a lantern, an angel holding a globe of light. You may also come across other characters like fairies, frogs and puppies. These garden characters make for great conversation pieces. The statues give a garden character and depth during the day and are great accent lights at night. They can be placed to light up other garden decor or special parts of a garden at night. Make sure to put them in a place where visitors and guests are likely to see them when visiting. When the day turns to night, it’s nice to have lights turn on and light up the house and yard. Solar lights are a great choice for lighting your garden or yard. They are affordable and easy to install. Since they don’t require any wiring they can be easily placed around the yard and far from any electrical source. Solar lights come in a wide selection of shapes and sizes. They can be made of plastic or metal. Some are tall like lamp posts and some are as short as 12 inches. Solar lights are great for path lighting and accent lighting. Solar hanging lanterns work great as path lights illuminating the way through the garden. Lamp post style lights are perfect for perimeter lighting around the yard or a pool. Solar lights add character and ambiance to the house and landscape and are perfect for security and safety purposes. Solar garden decor is easy to set up and install. There are no electrical wires or power cords that need to be run or dealt with. This makes them safe for children and pets. You save money by not having to hire an electrician to run any wires and also save on your energy bills. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on any care and maintenance that is required. Also, make sure to position the solar panels to receive the most amount of sunlight as possible during the day so the internal batteries get a proper charge. Solar Garden Lights Have you ever wanted to have a light for your garden for at night time, but didn't want to use electricity to power them or have to replace bulbs very often? Then a solar garden light may be right for you. They may run a little bit on the expensive side, but are well worth it for someone trying to light up their garden but still wanting to stay environment friendly. They make and store their own power during the day and don't release this energy until at night, lighting up any pathway they may be set up by. How They Work Inside a solar garden light are the following components: the battery, LED, and the controller board. The solar panels on the outside of the light are the things that capture the sunlight for the battery to store the energy to use throughout the night. The LED, or in more scientific terms, light emitting diodes, are the bulbs that light up the lamp. The good thing about LED bulbs is that they don't have a filament in the center of the bulb, so you don't have to worry about it ever going out, and they don't heat up like regular incandescent bulbs. Beat that Edison. The controller board, or in other terms, the circuit board, in the garden light is the component that controls the circuits of the solar energy to the light, which allows the entire light to light up your garden. The Types of Solar Garden Lights Available There is a large variety of different solar garden lights available. From spot lights to lights that are lit up around the path, there are so many for a customer to choose from. One type of lights available are solar garden accents. These lights add a nice glow to your garden. Their lighting is set to low to allow a pleasant glow to your outdoor wonderland. Also, due to the fact that they run a bit dimmer, they run for much longer than other types of solar garden lights. It isn't uncommon for a single charge for a light to charge it enough for it to run many nights in a row. Another type of solar garden lights are the solar path lights. These run brighter than accent lights, so they are known to not run as long, but these are sometimes desired due to their brightness. As their name obviously states, they are meant to be placed along pathways and along the perimeters of driveways and houses. There are a variety of mounts that are involved with these lights as well. You can have ground stakes, flange mounts, and even hanging hooks for along stairways to light dark areas. The Benefits of Solar Garden Lights There are many benefits to using solar garden lights. Along with being a great green alternative to using generic electricity, by using these lights, you can notice a significant drop in your electricity bill. Also, since you would be using less electrical wires, than you can greatly reduce the risk of fires in your home. Another benefit would be if there are power outages in the area. Since you don't use as much electricity and rely more on these lights, as long as there is sunlight that day, there can be light in the darkness of the outage. There are so many sizes and shapes that they come in, that any possible light that you want, there possibly is. These lights have increased in popularity and may continue for many years to come. When placing solar garden stakes in your garden first consider how they will receive adequate access to sunlight during the day. Proper placement will help them store up enough energy to work properly at night. Before installing, track the sunlight in your yard or garden throughout the day and place a marker of potential locations where you might want them to be located. When installing the foundation stakes you can push them into the ground or use a rubber mallet to hammer them in if the ground is a little hard. Be careful not to bend the stakes and make sure you are providing enough support to the stakes when pushing them into the ground. Make sure to get the stakes far enough in so that they won’t easily blow over in a strong wind. After the stake has been placed it is time to securely attach the decorative feature. This should only require you to screw the feature on to the top of the stake. Then position the solar collector toward the sun during the brightest part of the day to maximize the solar energy collection. Solar Garden Stakes come in a wide array of colors and sizes. They reflect the sun through their vibrant colors during the day and illuminate beautifully at night. They are a great accent to add in any garden or yard. Solar string lights are a fun and creative way to add a sprinkle of light to your back yard and home exterior. While they are quite popular around the holidays, they come in many different styles and can be used year round to provide beautiful light in the evening hours. They absorb the light of the sun during the day and illuminate the outdoors as soon as the sun goes down, making them a perfect complement for outdoor parties and gatherings. Chinese Lantern Solar String Lights Chinese lantern lights are a great choice for outdoor gatherings, as they provide up to eight hours of light when fully charged. They come in bright, vibrant colors and can easily be strung along the patio as well as hung up in back yard trees. The colorful lanterns create a fun and festive atmosphere, allowing for the perfect evening party. Star Lights Star solar string lights are lovely any time of the year, and create a magical atmosphere the moment the sun goes down. They come in soft colors like white and pastel blue, and can be easily intertwined in shrubbery and trees. They can also be strung along backyard gazebos, providing hours of beautiful and soft lighting for the star-gazer in everyone. Holiday Solar String Lights Solar string lights are a nice alternative to standard outdoor holiday lights. They are powered by the daytime sun rays, and instantly turn on at night, so you never have to worry about turning the lights off during the day or testing each individual bulb. They come in a variety of holiday colors, and can be strung on wreaths, outdoor trees, and home exteriors. Light Up The Outdoors Solar string lights are the perfect way to add light and beauty to your outdoor space. Designed specifically for the outdoors, they can withstand various weather conditions and provide hours of subtle, sparkling light. If you are looking for a way to brighten up your outdoor garden, solar garden decor is an easy way to add beauty and a natural sparkle to the area. Powered by the sun, there are garden stakes, decorative flowers, solar string lights, and a wide selection of accent pieces. Solar garden decor adds a touch of delicate beauty to your garden and backyard area, and is the perfect accent lighting for outdoor gatherings. Solar Lighting Solar lighting creates a lovely ambience to your garden and backyard area. There are solar string lights that can be strung along the edges of shrubbery, as well as intertwined in backyard trees, and they come in a variety of styles and colors. There are hand blown glass string lights that are perfect for the holidays, and there are also multi colored string lights that look great year-round. Solar lanterns are also a very popular choice in outdoor decor. They are specifically designed to be used in the outdoors, and they work by collecting natural light throughout the day in order to provide hours of outdoor lighting in the evening. There are paper lanterns, as well as blown glass lanterns, and they make a wonderful accent piece while providing beautiful glowing light. Solar Garden Statues and Figurines Solar statues and figurines are the perfect addition to any home garden, backyard, or patio. There are a variety of styles to choose from, including angels, butterflies, flowers, and fairies, and they can easily turn your garden area into a whimsical wonderland. Solar statues and figurines are easy to clean and maintain, and they are lightweight, making them easy to store during the winter months. Give Your Garden a Makeover Solar garden decor is a cost effective and easy way to give your outdoor garden and yard a bright and beautiful makeover. Naturally powered by the sun, solar decor creates a lovely and welcoming ambience to any outdoor area. Fountains really bring a garden to life and increase its appeal. You can make your garden unique by installing solar garden fountains. Just imagine the harmony of nature when the power of the sun, the calmness of flowing water and the beauty of a green garden come together; it's simply a magical place to be. How Solar Garden Fountains Work: The water pump that controls the flow of water is connected to a solar panel that provides the power supply. Basic solar garden fountains cannot work at night because they don't use a battery to store the sun's energy. If you need your fountain to work at night and even when the sun is hiding behind the clouds, you will need to install an advanced solar garden fountain with a battery attached. Endless Benefits of Solar Garden Fountains: Since you don't have to rely on electric power supply to run your solar garden fountains, you are free of wires. This make installation an easy job and your garden will look neat and be safe, too. You can place a solar fountain anywhere within the garden; it doesn't have to be limited to the area around a power supply outlet. Once installed, you won't have to pay a high electricity bill for as long as you use these solar versions because the sun's energy is completely free. So don't be scared off by the higher initial cost of solar garden fountains as compared to traditional electric-powered fountains; it pays for itself in the long run. Also, these eco-friendly landscaping alternatives make you feel good about taking better care of the environment. Get Creative in Your Garden: With all these advantages, just set your worries at rest and let your imagination run free. There are so many different solar garden fountain styles to bring the calming element of water to your garden. You can opt for a traditional spout fountain adorned with fairy or gnome statues, or how about a cascading fountain or one with a bird bath design? The options are endless, so you are sure to find something to suit your taste and budget. With solar garden fountains, you and your guests will want to spend as much time as possible in your cool and calm garden. Solar garden statues are a great way to add a touch of whimsy to your outdoor garden. They come in a variety of styles and colors, and provide hours of natural light once the sun goes down. They are the perfect accent piece for patios, and the statues can also be placed on the home walkways or front porches. Solar garden statues make for the perfect finishing touch to your outdoor garden, creating a magical and welcoming ambience. Solar Garden Fairies Fairies are a popular choice in garden decor, and they come in various sizes and styles. The solar panel absorbs natural sunlight during the day and will glow through the night, creating a pleasant, whimsical atmosphere. They make the perfect gift, and they are specifically designed for the outdoors, making them weather-proof and easy to clean and maintain. Solar Gnome Statues Garden gnomes have been around for ages, and they make an adorable companion to any backyard or garden area. Solar garden gnomes can be placed strategically in the garden, and they will instantly light up at dusk to help guard your beautiful plants and flowers. Cherub and Angel Statues Solar cherub and angel statues add a nice touch of peace and tranquility to any outdoor space. These lovely statues create a soft glow at dusk and come in many different styles and sizes. They are the perfect complement to flower gardens and can also be placed on the patio or front porch, providing subtle light and a calming ambience. Solar Garden Statues Solar garden statues are a wonderful complement to any outdoor garden space. They naturally absorb daytime light in order to provide a beautiful glow in the evening, and they are specifically designed to withstand the elements, providing lasting light and a pleasant atmosphere for outdoor evening activities. |