Great Backyard Lighting Ideas for Any Budget

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Whether you want to improve the overall look of your home, increase its usability, or provide a little bit of extra security during the nighttime hours, installing backyard lighting is a great way that you can accomplish it. Backyard lights are not only versatile, but they’re relatively inexpensive as well, and if you search online you can find lights that will fit nearly any budget. There isn’t any shortage of great backyard lighting ideas, but to help you narrow things down, I’m listing some of the best fixtures that you can use and some great places where you can find the best prices. Using all these fixtures together in your own unique lighting plan will give your yard lighting the extra pop that your neighbor’s is missing.

Path Lighting

Path lights are some of the most useful lights around. Path and driveway lights illuminate your landscape but also show people where to go and makes sure that they can see where they are going, avoiding any slips, trips, falls, and steps into presents your dog left behind late at night.

The best type of lights that you can buy for walkway lighting are sets of small low voltage or solar powered lights like low voltage path lighting kit with 12 fixtures from Moonrays. You will need to install several light fixtures anyways and buying a kit will save you money, installation time, and worry about all the lights looking like they belong together.

Backyard Party Lights

Whether you’re planning a family reunion or a simple get together, party lights in your backyard can really liven up the mood. And nothing makes better party lights than outdoor string lighting. String lights come in a wide variety of different sizes, shapes, and styles that makes choosing one for your needs and budget easy.

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But don’t think that string lights are just for parties! They can be used year round if you use them correctly. Use more sophisticated globe lights, like the Table in a Bag globe string lights pictured to the left to create a classy, outdoor café feel on your patio. Or use smaller, cheaper LED string lights to bring extra life to a ground of plants or other flowers.

Spotlighting

Another great way to set your yard apart is by installing garden spotlights. Spotlights can be used for a variety of purposes, but are especially great for installing accent lighting, which highlights certain fixtures and plants on your landscape. Popular targets for accent lighting can include trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds.

To do accent lighting correctly, you need a set of low-powered spotlights. Low voltage lights usually work better than solar ones because you can place them anywhere and won’t have to worry about putting them in the shade. Then, place the lights around the object you wish to highlight. For plants, shrubs and other tall objects, up lighting works the best so point the lights up close to the object you’re lighting up. For wall, fences and other fixtures with texture, cross lighting can work wonders. To do this, aim the lights sideways instead of straight up.

Lighting Your Deck or Patio

When you’re installing backyard light, don’t forget about lighting up your deck or patio as well. Decks and patios are great places to pass time, and installing the right outdoor patio lights can really turn yours into an extension of your home.

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If you want a really quick and easily solution to lighting up these areas, try installing a solar patio umbrella, such as this 9′ umbrella from Amazon. These umbrella lights require no installation, and give you light right where you need it. They’re a great solution to lighting up the areas around tables, chairs, and even bars.

Lighting Up Water Features

Another great way that you can use backyard lighting is by lighting up any water features that you may have. Whether it’s a small preformed pond, a swimming pool, or just a solar bird bath, you can create some amazing effects at night by lighting up these areas. It will really set your lighting scheme apart from others that you may have seen. And installing these lights can be easy as well! Floating solar lights only require that you place the lights on the surface of the water and forget about them.

Conclusion

There are a wide variety of light fixtures that you can use to light up your backyard. No one fixture is going to give you a great lighting plan, but by using a few of the fixtures outlined in this article, you can create a great backyard lighting plan in no time. 

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