Why is it that so much of the garden lighting that looks beautiful at night can look pretty dire in the daytime? Lighting designers go to great lengths to conceal the light source in most garden lighting schemes - showing only the effect of light glowing.

But if you are trying to create a light sculpture, is it possible to design something that looks good during the day too?

I wonder if inspiration can be taken from Fiona Heron and her glass sculptures...

Golden Dew - Wolfgang and Heron

A range of individually-made flower sculptures. Hand blown glass heads on steel stems for the garden. £75 for groups of 5

Could these be adapted to become solar lights at night without loosing their essential translucent beauty?

Another designer who I think has suceeded in producing light sculptures that work both day and night is Julie Nelson

Elipse Sculpture by Julie Nelson

Her interest in ceramics, as a material for lighting, is not based on its translucency but on its opacity, the way the light bounces around and fills recesses, accentuating the form. All nelson lights serve a dual function; emitting a warm ambient light in the evening, whilst retaining their aesthetic appeal during the day.

Sponge Sculpture by Julie Nelson

I wonder how many of you have seen the vast light sculptures of Bruce Munro - currently installed at the Eden Project in Cornwall?

Field of Light by Bruce Munro

A dramatic light installation inspired by Australia's Red Desert, the installation has 6,000 acrylic stems, 11 external projectors - and uses more than 24,000 meters of fibre-optic cable to create the Field of Light

As the artist Bruce Munro explains “I wanted to create a field of light stems, that like the dormant seed in a dry desert would quietly wait until darkness falls, and then under a blazing blanket of southern stars bloom with gentle rhythms of light. One's attention is thus drawn to the nature that surrounds the installation as well as the field of light itself.”

Outdoor electric lighting for the garden

Sculptural garden lighting from GC Designs look rather beautiful in the garden, day or night

You don't need to hire an electrician to use garden lighting to great effect

If you don’t have easy access to electricity – and don’t want to fork out for the cost of an electrician – there are loads of candle holders, tea light votives and candle sconces available.

Remember that a little light goes a long way at night, so choose your garden lighting selectively, making use of the darkness and enhance the best elements (whilst at the same time as concealing the worst!)

Garden lighting solved - outdoor lighting for your garden

When planning a permanent garden lighting scheme for your garden, it can be best to try out your ideas using torches first.

Think about your lighting from a practical perspective - for example, walk the route to the front door in the dark and note the places that need to be lit...

Think also about lighting purely for effect. For example, to make your garden feel larger, try using uplighters so that they shine against a distant fence and draw the eye into the distance.


Lighting a tree or specimen shrub can become a real focal point. Uplighting the trunk and foliage is a popular choice, but I often prefer moonlighting a tree for a more subtle effect.

Remember, less is more. Lighting is most effective when it is used sparingly and at low wattage (40w or less is ideal)

You will need help from an electrician to install most permanent lighting.

Cheap ways to light the garden

The cheapest form of lighting is to use candles or tealights, which can give a surprising amount of light when placed in groups.

Try clustering a group of candles or tealights together on a plate to make an atmospheric centrepiece.

Or use a mirror sconce to play a trick on the eye and make the garden space feel larger than it really is.... This is particularly effective in low lighting.

Cordless garden lighting

I came across a great new product this week, rechargeable lamps.

Made by the Australian company Neoz, they are the winner of the Australian Design Award and the Red Dot design award

Each lamp has dimming and special effect modes controlled by a single base switch and a battery charge level display - there is even a pretty realistic 'candlelight effect'...

The lamps simply locate onto base stations for recharging

All the parts are replaceable, serviceable and recycleable (RoHS Compliant) so you can feel pretty smug with yourself.

Extend your enjoyment of the garden with lighting

Garden lighting adds a whole new dimension to your garden - extending the day is just part of it...


You may want to use the garden for a summer bbq or evening entertaining - or simply want to admire the garden from inside the house. You may want to use lighting to create atmosphere, or simply to light your way in the dark and stop yourself from walking in the flowerbeds!

You want to aim for beautiful and subtle illumination. Remember less is more - use darkness as well as light. When using electric fittings, it is the effect you want to see, not the fixture.