A well-designed backyard can quickly become an amazing outdoor space with a relaxing or magical ambiance so that you can take a rest from the indoors, but still be within your little corner of the world. Whether it’s to spend time alone, to enjoy it with your family, or to share it with friends during gatherings, one thing is key: good lighting.
There’s nothing worse than the day coming to an end, sunlight fading, and having to pack up and going back inside before you want to, just because it’s gone dark. Not to mention that it can be quite spooky to have a backyard in complete darkness!

So the solution is simple, illuminate your backyard by having the right lighting. That way you can also make use of the backyard after dark, and it will add another touch of magical ambiance to it!
The question now, is how? But here’s the thing, there are almost infinite possibilities when it comes to illuminating your backyard. There’s a multitude of light options, with lamps and bulbs of all sorts, as well as non-electric options that also come in all shapes and sizes.
But in case you’re really struggling, here are some of the most popular methods that people use to illuminate their backyards:
- Placing a lamp by the back door. This can be turned on with a switch, or you can get one with motion sensors so that it turns on automatically every time someone steps out into the backyard!
- Illuminating the walkways. If you have a path leading out into the backyard, you could place a few lamps or lights along the sides, so that you always know where you’re going!
- Using fairy lights. This is an incredibly aesthetic option, which will turn your backyard into a fairy garden. If you have trees, you could also wrap some fairy lights around the main branches!
- Solar lights. A very popular option for backyards is to have solar-powered lights, disguised as garden decorations like a gnome or a little fairy statue. And when night falls, the light will automatically turn on!
How can I light my backyard without electricity?
You can 100% absolutely light up your backyard without the use of electricity, and there are plenty of different ways to do as such! In fact, it’s becoming increasingly popular to use non-electric light options for backyards and gardens, as they save a lot of money, and they also tend to turn on automatically!
It’s especially common to use non-electric options in backyards because most people don’t have access to electricity in their backyard, and they don’t want to deal with having to find a way to connect the light to an indoor source of electricity, and charging light and putting it back in place would be too much of a hassle to do on a regular basis.
So, what are the main options for lighting up your backyard without the use of electricity? Let’s go over them!
- Solar-powered lights:
Lights powered by solar energy are by far the best and most popular option for lighting up your backyard without electricity. These lights will have a built-in small solar panel, so they will charge throughout the day, and will then turn on at night, with enough stored energy to keep your backyard nice and lit!
- Battery-operated lights:
If you don’t want to use electricity, one of the easiest alternatives is to get lights powered by batteries. This way they can be placed anywhere and can be turned on when needed. The only issue is that you will have to remember to switch the batteries once they’ve run out!
- Candles or torches:
If you really want to go old school, why not just use fire to light up your backyard? And no, we don’t mean set fire to your backyard. (Please don’t set fire to anything). But candles or torches can be a great source of light if used safely, and they will also transform your backyard into a magical, almost sacred, space.

How do I keep my outdoor chandelier from swinging?
If the wind wants to swing on your outdoor chandelier, and you really want to stop that from happening, there are plenty of methods of securing it in place! A chandelier can be an incredibly elegant light option for your outdoor space, and it will likely provide great illumination. The problem with chandeliers, and other pendant lights, is that they will swing if agitated.
And of course, if your chandelier is placed outdoors, there’s a very high chance of the wind moving it about every now and then, which can be noisy, annoying, and also dangerous! Not to mention that it might cause the chandelier to break!
But don’t worry, here are a few methods you can use to stop your chandelier from swinging in the wind:
- Shorten the length of the chandelier:
The more a chandelier hangs, the more space it will have to swing, and the more it will move when the wind comes out to play. A good solution is to shorten the length of the chandelier, that way it won’t be able to swing as much!
- Secure the chandelier in place:
If your outdoor area is prone to being windy, it might be worth permanently securing the chandelier in place. For this you could use a thin cable or rope, tying one end to the chandelier to a solid structure, such as the porch or the side of the house.
- Find a more sheltered location for your chandelier:
Sometimes, it’s all about the placement. If your chandelier is very exposed, then it will be a lot more vulnerable to the wind. Instead, why not place it underneath a porch, or sheltered by a wall or two? That way it will still illuminate, but won’t be as exposed to the weather conditions.
How do you light a small garden?
You can use many different types of illumination methods to light up a small garden. Electric-powered lamps, solar-powered lights, battery-powered lights, torches…
But as it’s a small garden, one or two sources of light suffice, so choose the most optimal place, and install the light there!
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