How to Plan Garden Lighting
A good garden lighting plan starts with what you want to see and do outside after dark. You might want to make a route easier to follow, enjoy your patio in the evening or highlight a tree from inside the house.
The aim is to light a few important areas with care. Lighting every part of the garden can create glare, leave strong contrasts and disturb neighbours or wildlife. Start with your garden’s layout and choose each light for a clear purpose.
1. Look at the garden after dark
If possible, look at the garden at dusk or after dark, both from outside and through the windows you use most. Notice which routes are difficult to see, where you sit, and which trees or features catch your eye.
Make a simple sketch and mark:
Paths, steps and changes in level
Patios, dining areas and seating
Trees, planting beds, walls and features
Views from inside the house
Nearby windows and areas you want to keep dark
Existing outdoor power points and possible cable routes
This gives you a useful starting point before choosing products.
2. Decide what each light needs to do
Give each light a job. Common purposes include:
Guiding: make a path, step or entrance easier to see.
Highlighting: draw attention to a tree, planting bed, wall or garden feature.
Creating atmosphere: make a patio, pergola or dining area more inviting.
Providing practical light: illuminate an area where you regularly work or move around.
A single fitting may help with more than one purpose, but avoid trying to make every light do everything.
3. Choose a few focal points
Select the features you most want to notice after dark. A tree with an interesting trunk, a textured wall or a particular planting bed can become a focal point with a carefully aimed light.
Try viewing each feature from the house as well as from the garden. A light that looks effective outside may shine straight into a window when viewed indoors. Adjust the position and angle to keep the beam on the feature.
See our garden spotlights for options suited to highlighting trees and planting.
4. Combine different kinds of lighting
Different fittings create different effects. For example, you could use low-level lighting to define a route, a spotlight to pick out a tree and string lights to create a softer atmosphere over a seating area.
Think about how the fittings will look together. Repeating a small number of styles and light colours can help the garden feel connected, even when the lights serve different purposes.
Browse bollard lights, wall lights and garden string lights to compare options in the current collection.
5. Make paths and steps easier to see
For routes, aim to make the surface and any changes in level visible without shining the light into people’s eyes. Position lights so they illuminate the path or step rather than facing directly towards the person walking along it.
Avoid relying on a bright fitting at one end of a path to light the whole route. A more even, lower-level effect may be more comfortable to walk through.
6. Reduce glare and light spill
Check where the light will fall beyond the feature or area you intend to illuminate. Avoid aiming fittings towards neighbouring windows, across the boundary or upwards into the sky.
Using fewer lights, aiming them carefully and switching them off when they are not needed can reduce unwanted light spill. Retain some darker areas of the garden too. Artificial light at night can affect wildlife, so consider where lighting is necessary and how long it needs to stay on. The RHS recommends directing light where it is needed and turning garden lights off when they are not in use.
7. Plan the power and cables early
Check the product’s power requirements and installation instructions before deciding where fittings will go. Consider the route from the power supply to each light, and how cables can be positioned neatly around paths, planting and paved areas.
Our low-voltage garden lights have product-specific requirements, so check each listing before ordering. If your plan needs a new outdoor socket or other mains electrical work, discuss this before installation; electrical work should be carried out by a suitably qualified, registered installer.
For help with product-specific installation, see [**Garden Lighting Installation**](/garden-lighting-installation). For questions about power and sockets, read our Garden Lighting FAQs.
8. Check the effect before finalising the layout
Before fixing every light in place, test the proposed positions and angles after dark where practical. Stand in the places where you will view and use the garden, including indoors. Check for glare, dark patches and beams that miss their intended feature.
Small changes to the position or angle can make a noticeable difference. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when testing and installing the fittings.
Garden lighting planning checklist
Before choosing your lights, make a note of:
The routes and areas you want to use after dark
The trees, planting or features you want to highlight
The views from inside the house
Nearby windows and areas to keep dark
Existing power points and likely cable routes
The product’s power and installation requirements
How and when you want to control the lights
Frequently asked questions
How many garden lights do I need?
There is no fixed number. Start with the routes and features you most want to light, then choose fittings to suit the product’s beam, the garden layout and the effect you want. A few well-positioned lights can be more effective than lighting the whole garden evenly.
Where should garden lights be positioned?
Position each light for its purpose. Aim path lighting at the walking surface, and direct spotlights towards the tree or feature you want to reveal. Check the view from indoors and avoid beams shining into eyes or neighbouring windows.
Should I light the whole garden?
Usually, it is helpful to leave some areas unlit. Concentrating light on selected routes and features can create more visual interest while limiting glare and light spill.
What type of lighting should I choose?
Choose based on the effect you want. Spotlights can highlight trees and planting, bollards can define paths and edges, wall lights can illuminate areas near buildings, and string lights can add atmosphere around seating. See the garden lighting collection for current products.
Can Landscaping Emporium help with installation?
Professional installation is available with selected lighting starter packs, subject to product and postcode. See the product details and our [**Garden Lighting Installation**](/garden-lighting-installation) page for current information.
Start planning your garden lighting
Browse the garden lighting collection and compare the available fittings. If you’re considering an installed pack, send us your postcode, a few garden photos and the areas you’d like to light through our contact page.