Outdoor lighting is perfect for making the most of your garden in the summer-whether it's keeping the light alive to eek out the embers of a summer barbeque,illuminate a football gathering that spills outside or,heck,if your garden's big enough,to hold events such as outdoor dinner parties and weddings.
But staking lamps in the soil and mounting them on the walls isn't just a case of providing a little extra practical illumination-just as with your interiors,while a bare bulb will do the job,you can style things out a little with shades,lamps and careful layering.Essentially,outdoor lighting can be as important to the mood of your soiree as it is to illuminating it.
Which is probably while those style gurus over at Stylelist Homes are buzzing for string lights ahead of the summer.The lamps-kind of like a string of fairy lights,only a bit bigger and more hardy towards the elements-are great for throwing over trees,hanging from the patio awnings or wrapping around a nearby porch light to add a real hit of atmosphere.
"With the warm weather and longer summer days,I love entertaining and decorating the outdoor area,"said Stylelist's Marcia Prentice."One of my favourite outdoor lighting obsessions is string lights.
"String lights for a dinner party with friends,hanging from a tree or used as mood lighting for a wedding-yes,please!"
Al-fresco dining is a particular highlight of the British summer,whether roasting sausages on an open fire or having an impromptu fine dining experience on the patio furniture.
And as House to Home magazine notes,garden decorations can"give your garden a touch of glamour"ahead of your guests arriving.They suggest folding concertinas of coloured paper,then gluing into a circle and hanging with a ribbon from nearby low-hanging trees to set the mood.
