Decorating your garden with twinkly lights creates a welcoming and fun festive atmosphere – something we need this year more than ever. Here are a few things to bear in mind before creating your Christmas display.
For mains supply lights you’ll need a safe outdoor socket where you want your lights to be. Look for built-in electrical timers to save time and money. Failing that, try battery-operated external lights – some have rechargeable options. Finally, solar-powered lights avoid batteries and cables and good quality models should give you jolly evening sparkle, even in the winter.
Most outdoor lights have LED bulbs, which are lower voltage than traditional bulbs so they won’t overheat. For a more traditional golden glow, look for ‘warm white’, while more blue-toned ‘white’ lights create a cool, contemporary wintry atmosphere. Cultured lights have a fun, retro feel.
Fairy lights look great draped on hedges or shrubs and, wrapped around the trunk and branches of trees, beautifully enhancing their wintery shape. Starburst-shaped lights are particularly pretty – lovely hung from trees or pergolas or on stakes amongst planting. Festoon lights and battery-operated waterproof candles and lanterns light up areas used for entertaining. Freestanding festive lights, from giant stars to illuminated reindeers, light up a lawn, and for a real wow factor, illuminated trees by Twilight Trees are rather fabulous. Whether you go for tasteful elegance or a colourful spectacle, a bit of twinkle will brighten up the festive period.