Rustic Lighting for Rural Nights

Summer is finally here! Whether entertaining friends and family or just sitting outside with a cold drink, enjoying the quiet of rural living, you want your grounds to feel as inviting as the interior of your home.

Just like indoors, outdoor lighting plays a big role — enhancing ambiance, improving security and increasing safety. Here are a few bright ideas to light up your landscape.

Hanging Jar Lights

The soft glow of jar lights adds rustic romance to your porch, patio or fence line. You can buy these premade jars at most hardware or home improvement stores or make them yourself.

• LED tea lights. Using LED tea lights in your jars is a great option for your patio or deck. You can even opt for color-changing lights to set the mood. As an added bonus, many of these come with a remote control. Perfect lighting at the touch of a button.
• Fairy lights. Fairy lights in jars are pretty and nostalgic (perhaps a reminder of a childhood spent catching fireflies on summer evenings.) Placing a few of these jars on your picnic table or seating area can pull the look together. You can also hang them from trees.
• Solar lights. You can remove the stakes from garden solar lights and hot glue them into your jars. These work great hanging from fences or anywhere with access to lots of sunshine.

You can also use your glue gun to adhere glass beads to the sides of the jars to add more decoration and color, though they’re also gorgeous plain. Either way, these jars can make a big landscaping impact on a budget.

Edison Lights for The Barn Interior

Strong barn lighting is critical for working hours. However, hanging a mix of string lights and Edison bulbs from your rafters can be a magical alternative to the harsh fluorescence.

Looking for a bit more illumination? Try curtain fairy lights. They give off a more uniform glow without losing the soft twinkle. Edison bulbs in sconces on the walls are also a great option to keep the look rustic and soft.

Motion-Activated Flood Lights

If you have a lot of land, the right lighting can also help discourage predators. Installing motion-activated flood lights on the exterior of your barn, garage and other buildings helps deter unwanted visitors looking to steal food or kill livestock. There are many solar flood light options for any outbuildings that may not have electricity.

Tiki Torches

Tiki torches are an inexpensive way to add gorgeous, flickering light to your outdoor space. Place them around your patio, deck and fire pit areas for a cozier atmosphere. You can even buy citronella tiki torches to help keep away mosquitoes and bugs.

Have small children and are worried about open flames? Flameless solar tiki torches are available in a variety of styles and colors.

Deck Post Cap and Stair Lights

Post cap lights are a chic way to style your deck. They’re practical and elegant and add lighting right where you need it. They come in all sorts of shapes and styles and many are solar-powered, so you can just place them where you want, and they’ll glow all night long.

Another must-have addition to your deck is solar-powered stair lights. It’s easy to trip and fall in the dark, especially when carrying plates of food or drinks. A lighted stairwell looks great and adds safety.

Solar Plant Pots

Our planters look fantastic during the day, so why not jazz them up for nighttime? Lighted planter pots are a great way to illuminate your landscape and make your yard pop.

If you’d rather not invest in new planters, try spraying your existing pots with glow-in-the-dark paint. They won’t shine as brightly as actual lights, but they’ll still create a striking visual effect.

Solar Lights for Paths and Driveways

Line your driveway and pathways with solar lights for a beautiful addition to your landscape. You can opt for regular solar lights, strong bollard lights for maximum illumination or even recessed lighting so you can only see the glow.

Spotlights to Up Light Your Trees

Solar spotlights allow you to show off your beautiful trees and shrubs, even at nighttime. Place them at the base of your trees, making sure the solar panel is positioned to capture enough sunlight to charge.

You can also place spotlights in your trees to highlight paths and lounging areas, mimicking the feel of moonlight shining down.

When adding lighting to your acreage, simplicity is key. Solar-powered lights, timers and remote-controlled fixtures make managing your setup easy and efficient. With the right tools, you can enjoy a well-lit property without the hassle — leaving more time to relax and enjoy the view.