Decorative Solar

When it comes to solar path lighting, there are basically three varieties - stick-in-the-ground, mounted and string lights. The mounted type can be bolted on to a wall or the side of a house, or attached as post caps. String lights have become an increasingly popular solution, because of the convenience of winding them through bushes or tree limbs and their extreme portability.  However, most solar path lights sold in the U.S. are still on posts stuck in the ground.  

As path lighting, ground-level lights are most effective.  You should avoid placing lights near eye level - it's best to illuminate the ground without casting light upward where it will interfere with visitors' night vision.  

Solar lights are usually pretty sturdy, but they often take a lot of abuse from careless walkers and powered lawn tools.  Stainless steel and copper frames have become more popular in the least year or two, but these can be more expensive to replace when they are damaged, and they are not particularly sturdier than synthetic materials used in most lighting.  So yes, there's something magical about a verdigris encrusted solar light, but be prepared to shell out significantly more cash when a careless gardener drops a 75-pound bag of cedar chips on top of the light.

Caution goes double for very pretty, delicate-looking ground level lights. Make sure to put these in places where they're unlikely to get crushed. And of course, always look for areas where the lights will get lots of sun during the day so they work best at night.

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These solar post cap lights by SohoDecor are a terrific idea. Four inches on each side, they fit perfectly over most wooden fence posts and can be placed in whatever pattern or at whatever distance you desire.  They're available at Amazon.com.

Amazon.com also carries several similarly inspired alternatives.

Solar post cap lights last for many years without replacement.  The flexibility of being able to place them and then move them at a later date - without having to worry about electrical supply - is a tremendous feature.  You can have light at the far corners of your yard or along the edge of your deck, without the trouble of hiring an electrician.

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Would you like to host a carbon neutral party? One terrific solar technology implementation for the home has been the solar umbrella. As dusk settles, lights in the umbrella's underside gradually turn on and use power that the umbrella's solar cell has accumulated during the day.  Placed on a patio or deck a solar umbrella allows you and your guests to remain comfortably outdoors after natural light has fallen.

There are several types of solar umbrellas.  The most common have LEDs distributed along the underside of the umbrella's struts or have the lights set within a translucent tube at the top of the post.  Others have a more traditional-looking set of light globes that hang off the central post, in a fashion that's a bit reminiscent of ceiling fan lights. You can peruse a wide variety of these products at Amazon.com.

Solar umbrellas are ideal for areas that are located at a distance from the house or outdoor electrical sockets.  If you're planning to host an evening dinner party or serve drinks on a patio or around a pool, but are concerned about keeping the area comfortably lit after the sun goes down, solar umbrellas and other solar landscape lighting could be an excellent solution.  Why run ugly extension cords across your yard when you can use solar lighting instead?

Additionally, like many solar devices, solar umbrellas are extremely portable and can be easily transported to other locations.

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These Allsop "Firefly Originals" are absolutely gorgeous. They're named for the elusive summer insect that lights up and shines brightly for a brief second. The glow from these solar lights is more subtle and longer lasting than a true firefly's - they charge in the sunlight all day, and then shed their light well into the evening. One is beautiful but a handful scattered around the yard create an ambient radiance that brings your garden to life at night.

And because of their color and styling, the Firefly Originals also look great during the day. They're available in cracked glass and stained glass varieties, in shapes reminiscent of globes, flowers, hearts and fruit. Like all solar lighting, Allsop's "Firefly Originals" are extremely easy to install. Just pick a spot with decent sunlight and stick them in the ground. The LED light within will last for decades.

Check out Allsop's Line of Innovative Gardening Products.

The "SolMate Solar Mole Repeller" by P3 International is my favorite new solar gadget for the yard. It actually drives moles and other burrowing mammals and rodents out of your yard, to a radius of almost 50 feet.

If you're like me, you've been at war with moles and gophers for years and are probably disappointed that the Solar Mole Repeller merely chases them off, rather than releasing tiny solar robots that hunt down and kill the damn things. While the humane process employed by the device may be considered an overly sentimental bug by some of our angrier readers, it's actually an important feature: to pets and kids, the device is perfectly harmless. No poisons or pesticides are involved. Instead, the solar device emits low-frequency pulses through the ground that annoy mammals living down there. After one or two weeks they leave the area. You can place the device wherever sunlight is abundant enough to power its solar cell.

Also, the Solar Mole Repeller is sturdy and unobtrusive - it won't stick out in the garden and you're unlikely to damage it with anything short of a direct strike from a lawnmower blade.

Friendly to the environment and only a little bit mean to moles, voles and gophers, check out the Solar Mole Repeller at Buy.com.

If you love the sound of moving water, there's scarcely an easier way to keep it within earshot than a solar fountain.

Solar fountains come in two categories - intact products and retro-fitting kits for existing fountains, birdbaths and pools. The former are terrific but tend to be a bit expensive, unless they're small. The latter give you a lot more leeway and if you're fond of home improvement projects, making one can be a lot of fun.

As an example, often you can find the fundamentals for a great fountain at your local garden shop or architectural salvage lot. Barrels, tubs, old commercial mixing tubs - anything that holds water can fit the bill. Then, with the aid of a solar fountain kit, you can often transform it into a fully functional fountain in a matter of minutes.

The pleasant ambiance of moving water will be yours to enjoy!

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Tiki torches add a great feel to any outdoor evening event, but they're messy. Adding fuel, lighting each torch, and then snuffing them out at the end of the night are all activities likely to get your hands messy and oily. Additionally, it's easy to spill fuel on the ground while filling up a traditional torch, which is an environmental no-no.

Solar tiki lights are a nice alternative because they completely bypass the fueling and lighting process. You can leave solar tiki torches out all the time and they'll light up each night, or you can set them up the day of an event - wherever you need them - and enjoy their light throughout your evening event. The only option more environmentally sound than solar lighting is sitting in the dark.

Solar tiki torches are also easier to transport, and many models have a flicker effect that resembles an actual flame. They're equally suitable for a garden, backyard or pool party, or for a late evening at the beach.

There are two prominent manufacturers of solar tiki torches available in the United States - Westinghouse and Malibu.

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