Magic Lanterns

This gardening season, enhance your patio without raising your electricity bill with solar lights. They're hassle-free, very green and more powerful than ever. In fact, outdoor solar lighting has come such a long way that cities such as Vancouver are experimenting with it in parks and other public places.

No fuss, no muss

Why not get the sun working for you at night? Solar lights let you create ambience for your patio without connecting into the power grid. That means no wires and easy installation!

Solar lights have small photovoltaic cells that harness the sun's energy during the day and charge up small batteries. Later, the batteries power small lightbulbs, often LEDs, providing you with anywhere from 6 to 12 hours of light in the evening. Low-cost solar lights are quite dependable, but the higher-end lights will have an automatic sensor that turns them on when darkness falls, as well as an on/off switch.

Solar types

There are plenty of functional and elegant options for solar lighting, so the first step is to figure out where you want to place them and then pick your style. Keep in mind that they are going to need plenty of sunlight to recharge the batteries each day. Tip: Position the photovoltaic cells so that they're facing southward.

Into the ground

Stake lights are a more permanent type of lighting; you'll need to do a bit more planning since you won't be moving them around all that much. Before you shop, watch the way the light falls on your patio and pick the areas that get the most sunlight.

These lights come in a variety of shapes and materials: highly durable plastic, aluminum, stainless steel finish or wood. Whether you choose the lighter plastic or the heavier steel will depend on what fits best in your soil.

Try Home Depot's Malibu Contemporary Garden Light 2-pk (about $40). Or, if you're looking for colour, Home Hardware carries the Woods Solar Mosaic GLS Light ($18), containing yellow, green and fuschia glass tiles.

Get hung up

Hanging solar lights can add romance and atmosphere to your patio. Several styles range from the classic carriage style lanterns to cylindrical Chinese lanterns. Paper lights can add a soft glow but aren't as durable as glass or plastic. Fortunately, more and more Chinese lanterns are being sold that are made out of new, light-weight materials in soft orange, green and ivory colours. Online retailer Rittenhouse sells the Silk Effects Solar Lanterns in various shapes and colours for $28.

Be sure to pick a low-traffic area where the lamps won't be bumped or jostled. If you've picked a mounted solar light then be sure of your location before bolting it on. Correct placements can add that extra bit of ambience and set the right mood.

Blend in solar

If you are looking for something more discreet then consider one of the new solar lights disguised as lawn ornaments. A solar rock light will blend into your landscape. These feature a spotlight in the middle of a realistic-looking rock that will keep friends and family guessing about where the light comes from. For more kitschy-fare, fairies, flowers and fireflies are now sporting solar lights.

Get strung out

Strings or nets of solar lights are another unique way to brighten your patio. Look for those with stakes and clips with low-energy LED lights. A typical length will be a 25-meter (50-foot) long cord with an 11.5 by 11.5-cm (4.5 by 4.5-inch) solar panel at one end that charges up during the day.

Spot lights

Solar spot lights are similar to flood lights but with a smaller beam of light. Carefully constructed with a small solar panel design, these lights can be used to shine beneath shrubs or short trees to add accents to your patio.

Two in one

The newest option in solar lighting is to buy them built right in to your deck umbrella. Bed, Bath and Beyond, a U.S. retailer that has recently opened a handful of locations in Ontario, has a model for sale in-store or online ($160).

Check at your favourite home and garden centre for solar lights or shop online. The prefect solar patio light is waiting for you.