One of the more recent evolutions in garden lighting is the use of fiber-optics. These lights are contained in small canisters or cylinders containing thousands of fiber-optic strands to exude light.

The first major benefit of this light source is the lack of electrical current needed to fuel it, making it extremely safe, even around areas with water. Secondly, these lights require very little electricity at all, making them a great cost saving option, and a good choice for the environment.

Another money saving option that can be used to illuminate your garden is the use of solar garden lighting. Using a single Nicam or Nicad battery, these lights gather their operational energy during the day through the sun's rays and automatically turn on at night, as the presence of the sun disappears. At dawn, they will automatically turn off again. These lights will charge even on cloudy or overcast days, as the sun's effect is still there, even if it can't be seen.

Solar garden lights come in many different shapes, colors and sizes. Flat lighting can rest on the ground and be used to effectively light pathways from below, you can also have versions that come attached to spikes or mounted on poles, offering a variety of potential areas for the lights to be placed.

Solar garden lights may also be safely and easily used in and around water, such as in a small pond or swimming pool. This style of lights often comes in the form of floating balls, and in a variety of colors.

A seamless and clever way of integrating solar lights within your garden is setting is through the use of garden rocks. These rocks are hollowed out on the inside and fitted with halogen lamps, which give the effect of the rock itself glowing. These can come in a number of styles that blend well with your garden during the day when their form is more visible, including natural looking granite style rocks, and models with moss or other greenery 'growing' on them.

With the number of different options on the market today for garden lighting, there's no need to fall into the same old habits of buying traditional lighting fixtures. Any style of garden can be effectively accented with the appropriate lighting source to smartly illuminate your green paradise.