Garden lighting has increased in popularity in recent years and is now a worthwhile investment as the illumination quality of solar-powered lighting has improved.

In the early days of solar lighting, many people were put off them due too the many poor quality items available, but today's units are generally both efficient and reliable and will repay an investment in them with the power savings made over their lifetime use.

Alternative energy sources are not just about saving money, they are better for the environment and in a garden present fewer technical problems when it comes to installation compared with wired-in units.

You can use garden lighting to illuminate specific trees, shrubs or bedding and move the solar-powered units around depending on the season, choosing the best garden features to illuminate. You can also use them to down-light pathways and steps, making your garden safer to walk in at night.

Lighting can also make your home safer by discouraging thieves from using the garden as an entry point to your home.

The only drawback with solar-powered lights is that in shady areas of the garden they may not get enough sun light to charge them, so you need to place them in spots where they will get adequate light for the charging process.

You also need to find out how long your lights can stay on during the evening and into the night. So before you invest in them, check the manufacturers descriptions carefully and ask anyone you know who already has solar-powered lighting, what their experience has been.

Most solar-powered garden lights will switch on automatically at dusk, but if you want light through the night it is sensible to mix these with the type that are triggered by motion sensors. Neighborhood cats, squirrels and other small garden visitors may switch motion sensor lights on, but so will un-wanted intruders.

Most models of lights now use Light Emitting Diodes (LED's). These are long lasting and energy efficient; provide adequate bright light for most users will let them enjoy parts of their garden from inside their conservatories at night.