Now we really face the darkness, but if you take advantage of the opportunities, the darkness offers a unique chance to create a magical garden with light in the greenhouse. With relatively small means you can create beautiful illusions to be seen from your home or for people passing by.

If you don’t have electricity in your greenhouse, do not despair. Today, there are a multitude of options for creating beautiful lighting arrangements using different energy sources. In the past, light was provided with candles or lanterns with petroleum. Later, small gas lamps from the camping and mining industry, and lamps with ethanol came along. Today, lights can also be powered by solar energy and rechargeable batteries. There are even lamps that can charge your mobile phone with their heat, or contain a speaker, so you can play music in your greenhouse.

Safety first

A light source that receives power from the mains allows you to buy many types of lamps. However, you should be aware that lamps for outdoor areas must be marked IPX1 if hung in the greenhouse, and IPX3 if placed outside. The IPX rating indicates the water resistance of electronic devices. This is of course a safety measure, so that no short circuits occur, or water gets on the cables, which could be a danger to you.

Light with alcohol, bioethanol, and petroleum

The traditional storm lantern is back in fashion. Lamps powered by oil or petroleum provide a vivid light. It is important to setup the wick correctly and it is best to use odourless petroleum or lamp oil. Oil lamps must never be overfilled, so that there are always at least 2 cm of air at the opening. Let the wick soak for half an hour after refilling.

Petromax is a beautiful lamp powered by alcohol in a container with a pump. The pump is used to create a negative pressure in the container.

Bioethanol lamps and small fireplaces are also more popular because they create a beautiful, soft flame. Here it is important to carefully read the instructions for proper use.

All the mentioned lamps provide a bit of supplemental heat to the greenhouse.

Solar cells

Lamps with a small solar cell glued to the top are especially suited for summer evenings, because their light is cosy but not very strong. The solar cell charges the battery of the lamp during the day, so that it can light up when it is dark. Since the hours of daylight decrease in the darker months, the time you can use the solar lamps also decreases. It is important that the cells are kept clean, otherwise they will not be able to fully charge. Charging and discharging wears down the battery, but the longer the battery has to charge, the better. Typically, a battery can withstand up to 1000 charges before it needs to be exchanged. Solar lamps can easily be charged, even if they are in the greenhouse under glass, but here too, it is good to clean the glass of the greenhouse.

The Juliana solar lamp

Juliana's solar lamps have a beautiful and discreet design. They are very easy to set up and can be moved if, for example, you redecorate your greenhouse. The lamps can be fitted directly to the greenhouse profiles and the brackets, nuts and bolts are included. Alternatively, the lamps can also be attached to plants, trees, or shelves in the greenhouse. The batteries can be charged by a battery charger or the sunlight.

(Greenhouses.com)

Batteries

Battery-powered lamps, such as flashlights, are an alternative to solar lamps. Today, they often contain a LED bulb, which only requires minimal power. The bulb lasts between 10,000 and 30,000 hours. Here you can use ordinary, non-rechargeable batteries, but often the lamps are equipped with batteries that can be recharged with a USB cable, just like your mobile phone.

Light and music

The MoriMori lamp is a modern version of a gas lamp. The gas in the container has been replaced with rechargeable batteries that last up to 10 hours. Additionally, the container hides a Bluetooth speaker so that you can play your favourite music from your phone while enjoying your greenhouse.

(Susanne-schmidt.dk, Kookoo.eu)

Flower inspiration

This lamp is powered by solar cells and has a beautiful flower pattern. The light of the lamp casts the beautiful pattern on the floor or the tablecloth.

(Fruugo.dk, Ligthinbox.com)

Storm lanterns

Marianne Riis from the Danish garden-blog vildmedhaven.dk enjoys simplicity in the greenhouse. She prefers the good old storm lanterns, whose design date back 100 years. According to Mariann, the lanterns provide a fantastic light for storytelling. At the same time, they raise the temperature in her small greenhouse by a few degrees. Lanterns with a 340ml tank burn for approx. 20 hours. The one shown on the picture is from a brand called Feuerhand but they are also available from other brands and in many different colours and sizes.

(Scanihills.dk)  

Inspiration from the London Underground

The Coolicon lamp is an electric lamp inspired by the London Underground. The lamp's design is from 1933 and was originally meant to light up Britain's factories and workshops. It was also used in the ticket offices of the London Underground, where the lamp can still be seen today. The lamp is available in several colours and sizes.

(Susanne – Schmidt.dk)

Gas lamps

There are many gas lamps on the market, and most can be purchased in outdoor stores or sports shops. The Kovea gas lights are available in different sizes and light intensities.

(Kovea.com)

The lamp that charges your phone

The Candela table lamp has a cosy light and generates its own electricity. The heat from the flame charges a battery, which you can draw power from via a USB-cable.

(Candela table lamp (Light & Charge), Lampemesteren.com)

Candles with batteries

If you have asthma or are afraid of forgetting to put out your candles, the many battery-powered candles are a great alternative. They can be used in the greenhouse as well as inside your home and can be bought in many shops.

Juliana's candleholder

If you want the real thing, Juliana has a simple and very beautiful tealight holder. It consists of a metal ring, which can easily be fitted directly in the profiles of the greenhouse and a glass for a tealight.  One set includes two metal rings and two glasses.

(Greenhouses.com)

Light illusions around the greenhouse

You can also decorate the garden around your greenhouse with beautiful light sources. The Bolleke lamp can be hung into trees or other places in the garden. The lamp is a design from the Dutch company Fatboy, also known for their beanbag chairs.  The lamp is dimmable in three steps, has rechargeable batteries and is available in different colours.

(Bolleke Pendel Duo Pack, Lampemesteren.com)

Grow lights for plants

Grow lights, as you can see from this greenhouse, can also provide a particularly beautiful light, but if you want to save power, you should check how much electricity the lights use.

(Photo: Grøn Kommunikation©)

Find the perfect lightning for your greenhouse and garden

We hope you have found some inspiration for the perfect lighting for your greenhouse and garden. You can also find many other lamps online with a simple google search. Simply search for the attributes you are looking for, for example storm lanterns, solar lamps, or gas lamps.