The garden glows at night

You might know how obsessed we are with our Soji solar lanterns. We just love them, and keep bringing in to the shop new styles and colors (another big shipment is on its way). Such a brilliant idea: a little solar cell at the top of the lantern collects light during the day, then powers a rechargeable battery which then turns on an LED light inside the lantern; comes on at dusk, off at dawn. The lanterns are so pretty during the day, and emit a soft glow at night. It's a beautiful way to gently light up the garden. We leave ours out all year (the sturdy poly fabric stands up to sprinklers and snow). Here are a few tips for setting up your Soji lanterns (and a few photos of new styles in stock):

They come with a wire bale handle, and can simply slip over a branch, hook, or shepard's hook. If you're worried about wind, you can tie a little twine or ribbon around the handle, or attach it to a branch with a clip-style curtain ring or even shower curtain ring. Or use a long plant hook to hang it higher in the tree. The string lights (also solar) are wonderful on a trellis, deck overhang, or as a garland in branches of a tree. They have a long lead from the first light to the small solar panel, so you can place that panel in a good, sunny spot, even if the string lights are in shade.

You can easily place any of the lanterns in a sunny spot during the day, then move them to a canopy in the evening, if your outdoor table is tented. They'll glow all night!

The tea lights (shown below) are hand-blown glass with the same little solar panel at the top. Those can sit on outdoor tables, or hang from a branch. We leave ours outside on a side table, then move them to our covered dining area when we sit down for dinner. Lovely.