Solar lights are very popular for lighting yards and gardens. They are virtually maintenance free, easy to install, and cost almost nothing to run. Once you have bought solar lights, the only future maintenance costs are for replacement batteries.

The only drawback for solar lighting is that they must be placed in an area which receives a lot of sunlight during the day. If your garden or a pathway is shaded, solar lighting is not going to work very well.

If you are intent on having solar lighting for a shaded area, you can install a solar panel on your roof or other spot which receives a lot of sunlight. This is a bit more expensive than regular solar path lights or solar spotlights and you need to run a wire from the solar panel to the lights.

Depending on the amount of sunlight received during the day, solar garden lights can provide six to 12 hours of lighting in the evening. They have a built in photosensor which turns the lights on when it becomes dark. They remain lit until the battery is depleted or the sun rises -- whichever comes first.

Regular solar garden lights are easy to install. Simply pushed him into the ground, adjust the photocell so that it is aiming towards the sun most of the day, and that's it! Instant lighting! Unfortunately, this same ease of installation also makes solar garden lights and easy target for thieves and vandals. They simply pull them out of the ground and it's goodbye to your solar path lights.

Solar lights which are permanently installed on a deck or patio are more difficult to swipe. These kinds of lights require a screwdriver to install and also to remove. They are still vulnerable to theft but a little more difficult to steal.

Solar garden lights are available in a variety of styles. You can buy hanging solar lights, solar spotlights, and even specialty solar lights such as colored lights and swimming pool lights. They are available at quite a reasonable cost but it's worthwhile shelling out a few extra bucks to get a good set of lights. Cheaper lights have been known to break during the storm conditions and high winds.

Hans is editor of Patio Heaters and one of the authors of http://www.patio-furniture-ideas.com