1. Look at the garden landscape features you wish to light. 

 Be sure there is plenty of sunlight available to charge the lights during the day.  Solar lights placed in shady areas of the landscape will not charge properly, affecting how the area will look like at night.  Does the area get a lot of water?  Moisture can also affect the inner workings of the solar cell unit.  Make sure you address these issues before installing your lighting.

2. Plan how much solar lighting you want. 

 Most solar lights are great for accent lighting.  If you are lighting an area for security issues, make sure you select the brighter models of lights.  You also need to consider how many lights you will need and in what style.   Mixing up the style of light can add a great ambiance to your garden landscape.  Do you have a specific garden feature you want to highlight? Use a solar spotlight to do this.  Pathway lights are great for lining a walkway.  Solar garden lights can also be mounted on walls and deck posts to add more lighting options to your landscape.

3.  Placement of the solar lights. 

In landscape design, the rule for balance is to alternately place plants and other garden features to give it a more appealing look.  Although you should place the lights the same distance apart, do not place them opposite each other.  Placing the lights alternately will produce more light and less shadow as the lights will cover more area.  The same style of lights should be placed at the same height as well.  Do you have a large landscape?  Make a map of your landscaping and the locations where you would like to place solar lights.  This will help you out if there is a delay in purchasing and installing your solar lighting so that you remember what your plans were.

Installing solar garden lights is very easy to do.  Following these simple tips can help you save money and time to an already easy installation process.

1. Check the instruction manual on your solar lights.  The manual can give you an idea of how to go about taking the unit apart without causing damage.  It can show the location of the batteries as well as list the type of battery being used.
2. Never use alkaline batteries as replacements.  Alkaline batteries can damage the solar cell in your lights.  Make sure you purchase rechargeable batteries as your replacements. It is easy to find rechargeable replacements. Most electronic stores that sell batteries should carry them. Your best bet is to replace them with the same kind that were in it, however any kind of rechargeable battery will do. Most stores carry NiMH as they tend to last longer than the NiCd batteries that usually come installed in solar cells.
3. Pay attention to how the solar unit was put together.  This will make it easier to put everything back together.  Solar lights can withstand a lot of weather if assembled properly.  Keep yours weather-resistant by putting it back together the same way.
4. Gather the tools you need.  You probably will only need a screwdriver, but you may also need some other simple tools.  Also keep a small dish or two handy to keep the small screws in as you remove them.

You should be ready to take apart the unit for new batteries.  Pay attention to how the piece is assembled so you can return everything to its proper order.  After you remove the battery you can try recharging it in a household recharger to see if it is any good.  Sometimes solar lights are placed in areas that do not allow enough sunlight to charge the batteries.  If this is the case, allow the battery to be fully charged and replace it back into the unit. 

 If the battery is still not charging properly, replace it with a new one. Rechargeable batteries usually last 1-2 years so replacement should be done with this in mind.  Reassemble the light and fully charge it before placing it back into your garden landscape.  This will ensure you get the most enjoyment from your solar garden light again.

Solar garden lanterns are a great way to illuminate outdoor paths and walkways in your landscape. They are also great for adding decorative accents to your garden features.

The difference between regular solar pathway lights and solar lanterns are in how they attach to their support posts. Lanterns usually hang on a shepard’s hook where most pathway lights connect directly on top of their posts. Like garden path lights, solar lanterns also come in many decorative styles to match any garden landscape theme.