Not Lanterns Or String Lights: The Chic Landscaping Solution That Lights Up Your Yard

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If we want a yard to stay bright even after the sun goes down, we typically turn our attention to outdoor lighting options. Whether it's suspending lanterns from poles around a patio or turning thrifted glassware into beautiful garden and yard decor that lights up, most options require bulbs and electricity. Here's a unique idea: Why not take your cue from the Moon? Moonlight is simply reflected sunlight. Likewise, if you fill the darkest corners of your yard with white gravel, you can use this light reflection trick to brighten them.

Moonlight is a real thing, but it's not as bright as sunlight because the light isn't generated by the Moon. When light travels through space, it keeps going until it hits an object. Then it's either absorbed or reflected. The Moon's surface is made up of dark gray rock that absorbs most of the sun's light. Still, a little bounces off, and we can see that reflected light here on Earth. You can create a similar effect on a much smaller scale right there in your own backyard using white gravel.

In the dark, the light from inside your home or exterior light fixtures is reflected off the white gravel, brightening the area. It's a little easier to see the edges of paths, driveways, or borders or anywhere else you've placed the ghostly stone. Even during the day, white gravel can amplify the light in your backyard, which can be especially important on overcast days or through long, dreary winters. In other words, there's little doubt that, for dark, shady yards and homes in northern climes, white gravel is a good choice for landscaping. What you need to consider before investing in this landscaping material is where to put it.

Take a leaf from Fixer Upper's Joanna Gaines, who makes a dull landscape pop with one simple addition: white gravel. If you only need a few bags of the stuff, head online. A 40-pound bag of MSI Decorative Tumbled White Pebbles costs about $23. For larger orders, reach out to local landscape materials suppliers that service residential customers for a quote on a bulk order. Once your gravel arrives, you can use it anywhere in your yard, just as you can regular gravel. However, being selective gives you the contrast that makes this idea work. Pair white gravel with dark bark mulch or garden beds filled with deep green foliage. Or you can try it against a black-painted fence — the white gravel will define the boundary lines even in the dark.

From meandering paths through a forested area to square garden ideas where symmetry meets jaw-dropping greenery, pairing white gravel with lighting is a quick way to add visual interest and make your yard safer at night. The easiest approach is to spread white gravel nearby existing light fixtures — be it a porch light, a string of patio lights, or even a nearby street light. If your outdoor lighting isn't in the right spots, insert Greluna Solar Pathway Lights into the white gravel areas or hang lanterns nearby. Create focal points around specimen plants or pair the white gravel with landscaping stone in other colors or carefully positioned ground covers to create unique designs in your backyard.