One popular type of outdoor lighting is the lamp post style, which comes in many variations. There is the well-known tall light that is mounted onto a pole, ideal for lighting up yards and patios. There are also miniature versions of these outdoor lamp posts, which are usually suitable for providing accent lighting. Other types of lamp posts are known for being particularly low cost, as they use either LED lights or solar lights. These can be either miniature or full-sized posts, depending on their purpose in the yard.
Outdoor lamp posts have been around since times of old, and often bring an antique touch to any yard. Though this type of light often adds style to landscaping, the main point of a full-sized lamp post is typically to light up the area. For this reason, many people place one or two of these at the front of their yard to allow visitors to see where they are walking. They may also place them around their backyard as a quaint alternative to harsher floodlights, as they often provide a lot of light without blinding those in the area.
While the full-sized outdoor lamp posts usually offer abundant light in one spot, miniature lights usually serve a different purpose. Shorter outdoor lamp posts can be placed along a pathway to guide visitors as they walk, or they can be used as accent lights when they are placed near notable features, such as attractive plants or interesting statues in the yard. Homeowners can place just a few of these in their yard for subtle lighting, or they can group several together to create more light in one area.
Though most outdoor lamp posts may appear old-fashioned, the age of oil or gas powered lamps is long gone, and most types now use technology that is considered quite modern. For example, some lamp posts use solar energy to create light, using the sun's rays during the day to energize the light bulb at night. This kind of bulb eliminates the need for the post to be plugged in, which means that it can be placed anywhere in the yard that gets direct sunlight. Another way to save money on the electricity bill is to use LED bulbs in outdoor lamp posts, as this type of light is bright without costing a lot to keep on. It is also long-lasting, which usually means that the bulb does not need to be changed out as often as the typical bulb might.