When you hear outdoor lighting, you may think of wall sconces or pathway stakes. However, in 2026, our illumination schemes are designed to work with nature and to highlight the beautiful plants that make our gardens a home. Jennifer Lopez's Miami backyard provides the perfect example.
In 2020, stay-at-home concerts and TV shows offered a glimpse into celebrities' offices and gardens, and JLO's was one of the most memorable. She performed at the One World: Together At Home Global Citizen show from her gorgeous tree-filled backyard; and as we continue brainstorming the best outdoor lighting ideas for this summer, we are inclined to revisit her space. Never one to settle for the typical, the singer sits in front of a Moreton Bay fig tree wrapped in stylish string lights, with flameless pillar candles beside her. In the background, spotlights illuminate the tops of her other trees.
It shows that string lights are effective long beyond the festive season, and that the best backyard lighting schemes work with the greenery, rather than against it.
As designs like Jennifer's blossom into some of the biggest outdoor decorating trends of the season, Homes & Gardens consulted with experts on what makes this scheme special and how anyone can recreate it. We also curated an edit of the best garden accessories to follow in her footsteps.
Jennifer Lopez in front of the outdoor lighting at her Miami home, 2020
Recreate Jennifer's Look at Home
A gravel garden is a practical and low-maintenance option to include in a sunny, weed-free, and well-drained position. It can perfectly set off drought-tolerant planting and can complement other hard surfaces.
These pretty string lights are the perfect addition to an outdoor design. They would be gorgeous wrapped around a tree like we see in Jennifer Lopez's backyard, or strung around a patio for a more subtle effect.
Jennifer Lopez sits in front of a ficus macrophylla or Moreton Bay Fig tree, which are popular in Southern California. This pack of purple skinned fig plants is easier to care for, and more accessible to grow depending on where you live.
If you're worried about safety or wind blowing out real candles, opt for flameless ones, like these, which flicker like natural flames. They are perfect for outdoor entertaining in the summer.
If you'd prefer a more fully formed tree, this pretty river birch is ideal for adding height and dimension to your backyard. Just like JLo's outdoor space, it would look gorgeous wrapped in string lights.
This useful floodlight is the perfect way to light up the top of your trees. It has a spike built-in, which makes it easy to dig into the ground in exactly the right position where you want to keep it.
As every garden is transformed into an outdoor living room, there is increased focus on lighting this year to make your garden feel cozy. Claire Anstey, Lighting Buyer at British interiors brand Heal’s, states: 'Ensuring your garden has the right lighting is essential when it comes to setting the mood for your summer gatherings. Whether it's BBQ’s or birthday parties, ambient lighting in your garden could be the difference between people going home at 9 PM and people going home at midnight.'
Thus, one of the biggest garden lighting trends of the summer will be aligning your LEDs with the natural world around them, as we see in Jennifer Lopez's backyard.
Claire advises: 'Biophilic lighting is set to be one of the defining garden trends of the summer, bringing a more considered, nature-led approach to outdoor illumination. At its core, it’s about enhancing the natural rhythms of daylight while complementing them with circadian-aligned artificial lighting that feels gentle and organic rather than harsh or intrusive.'
JLO layers floodlights, battery-powered candles, and string lights to create a warm, varied scheme, and this look is only becoming more popular.
Megan Slack, the Head of Celebrity Style at Homes & Gardens, also predicts the rise of layered outdoor lighting schemes this year.
'In 2026, garden lighting is moving away from flat, functional setups and towards something far more atmospheric and design-led. The focus is on building layers of light that shape how an outdoor space feels after dark, something we've seen among the biggest names, including Jennifer Aniston and now JLo, Megan notes.
'Instead of lighting everything evenly, the idea is to treat the garden as a series of zones, each with its own lighting character, much like you would inside your home.'
However, this is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Claire cautions: 'Thoughtful placement is key. Rather than flooding the entire space with light, use it selectively to accentuate plants and greenery, highlighting textured leaves, architectural branches, and pockets of greenery to create depth, shadow and a beautifully layered garden after dark.'
String lights are another layer that helps you work with the plants already in your garden. Claire recommends: 'To introduce this look into your garden, weave delicate fairy lights through the branches of trees or around sculptural shrubs. This helps diffuse the light softly through foliage, creating an inviting glow once the sun sets. Opt for warm-toned bulbs wherever possible; their golden hue creates a relaxed, cocooning ambiance that’s ideal for lingering dinner parties and elegant outdoor soirées.'
