When the warmer weather finally arrives on UK shores, I hope you’ll join me in spending every possible minute in the great outdoors. We deserve it after all we’ve been through this winter.
Parks are destined to be filled with picnickers; rooftops are calling out for drinks with a view and pub gardens should provide the setting for the majority of our summer soirees.
If you’re lucky enough to have a pocket of outdoor space, something as menial as the dark shouldn’t stand in the way of hosting duties. To bring the celebrations from day to night, well-placed illumination will work wonders. Not only will the likes of fairy lights, lanterns or fire pits shine the way, but they act as focal points in the aesthetic of your garden oasis as well as set the ambiance with a warming, homely glow.
Whether you have a small patch of turf, a bijou balcony, a tiny terrace or expansive greenery, you can employ the help of an outdoor candle to create the party mood. Even more so, you can banish mosquitoes with the right aroma.
But filling your al fresco festivities with scent can be a far more luxurious than your typical citronella (although it has magical bite-preventing properties). Luxury labels like Diptyque has entered the space as well as fan-favourite Yankee Candle that are glorious in their fragrance and romantic in their appearance.
Flameless candles are another alternative option. These designs have come on a long way in recent years and are a far cry from the eyesores that you may typically associate with this product type. The contemporary options are near indistinguishable from their true counterparts and have safety credentials by forgoing a naked flame. This makes them better suited to households with children or pets for all the benefits of a beautifully lit space with a care-free twist.
Shop the best outdoor candles below
Diptyque Large Indoor & Outdoor Figuier Scented Candle
If money was no object, we would have a Diptyque candle in every room of our home, including our outdoor space. The luxury Parisian perfume house has some of the most transportive and room-filling fragrances on the market, whether you opt for its bestselling Baies, Feu de Bois or Tubéreuse.
It’s the Figuier though that we have selected for our garden, bringing with it the warming note of fig wood that will send your olfactories into overdrive. You may just feel like you’ve arrived in Santorini - but there’s no plane ride necessary.
The beauty of this boujie is that you can burn it indoor or out and it’s so powerful that you’ll feel enveloped in the addictive aroma. It’s house in an earthenware exterior crafted by hand in the brand’s Virebent workshop in the South of France and so chic that it will become a focal point. This is a larger candle in the collection with a burn time of 120 hours.
Buy now £283.00, John Lewis
Yankee Candle Fresh Rain
While we look forward to the arrival of spring and summer all winter longer, there is something incredibly soothing about the scent of fresh rainfall. With this aroma from Yankee Candle, there’s no rain dance necessary. You can still bask in the glory of the sun’s rays set to the fragrance of this unique candle.
The notes will recreate the olfactory experience of an orchard in full bloom. There are notes of apple and rose bringing the fresh fruity and floral elements, but this is given a herbaceous twist with rosemary.
The vessel is hard-wearing, made to withstand whatever the British weather has in store. It has two wicks and boasts a burn time of up to 24 hours.
Buy now £19.99, Yankee Candle
Habitat Citronella Candle- Large
It may not appear immediately obvious the first time you see this multi-wick candle from Habitat but it is in fact infused with the aromas of citronella to ward off unwelcomed guests during your al fresco summer fun. This is combined with lemongrass to create a space-filling aroma with a twist on the usual potent scent. The candle is housed in blue ceramic holder that take inspiration from the Mediterranean.
Buy now £17.00, Argos
SUPERSUN Citronella Candles Outdoors Large x3
Whether you’re spending an evening a deux with your loved one or have the whole family over for a BBQ, don’t let bites ruin your fun by employing a citronella candle to ward away pesky mosquitoes. This three-wick citronella candle from Amazon puts a decorative twist on the traditional scent with its brightly coloured container. It’s a powerful scent and makes a great gift to bring along to summer soirees, camping trips and backyard hangs. Each wick has a burn time of up to 80 hours.
Buy now £19.99, Amazon
Kaemingk LED Indoor/Outdoor Wax Candle, Peach
Housed in a pretty peach tinted glass holder and with a dotted design, on first appearance, it’s hardto tell that this candle is not like the ones above. While virtually indistinguishable from a real flame, there is a twist. Instead, it is illuminated by LEDs. Taking a smart approach to your outdoor illumination, you get the ambiance of a candle with none of the stress, particularly as it comes with a timer that automatically switches off after six hours. Also available in grey.
Buy now £10.00, John Lewis
Luminara Outdoor LED Candle, 18 cm
With no fire elements, smoke or hot wax, this is the outdoor illumination you will want to call on for its safety credentials. There’s no need to stress about possible interference and burning when you have kids or pets running around - without sacrificing on the aesthetic benefits. The Luminara flameless candle is very realistic looking where the flame flickers as if it was truly lit. But unlike the real thing, it remains rain and wind proof. There’s also a timer for five and 19 hours.
Buy now £39.99, John Lewis
TruGlow® Waterproof Outdoor Candle Trio
The TruGlow is making a convincing case for a real candle with its waxless yet flame-mimicking design. It runs on batteries and can be set around your gardens in lanterns to elevate the ambiance and create a cosy feel. It has a built in 6-hour timer and one battery offers up to 1,200 hours of glow time. We suggest popping in a metal and glass case for a contemporary look.
Buy now £29.99, Lights4Fun
