Summer is a wonderful season for so many reasons. One of them being relaxed alfresco garden dinners with friends. One of those dinners was held recently in my friend’s garden. The serene surrounding was filled with the sweet scent of roses and the buzzing of honey bees. And the dusk hour was illuminated by the warm glow of the new Sonnenglas light jars. In a nutshell: The atmosphere was perfect for a good Chianti and some delicious treats.
Spending time with friends in nature, with good wine and good food, is a real treat for me. It is invigorating as well as relaxing. Laughing together, speaking about topics that are important to you, but also just enjoying each others presence is nurturing for the soul. But during a garden dinner you need to nurture your tummy too. This time we opted for a light dinner with homemade dips, vegetables and a cheese platter with fresh bread. Everything was accompanied by a great bottle of Chianti. But as important as good company and good food are, there is another key to a successful garden dinner: a cosy atmosphere.
My friend’s garden and his garden shed are a gem already. If you fance, tour the full garden and shed HERE. This time we upped the game by adding beautiful Sonnenglas lanterns. These lanterns are literally green high-tech in a traditional mason jar. Those jars are equipped with a solar lid thus charging themselves by sunlight. When dusk kicks in, you simply flip the magnetic switch and a warm glow fills the jar. Every jar contains solar-powered LED lights and makes them eco-friendly as well as beautiful for any kind of styling.
Additionally, you can personalize every jar. Fill them with dried plants or flowers, dried fruits, shells, sand, rocks, crystals – you name it! The new Sonnenglas jars also come in two sizes: the classic mason jar size and the mini version. I love combining both for more visual interest. Also the mini version is super practical to put in small corners or on my tiny balcony for example. I will certainly play around with those.
What I love about Sonnenglas lanterns is not only their cute look and good light. It is their philosophy and responsibility towards our planet. As sustainsable and eco-friendly solutions these lanterns speak for themselves. Harnessing the power of nature, in this case the sun, is a great approach to reduce our electricity consumption or the use of regular batteries.
Moreover, Sonnenglas believes in a beautiful mantra: leaving our world in a better condition than we found it in. The Sonnenglas lanterns are produced in the townships of Johannesburg in South Africa. Following sustainable and fair trade standards, Sonnenglas makes not only our lives more beautiful with their warm light. They also provide work and a future for local people in socially difficult regions. It almost feels like an allegory: with Sonnenglas we are actually adding more light to our planet making it a better place – jar by jar.
I will let the pictures speak for themselves. And if you are looking for more light in your garden, on your balcony or at home, get some sunlight with Sonnenglas!
This blog post has been brought to you in collaboration with Sonnenglas. As always all opinions and photos are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who support this blog!
Photography by Igor Josifovic
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