I have seen strings of tiny white lights on Pepper trees near restaurants. Why not in patios?

One of our neighbors a couple houses down keeps colored lights up year round on their back porch and deck. I love seeing it at night.

I love the little white lights off-season :)

We have the small white lights in the trees that surround our pool -- great for parties! We also put put the "lights in the plastic tube" strings around the patio for parties too ..... guests really seem to love them!

Also I have two small trees in pots at the front door -- and yes! I do leave the small white lights in them all year! ((easier to see the front door at night!)

We have dragonfly string lights (from Smith and Hawken) on our screened porch (we have a swimming pool off the porch). So we turn those on when we are using those areas at night.

Cameron

I have always tried to keep white lights burning on my pergola which is over my patio. It gives just enough light to be usable in evening but not enough so that it attracts bugs.

There's a home in Omaha, Nebraska that has Christmas lights on all year round. The house is stucco with deep red and forest green trim too. Each window has plastic candle sticks with bubble lights in them. A huge evergreen out front has large outdoor lights on it as does the house. I think it's awesome, but isn't something I would do even though I believe the birth of Christ should be celebrated year round.

I love little mini lights outdoors at night. We built a patio a couple of years ago and definitely plan to add some mini lights once the landscaping matures. (DH and I actually decided to build a patio one beautiful summer night when we were enjoying the outdoor patio at the Hotel Northampton, MA, and all the trees were filled with mini lights).

Speaking of Northampton, we just rented "Running with Scissors"--the semi-autobiographical story of a kid with a hugely dysfunctional childhood who grew up in Northampton. He was sent to live with his mother's psychiatrist, who was a real nut job. The psychiatrist had a lovely old roman revival home that was painted purple. The formal living room was graced with a Christmas tree that had been up for over two years!! Given the context of the film, it was hardly charming!

For the past couple of years, I've kept some sort of white lights up outside until Valentine's day or there abouts. A winter wonderland theme kind of. For one thing, winter is just beginning here in Texas and we are taking down all our Christmas cheer. :0(

White lights give me a little sparkle in the dark and cold of January.

And I do love the white mini lights in trees and around patios in the summer. Gotta do that. Hmmmmmmm, shoulda bought more white lights at the Christmas sales......

Here is a link that might be useful: Creative Soul

I have a grapevine tree on my back deck my FIL made for me and it always has white lights on it. I often do red or pink on valetines day, green on St. Pats and orange and black during trick or treat time. I also have the potted evergreens in front with white lights. I decorate them for valentines and St. Patty's with lights and garland. I take them down in March though and replace with my pots that I have spring bulbs in.

If I had a pool. I'd definately put white lights in the trees around it. Small trees of course and use them when we swam at night. That would be so fun!

I have a longish driveway that doesn't have any lights along it. The first year I lived here I strung Christmas lights from tree to tree along one side of the drive. I loved having some light so left them up after the holiday. They became Valentine lights, then Cinco de Mayo lights, then Memorial Day--you get the picture. Now all the kids in the neighborhood refer to us as "The cool house that has Christmas all year"

And among our friends we are, of course, the official Cinco de Mayo spot :)

I adore architectural lighting on charming homes. The best example IMO is boat house row in Philadelphia which can be seen when you drive by the Schuylkill River. The picture in the link doesn't do it justice - when all the light bulbs are in place it's gorgeous IRL.

We have a neighbor who does this with their home - the trick is that the lights must be pulled very taut to keep the lines straight.

Here is a link that might be useful: Boat House Row day and night pictures

This year I plan on leaving up the grapevine with white lights around my doors all year. I'm glad to hear so many seem to like it, I do too. It reminds me of magic and fairies on those warm summer nights.