Many lighting control systems can monitor zones of lights. The link is an example.

Here is a link that might be useful: monitor

The cheap solution would be to add a fixture outside the garage that shines such that you can see it from the house.

Yes, there are products out there that you replace the entire light switch with one that has a programmable battery operated timer built in. You choose the time on and time off. Or you put a sensor for dawn and dusk in the fixture itself and then leave the light switch in the on position all of the time. We had a sensor in until we changed the entire fixture and there was no longer any room for the sensor inside the globe. We then switched to the programmable and it is Wonderful! No worries...no cares...

Even simpler would be to install a lighted switch which contains a neon light in the toggle/rocker...neon is on when outside lights are off. This should be easy to see in your garage.

Actually I was was going to recommend the opposite - replacing the switch with one with a neon pilot light that illuminates when the outdoor lights are on. Switches with indicator lights that illuminate when the switch is off are for finding the light switch in a dark room, and usually have indicator lights that are much less bright than the other type and may go unnoticed if the room is already bright from daylight shining through windows.

Other options include (a) install an automatic sensor on the outdoor lights that turn them on automatically at dusk and on at dawn (or replace the whole outdoor lamp fixture with one that already has this feature which is sometimes easier and less expensive), (b) replace the outdoor light bulbs with special bulbs (usually compact fluorescent) that have these sensors built into the bulb itself, or (c) replace the light switch with a mechanical timer switch which can be set to turn the light on and off at specific times.