Spending time outdoors is usually good for you, even if you’re just lounging in your own backyard.However, the sun can also be a bit domineering at times, producing intense heat and harmful radiation that many people chase indoors on an otherwise beautiful summer day.
We recently explained how to create maps of sun and shade patterns, primarily to optimize sun exposure in a garden or flower bed.However, while sunlight offers gardeners obvious benefits, a patch of shade can also be hot real estate for people as well as plants, pets, and wildlife.
A sun map might show where shadows have fallen, cast by large obstacles like trees or buildings, but it’s more useful for finding sunlight than avoiding it.That’s because shading is often easier than mapping: it’s as basic as blocking sunlight, creating darker, cooler conditions underneath.
Still, the simplicity of casting shadows masks some aesthetic complexities.If shadows are the only target, you can block the sun with any random stumbling block.But for a shady oasis that looks good, lasts for a while, and doesn’t cause new problems, you may want to clarify your options first.For inspiration, check out the photos above for some tips on shading in the summer heat.
Trees perform valuable services such as limiting flooding, controlling erosion, absorbing pollution and producing food.They also provide rejuvenating, mood-enhancing scenery, and their presence tends to increase property values.However, one of their simplest benefits is being large enough to block the sun.In addition to creating outdoor oasis for people, some trees grow so tall that they shade the entire building from the summer heat, reducing the need for air conditioning.
Newly planted trees take time to create a lot of shade, but as Derek Markham points out in Treehugger, some trees grow faster than others.Since “most of us are very impatient,” he wrote, “one of the most common requirements people make when choosing varieties is that they be fast-growing shade trees.”
Markham lists some popular examples including sycamore, hybrid poplar, catalpa, paper birch and red maple.According to the Arbor Day Foundation, hybrid poplars are particularly fast trees, capable of adding 8 feet of vertical height each year until they reach 40 or 50 feet tall.Red maples can grow more than 2 feet per year, sometimes reaching 60 feet above the ground, while sycamores are known to grow up to 175 feet in ideal conditions.
Trees rely on sturdy trunks to support their tall shaded canopies.But many shorter plants can also create shady refuges—they just need a little help to get off the ground.
There are many ways to do this, from training vines into a simple trellis, to helping them colonize more delicate arbors or pergola.Of course, structures like this can also create shadows themselves, like a basic awning, umbrella, or curtain.But then you might miss out on valuable biophilic experiences like relaxing under a backlit green ceiling of foliage, flowers and fruit.
“Sitting in the shade of my vines on a hot summer day is one of life’s greatest joys,” writes gardening writer Mary-Kate McKee in Fine Gardening.”The sun shines through the mist of green leaves, and clusters of tempting fruit dangle above my head.”
A cozy haven under a grape trellis is just one of many benefits.You can also get homegrown grapes, a nutrient-dense crop that requires little maintenance other than annual pruning and can produce several pounds of fruit per year from a single vine.Research which grapes grow best in your local climate, and if you live in North America, consider native species like fox grapes or muscadines.
If you don’t like grapes, various other vines can provide similar benefits.(Don’t be tempted by invasive plants like English ivy, though).Click the photo above for more options.
Plants known as “cucurbits” can also be useful additions to trees, pergola, or other garden structures.This warm-climate family of herbs contains many popular garden crops — such as cucumbers, gourds, melons, and squash — whose large leaves block a lot of light.
Most species are fast-growing vines, but some are better climbers than others.Watermelons, for example, tend to grow on the ground like creeping vines, bearing large fruits that are especially difficult for climbing vines to support.However, some melons adapt well to the trellis (with help), and many others thrive in vertical habitats, including various cucumbers and squash.
Gourds are not very hardy, though, so their survivability is largely dependent on the local climate.If you train them to a trellis or structure, you may need to support the fruit while they hang, as shown above.This will help the fruit ripen and help the plant avoid injury, but it’s also a safety precaution if you plan to sit under a pergola with a heavy gourd hanging overhead.
Climbing beans and peas are staples in many home gardens and are often trained on vertical fences to save space.But if that fence is tall enough—or attached to a semi-covered structure like a pergola—a bean fence can easily be a source of shade.
Beans are generally lighter than gourds and therefore require less support when training vertically.They are also annuals in most climates, making them less of a long-term investment than vines.They can climb a gazebo or gazebo, or a barbed wire or net—as long as it’s strong enough not to sag as they grow.Beans and peas don’t grow in exactly the same way, though, so be sure to anticipate the habits of any crop you choose.
Fruit vines often produce beautiful flowers and food, but if flowers are your focus, you have more options.Here are some colorful climbers that can cover an arbor or pergola:
• Climbing roses come in a variety of colors, shapes and growth styles, some of which are better suited to certain climates.Do some research before picking a variety, and if you’re not an experienced rose person, you might also want to review how to grow roses.
• Honeysuckle is known for its fragrance and the visual beauty of its flowers, and it can quickly wrap itself around a pergola, tree, or just about anything else.About 180 species have been identified, but make sure to choose a species native to your area.
• Clematis is one of the most popular flowering vines, and most of the nearly 300 species are climbers.According to the Clemson Cooperative Extension Guidelines, their dense leaf pads are “ideal for shaded porches” and “perfect for trellis, fences, and walls.”
• Morning glory refers to a diverse plant family of more than 1,000 plants, all of which produce colorful, funnel-shaped flowers.Many are also fast climbers and can tolerate poor, dry soils, making them a popular choice for casting shade from a trellis or pergola.
• Wisteria is an iconic ornamental vine, but some species native to China and Japan may invade elsewhere.If you’re in eastern North America, consider American wisteria, whose smaller flowers are just as beautiful.It also builds faster and is more tolerant of cold.
There are many different ways to coax vines into casting shadows.For example, you can train them to a pergola with wires, or you can let the wires provide support alone.The best method depends a lot on the space you want shade and the type of vine you choose, but wire is generally lighter and easier to install than a wooden gazebo or pergola.If your curtain settings need to be moved or adjusted, wire can provide more flexibility than a stronger construction.
However, the type of wire is important.Too little strength or tension can cause the wires to sag as the plant grows, potentially reducing the available space underneath.And, as with any trellis, you’ll want to space out the wires so the vines can colonize them.Taut, coated cables are usually best, although some light vines may perform well on less heavy stuff.
For example, this vine-covered “green screen” was designed by Hideo Kumagi Architects in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, to create shadows in late summer.According to the construction company, a 10-degree temperature difference was confirmed under the vine-covered net compared to the sunny area outside.But, as many have pointed out on Reddit, this cozy alcove may attract spiders.For some, this might be a deal breaker, although it’s also worth noting that encouraging spiders can actually make the niche more pleasant by keeping mosquitoes and flies at bay.
It may not be as biophilic as a ceiling of flowers and leaves, but an inanimate shade is still shade—and it can greatly reduce the effort to set up and maintain.An example is a shade sail, which uses a piece of fabric suspended overhead by wire, pergola, or other structure.
Shade sails come in many shapes, sizes, colors and materials.For ideas, check out some of these sail shade examples on Pinterest.
Creating shadows doesn’t have to involve a large DIY project.For example, you can buy an umbrella or install an awning and still add some personal touch to give your shady oasis an extra vibe.In the photo above, the parasol is complemented by a breathable insect mesh that helps support the string of outdoor lights.Thicker blackout curtains can also help reduce sun exposure under your umbrella, but also be careful not to block cool summer breezes.
This list is intended as a starting point to help you think about different ways to create a shady shelter in your yard or garden.There are many ways to do this beyond those listed here, and the best method for your space may involve multiple technologies working together.
For example, if you’re installing a pergola, you can start with a few patio umbrellas and hang potted plants from their beams, as shown above.If that’s not cool enough, you can train vines on posts to help fill in the gaps.Or, if summer is too far away to wait for beans or bougainvilleas to grow, you can string seasonal shade sails or curtains.
No matter what you do, creating shade can be an important step toward spending more quality time outdoors.While our indoor habitats may tempt us with comfortably low temperatures on a hot summer day, walls and air conditioners are never as cool as the outdoors.
Post time: Jun-11-2022