A shady garden is a welcome haven during our hot summers. Just the sight of a shady spot gives the sensation of a pleasant, inviting environment. Shade actually is cooler, and without it, outdoor spaces are sometimes rendered practically unusable for a portion of the year. That is of course not true if you don’t mind the heat. That has never been me, and for many creating and maximizing shade is important. There are also practical health reasons for our desire for shade.

Large trees are the most obvious shade-producing landscape feature. Many residential developments, however, don’t have mature trees, and those that have been left frequently don’t survive due to construction damage. Storms can cause unexpected and irreparable tree damage as well. Due to the slow growth rate of most trees, planting obviously does not solve the immediate shade dilemma. Without trees, how is shade created?

SHADE SOLUTIONS

A screened porch or arbor are home addition options offering shade and enhanced property value. For instant shade, an umbrella or awning may be just the right answer. Retractable awnings offer a flexible solution for converting from sunny exposures to shade, and offer a great compromise if both conditions are desirable. Over-scale umbrellas offer another option, and many can be easily adjusted as the sun shifts position throughout the day.

Another permanent shade solution is constructing an open-air structure with a solid roof. This could be designed as the practical first phase of a screen porch or sun room addition or could be freestanding. If built as an addition, consider the use of skylights to maximize sunlight reaching interior areas. With all these construction alternatives, cost must be taken into consideration.

Sun shade sail awnings offer a creative answer for producing shade that is unique and relatively inexpensive. These eye-catching, fun designs are typically tightly stretched fabric panels, often of overlapping, colorful and interesting geometric shapes. Shade sails can create an artistic shade canopy for just about any area. They may be freestanding, attached to a structure, or a combination of installation techniques.

TREES

Even if you do decide to install a structure or other shade feature, for a site with few or no trees, I almost always suggest planting shade trees for future enjoyment and enhancement of property values. Besides shade, strategically sited trees produce other surprising benefits such as solar, wind and noise protection as well as privacy. They also generate conditions that promote wildlife habitats.

Choosing and planting trees may seem like a simple task, but there are many considerations which impact the long-term sustainability and payoff of your effort and investment.

CREATING PRIVACY

In the poem “Mending Wall,” Robert Frost coins the modern phrase but questions the idea that “good fences make good neighbors.” Are we walling in or walling out? So much for philosophy, but it is a good starting point to determine your main goals and purpose for creating privacy. One goal may be to keep young children or pets in bounds. Another objective might be the natural desire for a private haven and retreat… an escape from the hectic world.

Privacy and shade are sometimes more interrelated than you may think, and both can be primary motivators and criteria for developing a landscape design. The most obvious way to gain privacy is the installation of a fence or planting shrubs and/or trees. These screens often generate microclimates ideal for establishing accent plantings. For instance,you need to block an undesirable view, and it happens to be west facing. By installing a fence, evergreens, or a combination, late day shade is produced by these taller features. The area in front of this screen is protected from harsh afternoon sun, producing ideal growing conditions for smaller accent plantings or flowering borders. Other facing directions require different solutions.

Fences can be built in all shapes and designs, but are not always the answer to privacy in themselves. Many neighborhood associations don’t allow fences taller than about three feet, obviously not high enough for effective privacy. Even if taller fences are allowed, they are not always the right aesthetic choice. The look of a fence may be softened by shrubs and plantings along parts of its length. If these plantings are strategically placed, they can be very effective in screening specific views. If planning such an installation, be sure to evaluate the placement of these plantings from key locations inside the house and from your outdoor rooms. For tighter spacing along a fence, vines may grow twining through and create lovely effects.

If your solution is to plant for privacy, consider these ideas. Planting a single type of tree or shrub in a row is a somewhat formal look and may have some inherent downsides. The plants rarely grow at the same rate, and invariably one in the middle will not survive, wrecking the design. In addition, multiples of one type of plant is known as a monoculture, and can be vulnerable to potential losses should an issue occur with the particular cultivar chosen. Rather than plant a row of matching shrubs or trees, I like to mix up the plan by staggering the layout and selecting a mixture of plant types and sizes. This strategy produces a design with contrasts in texture, foliage, color, and scale. The landscaping effect is interesting, pleasing to look at, and grows more beautiful with time.

Visit my blog www.FandFdesign.com/blog for the skinny on my favorite trees and more tips on creating shade and privacy.

Vicki O’Neal, owner of FORM & FUNCTION, provides commercial and residential interior and landscape design. She is a professional member of ASID, VA Certified Interior Designer (CID), Master Gardener, and a VA Certified Landscape Designer and Horticulturist. The material contained in articles written by Vicki O’Neal is intended for general information only. 804.897.8558. www.form-and-function.us.