Preparing Your Garden for Summer: A Guide to Crafting Refreshing Light Shade

If you are anything like us, then you must be excited about summer being around the corner. We are ready for the days of lounging in the sun and enjoying our outdoor spaces once more. However, whilst the sun has been dearly missed during the winter months, it’s important that we create shaded spots amongst our gardens. In this article, we will be exploring how to prepare your garden for summer by crafting shade throughout your outdoor space. 

Our Guide To Different Garden Shades

Having shaded spots throughout your garden is a must – particularly when you are trying to escape the summer heat. But did you know that having an oasis away from the sun can also be good for your plants? With reduced exposure to sunlight, your plants and soil will also not get as hot. This means they will stay hydrated for longer and improve their water retention.  

Creating shady spots amongst our garden should definitely be part of our summer-ready checklist. There are many different types of garden shades, including:

  • Parasols – These are typically created with more delicate fabrics such as cotton, linen or canvas.
  • Pergolas – A structure that stands in a garden and consists of vertical posts that will support a roofing grid of cross-beams. 
  • Arbours – An arbour is a vertical, typically with an arched structure that consists of two or four posts with a simple slatted roof.
  • Shade sails – Made by creating tension from four fixed points, this device creates outdoor shade based on the textile basic technology that can be found in a ship’s sails.
  • Patio umbrellas – Usually unfixed to the ground, a patio umbrella can be moved around the outdoor garden space.

Depending on your style and what aesthetic you are trying to achieve in your outdoor space, there are plenty of options when it comes to garden shades. Another great way to bring sunless spots in your garden is also through trees. Trees are the natural sun blocker of the garden and can be planted in specific ways that cast a refreshing shield from the summer heat. During your outdoor design process, you can speak with your gardening team about creating a space which can benefit you all year round – including summer!

Garden Design: Assessing Your Garden

Before choosing from the range of shading options, it’s important to assess your garden. For larger spaces, you are going to want to create a few shady spots throughout. You may want to look at the maintenance of said shades and look into low-maintenance alternatives if you are going to have a few. 

For example, parasols work perfectly next to a pool and can shield you from the sun during your summer dips. For large seating areas, many opt for pergolas as these built in structures can also protect you from the rain.

Choosing Shade-Providing Plants

As mentioned above, gardens and trees can be used in a natural way to form shade in the garden. With towering trees planted around the edge of your outdoor space, their shadows will create sun-less spots for you to escape the heat of the summer sun.  In addition to gardens and trees, there are also some large plants which can not only provide shade, but also thrive in it, including: 

  • Lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis.
  • Wake robin, Trillium grandiflorum.
  • Lilyturf, Liriope muscari.
  • Shuttlecock fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris.
  • Japanese shield fern, Dryopteris erythrosora.
  • Hart’s tongue fern, Asplenium scolopendrium.
  • Pachysandra terminalis.

Installing Shade Structures

Incorporating pergolas, arbours and parasols can create dappled shade in your garden, which is not only useful, but can also be aesthetically pleasing. As well as protecting you from the sun, shade structures can also serve as decorative elements. 

In addition to the list of shade options above, you can also go one step further and pitch a fabric tent in your outdoor space. After all, ‘tents don’t have to just be for camping. Canopy-style tents offer ample shelter from the sun and also create a glamping-esque experience that can be a fun addition to your garden.’ 

Another summer garden trend that has popped up over the years is garden rooms. Garden rooms don’t need to have walls and they can ‘offer a private place to sit away from the glaring rays of the sun and the gaze of neighbours’.

BZ Gardens – Garden and Tree Experts 

Now is the perfect time to start getting your garden ready for summer. With spring finally here, our gardens are in full bloom and the maintenance work will also be ramping up. Here at BZ Gardens, we understand how important your garden is during the summer months. Not only is it a space to entertain guests, but it’s also a safe haven for you to enjoy. Our team of friendly experts will be able to help you maintain all of your outdoor structures, including your choice in shading options. If you would like more information, please contact our team at 01483 967160.

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