In a sunny garden, creating shady spots can be a great way to enjoy being outside on hot, sunny days. Not only does shade provide a break from the summer sun but it also lowers temperatures, which can bring comfort when it’s blisteringly hot. Whether you want somewhere to sit, relax, read, eat or entertain, there are lots of great shade options to suit almost every garden style and your budget.
Where to create garden shade
Depending on the aspect of your garden, you may want to create shade in the morning, middle of the day or afternoon. A south-facing garden will have sun for most of the day but in east- or west-facing gardens the sun will be more intense at certain times. The sun rises in the east, travels round to the south and sets in the west, with the middle of the day usually bringing the most intense heat and sunshine. Take time to plot where you need shade and how much you need – enough for a hammock to lie in and read, or more shade to accommodate a table with several chairs?
How to create instant shade
The dappled shade of trees, large shrubs or plant-clad structures, such as obelisks and pergolas, is highly desirable, but unless you have a large budget to accommodate mature plants, ‘living’ shade takes time to create. Instead, for instant shade, there’s an enormous selection of garden furniture, accessories and structures such as parasols, awnings, sails and awnings to choose from.
Budget shade ideas
The best materials for outdoor shade are durable ones that will withstand the strength of the sun’s ultra-violet rays. However, it’s possible to make a cheap outdoor canopy by buying material to make your own shade ‘sail’, which you can tie to three or four points over a specific area, including tree branches or
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If a cup of coffee (or several!) are part of your morning or afternoon routine, it's likely that you've tossed a lot of grounds. Coffee grounds are actually full of organic matter and are wonderful to add to the compost pile to create a nutrient-rich amendment. There have been some misconceptions about used coffee grounds and whether it's a good idea to add them directly to your soil, and your houseplants.
Hi GPODers! Imagine never having to pack up and leave the lake house after summer vacation is over. Today we’re in the garden of Peter and Geri Riendeau, who made that dream a reality. However, after finally settling into their retirement dream home they built on a beautiful lake in southern Maine, they were still hard at work. They spent nearly a decade creating the dream garden to match this slice of paradise.
Pollinators are drawn to bright flowers like yellow, purple, red, blue, orange, and even pink. They also love blooms that have a sweet scent and easily accessible nectar.
Hi GPODers! While most gardens could certainly be described as “special” this space gives that adjective even more meaning. Today we’re looking at the memorial garden that John Svinos created for his late father in New Jersey:
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Gardening is not just a hobby, it is a way of life that allows us to get closer to nature. In our country, only 50 no deposit free spins in casinos can compete in terms of popularity with gardening, which has a special place in the hearts of millions of people. The history of British gardening goes back centuries, and this activity continues to attract more and more enthusiasts. In this article, we take a look at the best garden centres in the UK that offer a wide range of plants and gardening products, high quality service and many additional services. Whatever your preferences and level of expertise, you are sure to find something useful and interesting for you.
Hey GPODers! If you’re savvy on social media and your IG feed is full of gardens that make you say, “How do they possibly do it??” You might recognize today’s submitter, Valerie or @cottageandblossom. Today we’re looking at her enviable greenhouse and gorgeous cutting garden:
Every guy needs a chill zone to escape the daily grind and just kick back. If this sounds like what you need, think about making a man cave for yourself. It's up to you to pick its purpose — be it a place to fix things, a spot to exercise, an area to play video games, or something unique. With some creativity, you can change a plain garden shed into a fantastic spot to do everything a man cave entails! Here’s a top guide for turning that shed into your ideal man cave.
Hi GPODers! Today we’ve got an incredible garden story from a frequent GPOD contributor that is a demonstration of how magically small our big world can be. Bas Suharto has previously shown off gardens he has designed and built (check out some of those submissions: Building a Garden With Bas and Building a Japanese-Inspired Garden) as well as his own incredible home gardens (Parterre Garden in Ottawa and A Japanese-Style Garden in Ottawa). But the garden in this most recent submission caught Bas’ eye long before he was asked to lend a helping hand the space.
A garden patio provides a versatile space for you to dine, relax, cook and eat food, and even grow plants. It can be designed to complement the overall look of the garden, incorporate seating and/or storage, and include any ‘must-haves’ like a built-in barbecue or pizza oven. Before you start choosing your new patio, work out how much space you have and what you want from it – do you need space for a barbecue and dining or seating area? Do you want to have planting pockets in the patio itself or will you be happy with container displays? And how about installing some eco functionality to your garden while the patio is being dug, such as creating a land drain, soakaway or underground water storage tank, to reduce the amount of rainwater being sent into the sewerage system and even save water to use on your garden?
With garden openings over for 2024, my ramblings around the garden involve a combination of “this is gorgeous!”, “aren’t we fortunate?”, “thank goodness that’s over” and “how can I improve this?”. Already thoughts have turned to potential ‘tweaks’, nothing major, and ways to improve things I don’t feel have really worked – perhaps I will write a post on them in due course…
In January I visited the world’s largest horticultural show in Essen, Germany, and came away with some great take-aways, but I was especially impressed with the significant trend of pruning, training and grafting certain plants into new and unusual forms.