Few things are as relaxing as hanging out in your backyard in the shade, whether you are reading a book, watching the kids play, or simply taking a nap. However, during the hotter summer months, hanging out in your own backyard can seem like more of a chore if you don’t have an ample amount of shade. After all, who wants to get burned by the sun all day? Here are some different ways to make your yard made in the shade…
Find out where your yard needs shade
The first thing you need to do to get more shade in your yard is plan out a section of your yard to utilize for shade. Once you’ve done this, it becomes a lot easier to determine what method will work best to give your yard some shade.
Trees
One of the most popular ways, and certainly one of the most natural ways to get shade into your yard is simply to plant trees in your yard. Once they get tall enough, trees provide a beautiful, natural aesthetic to your yard, and the leaves that stretch above you will provide several hours of relaxing shade throughout the day.
Pergolas
If your yard doesn’t have any trees, yet (something very common with newer homes), then it can be incredibly useful and fitting for your home’s outer decor to build a pergola over your deck or patio. The hatched wooden design of pergolas already works to filter out a lot of the sunlight that can hit your outer social areas, but you can even work to give your yard more shade by putting a screen or cover over the top of your pergola.
Set up umbrellas around tables
If all you want to do is have some shade for barbecues and have a shaded place for people to sit when you have an outdoor gathering, then a very simple solution to your shade problem could be to simply utilize a hardy outdoor umbrella on the tables on your deck or patio. Many times, these umbrellas can contribute aesthetically, as well.
Use wisteria, vines, or ivy
Another useful way to get shade over your yard’s social areas, especially if you have a pergola, is to grow plants over a wooden frame structure (like a pergola). Vines or ivy are especially good for this purpose, but using wisteria can be a very high-class option that adds color to your home’s outer decor.