sail shades

Has anybody put a sail shade in their garden? I have a hot south facing garden, I'm a newbie to gardening and discovering a lot of what i like are shade loving, any other suggestions to create shade?

 

Hi, madflower. The "real" sail shades can be expensive, albeit glamorous! Our kitchen patio is a sun trap with two white walls of the house bordering it and a large "bread oven" on the third wall ... the fourth side being south facing! :eek:

We have bought inexpensive 90% blockout (you can get 70% and 100% here also green gardening mesh. A roll 1.5 metres wide and 10 metres long gave us two "sails" and I think it was about 12 Euros (about �£8.40). Buying it "loose", cut for you off a roll is cheaper.

It certainly does the trick with, keeps plants and the kitchen cooler. We put it up around May and take it down about October, roll it up and put it away. This is our second year ... so down to �£4.20 for the luxury of shade!

Possibly B&Q or other garden nursery would sell it ... worth checking into.

PS And the plants on the patio are loving it! :D

 

Hi Madflower. easiest and most enjoyable way to make shade is to plant a tree or six. Magic!!

 

Thankyou for the replys, great idea about the block out Lady, you must have to work real hard to stop everything from frazzling Would love to plant a tree Jazid but have a tinee tiny space , have you had a look at the pics of Banannamans trees? absoultely lush, made me green. I have an acer in a pot, does that count?

 

If it's tall enough to sit under!! :D

Would you have space for bamboo? That might be easier to fit in, and it does the same job pretty quickly.

 

Agree, Dendro, we also have a bamboo shade in front of the bedroom window ... cost a wee bit more than the "sails" but looks more rustic. Either way, you have to have support posts!

 

I love those sail shades madflower, if I had room I definitely would. I was planning to do something similar with wooden posts and kite fabric over the deck but I opted for bamboo in raised beds and v.large planters. Also the tree ferns do a great job and although expennsive don't take up much room. Other trees that are readily available and sold as natural parasols are catalpa's. They can be quite expensive and I bought a cheaper one and raised it up in an open bottom oak barrel. Thanks for looking at the BMs trees post :D

Bamboo I would recomend would be Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'and Phyllostachys aureosulcata ââ?¬Ë?Spectabilisââ?¬â?¢, both whoppingly lush and gorgeous!

Also consider some of the larger miscanthus which will give you tall shade.

BM

 

I've seen Gunnera in huge tubs , raised on columns. The shade underneath is quite something, and it makes a fine 'architectural' feature.

Only prob with bamboos BM (and I LOVE them - especially aureosulcata 'Spectabilis') is they are so greedy it rather restricts what Madflower could grow underneath them..

I chucked one of the above in a clients garden in a pot in her besement, and it produces fresh canes over 8m high every year that do the job they were designed for: to shade her first storey roof terrace and provide pretty canes to look at in the basement!

 

Yes they are greedy and do shed a little too.

Did someone say gunnera in tubs, a fine suggestion, only I would go bigger for the ultimate canopy :D

 

Hi bananaman, jazid and all tree/shade lovers everywhere Would love to grow a bamboo, do they get out of hand in containers, and how big would a container need to be? B-man your trees are just beauts,make my heart go all, , and my head go all . Is it to late for me to buy a bamboo now? How do i look after them in the winter? what kind of soil/feeding do they need, im really new to all this, , so bear with me :D

 

hi BM, this is FANCY calling from leicester, how are you. I've been busy just lately in the lions den. one question I WANT TO CLARIFY ABOUT THE CANOPY OF SHADE,before I put my trees down,will I still have green grass under the canopy? I worry about my new lawn. :D :D

 

Show off, BM, and you Jazid!, what if the lovely madflower wants shade this year? Get her going for future years (if you know what I mean) and in the meantime she needs sails or bamboo overhead ...

Listening, madflower?

 

Hi Lol, I love the sail shades, go for it. bamboo/whatever in pots can be moved to accomodate the sail :D

Madflower, I will put together some bamboo info for you but I haven't got time right now, 'BM will get back to you' :D

 

I've recently bought well established, non-invasive bamboo for customers, to do exactly this job, and it cost me just under �£70 for the three plants. I don't know how mush more it would cost at a garden centre, but have a look on-line - if you can find a nursery that grows them, you could ask them for advice. One I use might be too far away for you, but they do mail-order. I didn't get the particular bamboos from them, as I could get them cheaper elsewhere, but that's only for trade, sorry!
http://www.binnyplants.co.uk/catalogue.php

 

hello, dendro, b-man, jazid, and lady i'm all ears, really do need shade hyper warp speed lady if these hot summers are to continue. Really appreciate all the feedback, it's so easy to get all :eek: , when you don't really know anything, so again many thanks. B-man will look out for the bamboo advise. Just been looking at ladys pics in the gallery and jazids WOW, i won't be able to sleep now up all night thinking of al-fresco living(ladys), gorgeous borders(jazids) and huge trees(b-mans), i've only got about three plants :D , never mind give a couple a three years and i'll be posting my pics Thanks again