How to create shade in a south facing garden
When buyers are looking to buy a property one of the features they may look for is a south facing garden as this means that for most of the day the garden will be sunny however having the sun shining on the garden during the hottest part of the day can have advantages and disadvantages. If you have solar panels fitted on the roof of the property the electricity generated is greater if the roof is south facing so this is financially beneficial but using the garden in the intense heat during a sunny afternoon can mean that you either have to go indoors or try to find a shady place somewhere in the garden. If there are children in the family who enjoy playing outside it is essential that they have a shaded place to play to keep them safe from the effects of the sun on their skin. There are many solutions to this problem and depending on your preference they can be a permanent fixed solution or a temporary, removeable one.
If it is decided that a permanent solution is needed to provide shade in the garden there are two answers, a natural one and a manufactured one. Planting a tree or two in the garden to provide shade is a lovely idea but the issue is that they will take time to grow and get established so it may be that this is a long-term answer to this sunny problem. A quicker and lasting solution to this issue is to build a structure of some sort to give some shade to the sunny garden. This could be a gazebo or pergola with a solid roof or a more open structure with plants growing over the roof struts. This structure can be an attractive addition to any garden not just one that needs shade especially if covered with sweet smelling honeysuckle or a rambling rose. Careful planning will be needed to make sure these more permanent features are situated in the correct place to provide the required amount of shade.
To provide a more temporary shading solution a retractable awning or large parasol may be more suitable. Large sun sails are becoming a popular feature in many gardens and as long as the garden is sheltered from strong winds these should provide the shade that is needed. The beauty with these solutions to having a sunny south facing garden is that they can be changed to compliment other garden features and furniture that may be in the outdoor space.