With sunshine at a premium in the Northwest, we crave it in our yards to both bask in and grow flowers. As a result, new building lots are often cleared of trees to allow for natural light.
Often overlooked in planning, shady spots evoke a sense of shelter, while offering relief from heat and rain. Even the most avid sun-seekers need shade sometimes.
We spoke to several Seattle designers to hear their secrets for cultivating shade in your outdoor spaces, from portable to long-term solutions.
Why dial up the shade?
Beyond keeping us cool and dry, shade has an emotional effect on us. Consider the difference in your experience of an exposed sidewalk without plantings versus one lined in mature trees. Even on a cloudy day, the trees feel welcoming and safe, perhaps as a vestige from our ancient memories of living on the savannas. On a hot day, they speak to us of water, photosynthesis and life.
Seattle designer Lisa Bauer of Chartreuse Landscape Design revels in the shade of her home garden.
“When you come into my yard, there is a feeling of moisture because of all the plants,” she says. “The overhead trees protect the plants below, and because I have no bare earth, it just feels cool and peaceful in the shade without that white glare of unfiltered sunlight.”
Practically, we may need shade more than ever. As temperatures heat up and weather patterns become more erratic, shelters — whether planted or built — can reduce the “urban heat island effect,” cooling down our gardens, offering relief to humans and plants. Properly sited shade structures and trees can cool down our homes, reducing energy bills, too.
Landscape designer Lisa Port of Banyon Tree Design Studio in Seattle says having a transition from part shade to sun lends extra comfort — especially as the weather zigzags.
“I think people need those different zones,” she says. “And frankly, with climate change, we are trying to figure out what grows in full sun,” so the plants may also welcome some shade.
In addition, designers say that considering the ceiling plane in your design by adding height with plants or pergolas will add depth to your landscape, creating a richer garden picture.
Assess your site and needs
Designer Courtney Olander of Shoreline-based Olander Garden Design says most of her clients are seeking to extend their living space outside.
“Usually, it’s around a gathering space because they want to be able to go out and have a place to sit or dine with friends and family,” she says. “We are trying to create another outdoor room that’s comfortable.”
Designers ask their clients to think about when and where they want to add shade, and the main ways they will use the space. Questions like: where is the sun across the year and throughout the day in your yard? What time of day and year do you like to be outside, and where is the sun at that time? And lastly, do you seek protection from rain as well as sun? Prioritizing your needs will make your plans — and budgeting — easier.
Before making any big changes, Port recommends spending time — a year, if possible — observing where you like to spend time outdoors.
Another consideration is whether you want the shade only seasonally or year-round. Take care siting trees or arbors that directly block windows in winter, designers say. You may want to preserve precious winter sun, so shade solutions in front of your windows should be ephemeral ones like umbrellas, deciduous trees, and open or retractable structures.
For shade year-round, perhaps for privacy or to block an unwanted view, solid structures or evergreen trees or shrubs would be best. The dense shade of evergreens limits your gardening options underneath, as well.
Plant-powered shade
While they need caretaking and time to grow, adding plants rather than pavement can help relieve flooding, increase biodiversity and wildlife habitat, and cool the environment.
Deciduous trees, Port says, leaf out just in time for our June-September entertaining season and preserve light during the winter. Many offer flowers, fruit, and striking structure and bark as well. Japanese Maples are a popular choice with year-round interest.
“Plants are a great solution if you don’t want to invest in a structure,” says Olander. “Carefully consider the location for a tree or a group of trees on the edge of a patio,” she says, looking at the care needs and ultimate height for your tree.
Consider the view underneath too, she says. Olander enjoys the delightful surprise of the pendant flowers of Magnolia sieboldii from late May through July. There are myriad options for beautiful underplanting beneath deciduous trees, from spring bulbs to tropical-looking schefflera (Schefflera sp.), fatsia (Fatsia sp.) and hosta (Hosta sp).
Don’t forget shrubs. Tall types like smoke bush (Cotinus sp.) can be pruned, or “arborized” into tree form with lovely canopies.
Over time, vines add a layer of cover to arbors, gates and pergolas. Clematis cultivars come in both evergreen and deciduous types. The designers agreed that lovely but vigorous wisteria (Wisteria sp.) isn’t for everyone — it requires significant support and pruning several times yearly. Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is an easier mild-mannered evergreen choice with fragrant repeat-blooming summer flowers.
Olander likes to brighten shady gardens with color. “You can make that shady spot more inviting if you can add a spot of brightness with something that draws your eye,” she says, citing gold-foliaged bleeding heart (Dicentra ‘Gold Heart’) Carex ‘Everillo’ and shade-loving flowers. Also, consider vivid garden art or pots, perhaps aided by some cafe lights.
Sheltering structures
Want to have it all? Companies like CabanaX and StruXure offer mechanized, louvered metal arbors whose roofs close with the touch of a button. Walls, roofs, lighting and heat are all options for a year-round room.
Wooden arbors are best made of cedar, either stained or allowed to weather to gray, Bauer says.
Clear polycarbonate roofs keep rain out while letting light in, but they need scrubbing annually to clear away algae or leaf litter.
Typically, Bauer says, structures that are either attached to a home or are larger than 10 feet by 20 feet require a permit, so check local requirements before laying your foundation.
They don’t need to be large, however — even a covered bench or a bench tucked under a tree makes a nice shady nook.
For seasonal sun protection, canvas sun shade sails give shade in the summer and can be stored away for winter. Port likes their contemporary look. Following installation instructions is key, especially if the sail is attached to the house, Olander says, lest a windstorm pull it off.
The simplest solution of all may be an umbrella. Lightweight, portable and adjustable, they range from basic to highly sophisticated; some even roll to follow the party. Bauer likes stand-alone models that save crucial seating space on the patio by being installed in the garden. In a pinch, a parasol offers quick shelter from the sun; some gardeners even use them for their heat-sensitive plants.
Creative options
Some outside-the-arbor ideas:
- Olander says laser-cut metal panels offer instant, lightweight shade that create lovely patterns on the ground.
- Enhance the impact of striking foliage or structure design by backlighting it to reveal the shadow play.
- In a sunken garden or patio, Port says you can create shade using smaller shrubs that don’t impact light in the rest of the garden the way a tree or full-sized arbor would.