We Australians are big outdoor enthusiasts and our obsession with our gardens has fully blossomed. But these hot months certainly make it difficult to really enjoy our outdoor areas year-round. If you find it challenging to keep your garden cool during the summer months, you’re not alone! Increased summer temperatures have become more of a problem for Australian gardens.
We’ve written some simple yet useful gardening tips on how to create cool areas in the garden during the hot summer months, including advice on the best plants to include and how to totally transform your outdoor space with a louvre roof.
Gardening tips to keep your garden cool during summer
1. Garden mulch is a good idea: Mulch, a natural blanket, is the ideal technique to keep your soil cool in the summer and prevent weed growth. A layer of mulch keeps your garden healthy, retains moisture in the ground, keeps it cool, and limits evaporation.
2. Plant shade-loving plants: Plant trees, bushes, and vines to develop shade and reduce the temperature in the garden and its surrounding region to counteract the heat-absorbing surfaces. Designing your garden with carefully planted vegetation is a great way to keep your garden cool during summer as this may reduce the garden temperature by 20 degrees!
Planting trees with lush foliage is ideal, but be careful to match the size of the trees you pick to the size of your yard. Some of the best shade-loving plants in Western Australia are:
- Mona Lavender or Plectranthus
- Winter Daphne or Daphne odora
- Foxglove or Digitalis
- Winter Roses or Helleborus orientalis
3. Cover your garden with a canvas or shade sail: Hot summer months result in numerous problems and stress for plants. Not to mention the damage sun can do to our own health! But by covering an area of your garden with canvas or a shade sail you can provide some respite from the summer sun.
4. Add small water features: Small water features like a waterfall, fountain, birdbath, or rock pond are an affordable way to keep the garden cool. The addition of a small water feature also provides you and your visitors with a pleasant, serene, and peaceful outdoor area.
5. Help pots remain cool: Potted plants are vulnerable to high temperatures, especially terracotta pots. If possible, try placing them out of full sun exposure. Don’t forget that leaving potted plants submerged in water saucers increases mosquito breeding and root rotting. Instead, place them in saucers loaded with damp sand to keep your plants healthy and cool.
6. Plant bright-colour plants: Results indicate that a material’s ability to absorb heat depends on its colour, with black absorbing the highest heat and bright colours like white reflecting heat. As well as reflecting heat and looking absolutely beautiful, brightly coloured flowers will also attract pollinators such as honey bees and butterflies. Win-win!
Some vibrantly coloured plants you may wish to plant are:
- Xerochrysum – everlasting daisies
- Lemon Verbena
- Pink Rock Lily Dendrobium
- Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos
- The Golden Wattle
7. Installation of a pergola or louvre roof: Pergolas provide gardens with some shade, protecting them from harsh sunlight. Take your shaded area to the next level with a louvred roof. Our louvre roofs allow you to change your environment at the touch of a button. You can choose whether to close the blades providing shelter from the sun and rain, or open the slats to let sunlight through. Installing a louvre roof will transform your garden, making it more comfortable and of course, very stylish. Here at Louvre Shade, we have unrivalled experience in supplying and installing louvre roofs in Perth and beyond.
8. Pruning trees and shrubs: Whilst having trees and shrubs can provide shade and therefore cool your garden, it is recommended to keep them pruned. Here in Perth, we’re blessed with a lovely breeze (aka the ‘Fremantle Doctor’) that comes daily to relieve us from the harsh summer sun. Keeping your trees and shrubs pruned will allow the wind to easily flow through your garden. It also encourages branch growth which will widen the canopy of trees, let them breathe and keep them healthier for longer.
9. Paint garden beds and walls white: As we mentioned earlier, bright colours reflect light. Therefore, by painting your garden beds and walls white, you’ll help to keep those areas cooler. You’ll also give your garden a gorgeous Mediterranean look which we love!
10. Watch how much water your garden needs: Keep an eye on your garden’s watering needs and be sure to make use of your watering allocation days. It’s better to give your flower beds and grass a good soaking twice a week, rather than a little amount often. Be sure to water early morning or evening when the sun is not at its strongest. This gives the water time to be thoroughly absorbed.
11. Don’t forget to remove weeds: Pesky weeds will drink the water you’re using on your garden, leaving less for the plants and grass you want to keep healthy and hydrated. Therefore, for optimal results, weed your garden once a week, or at the very least, twice per month. It’ll be much easier to remove the weeds from your garden if you keep on top of it. Young weeds can be pulled out far easier than the long-term residents.
So, there you have it! Plenty of ways to keep your garden cool this summer. If you would like to talk to us about installing a louvre roof please don’t hesitate to get in touch.