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Shade Is Not For Everyone

70426thumbThere is no way around it. Just about every garden has some degree of shade. Even low profile single story houses without eaves or fences are shaded on the north side. Eastern exposures get the cooler morning sun. Western exposures get only the warmer afternoon sun. There are vacant and treeless parcels out in the desert that lack shade, but not many of us are gardening out there.

Shade is very often an asset, which is why shade trees are so popular for shading both gardens and homes. Eaves and awnings are architectural features that shade windows and doorways. Arbors, lath roofs and patio umbrellas provide shade for patios where trees are lacking or insufficient. Without shade, garden spaces can get too uncomfortably warm to be useful during summer.

The problem with too much shade is that, although it makes the garden more comfortable and useful for some things, it also makes the garden less useful for gardening. Roses, vegetable plants and most flowering annuals need good exposure. Lawn, the carpeting for some of the more useful of garden spaces, can be sparse where it is too shaded. Sunlight is as important as shade is.

This is one of the many reasons it is so important to select the proper trees for each application. Big trees are nice, but might shade too much area. Evergreen trees that are good for obscuring unwanted views at a distance, will prevent warming sunlight from reaching parts of the home through winter if they are too close. Neighboring gardens and homes need to be considered as well.

Planning functional gardens is of course not always simple. Most of us contend with trees, shrubbery and vines that are too big and shady, either in our own gardens or in neighboring gardens. Climbing vines like wisteria, honeysuckle and trumpet vine, are notorious for growing far beyond their intended applications. It sometimes becomes necessary to remove overgrown or crowded plants, or prune them for confinement. Big plants that can not be contained will limit the choices for other plants that share their space.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 17 Comments

Winter Coat

P80117Wire haired terriers know how it works. They wear wiry hair through summer to shade their skin while allowing cooling air circulation. Their softer and fuzzier undercoat that develops in autumn provides better insulation from cold weather through winter.

Beards are not naturally so adaptable, but can be manipulated to function better. Thick beards might insulate and deflect wind through winter. Short beards may not work as well in that regard, but might absorb warmth from sunlight if still darkly colored. As weather gets warmer in spring, beards can simply be removed to optimize cooling air circulation, and eliminate the extra insulation. However, long and gray beards can provide shade without absorbing much warmth from sunlight.

Have you ever noticed that plants that live near foggy coasts or in the lower levels of shady jungles and forests are the darkest green? They want to absorb all the sunlight they can get. Monterey pine, Monterey cypress, coast redwood and the many ferns that live on the ground below them are classic examples.

Plants that live in exposed situations or high elevations are lighter green. Some have glaucous foliage that is shaded gray or blue to reflect a bit of sunlight. Colorado blue spruce, silver leaved mountain gum, century plant and silver sage exemplify this technique. The old man cactus actually shades itself with weirdly elongated spines that resemble gray hair.

English walnut, maple, apple and pear have sensitive bark that would get burned if too exposed during summer. Yet, they are all deciduous and bare through winter. They do not mind, because the intensity of the sunlight through winter is inhibited by the low angle of the sun. By the time the sun is higher in the sky, and the sunlight is more direct (passing through less of the atmosphere at the higher angle), the sensitive bark will be shaded by new foliage.P71019

Posted on by tonytomeo · 4 Comments

Plants Are Particular About Exposure

1212121032One of the most important differences between plants and animals is that animals are ‘animated’, and plants are not. Aquatic plants might float about, and might even drift into more favorable situations. Vines and plants with creeping rhizomes can likewise relocate. Otherwise, most plants are confined to the same locations where they grew naturally, or where they were planted. They need to get it right from the beginning.

Most landscape plants that are commonly available in local nurseries are fortunately suited to local climates. A few tropical plants that prefer milder climates, as well as a few plants that prefer cooler winters, can be found; but most plants that prefer other climates are simply unavailable here. Yet, even within their preferred climates, the many diverse plants in our gardens are affected by many other environmental factors.

Exposure is nearly as important as climate is. Some plants need to be completely exposed, while some prefer shelter from heat, cold, wind or sunlight. It all depends on how they live in their natural environments. Some naturally live out in the open. Others live in dense forests, where they need to compete with other plants for sunlight. Even if we do not know where our plants come from, we should know what they require.

Japanese maples are understory trees that naturally grow in the partial shade of larger trees in mixed forests. Some types can do well in full sun exposure, but are likely get roasted by reflected glare, or dry wind. Lace-leaf Japanese maples are more sensitive to exposure, so prefer partial shade in the afternoon, and shelter from wind. However, too much shade compromises foliar color of the red and bronze leafed types.

Most cacti and some types of yucca are just the opposite. They naturally live out in deserts, without any significant competition. In home gardens, they will lean away from shade. Knowing what plants want helps to find the best exposures for them.