I have always been cautious about buying real estate with big trees. So when I saw our new place, I was glad that none of these sculptural plants might require arborist or other attention. However, over time, the lack of shade puts a burden on me and my plants. This is a hot place in summer, and my plants are often dissatisfied with the heat and light they are forced to experience.
There are big trees in the fields around the farm. There should be some clues to the wind and heat. I get it now. No trees can provide some shade and windbreak, we are exposed to strong sunlight. This is great for my vegetable garden, but not great for many of my basic and ornamental plants. In fact, I have lost quite a lot of specimens. They said they like full sunlight, but they are not prepared for the sunlight they will receive. It is ruthless.
No matter where you are, we have sunshine. The mildest light is on the east side, and the plants get a respite at noon. Any other side of the property is exposed to unyielding sunlight. We can stay away from vampires during the day, but our plants may droop, wrinkle, burn, and sometimes eventually give up. Choose plants carefully, unless I want to lose money.
There are indeed some successes. I bought a lunggrass and said it can provide partial shade. So I planted it under a big old apple tree, there will be shade in the afternoon. The poor thing struggled all summer. If I watered it in the morning, it would have drooped by noon. So I watered it twice a day. This spring, I saw me walking around among a bunch of plants, trying to make them less bright. Blueberry moved to the east of the house. The small lung grass was moved behind a set of garden screens. These reduce the amount of light after noon and provide some cover for our terrace. I was rewarded with purple-blue flowers. The leaves are lively and spreading. The leaves are happy, and the plants are happy too. Obviously, it is not a solar plant at all.
An early housewarming gift was a sunshade sail. These are no longer needed. I would love to use them, they will help create some shadows. However, our wind will see them sailing literally. I don't know how to stabilize them so that they won't be torn to pieces. This is a good idea that will help me full of sunshine plants.
Dealing With a Shade Deficit
In short, we have no shadows. If I have any questions about a plant, I won't buy it at all. My favorite these days are free plants. If I see a neighbor’s plant that I want, I will ask if I can split, cut the stem, or whatever propagation method needs to be adopted. Then, once I start the new factory, if it fails in the summer, I won't feel too bad. Selection of plants is a prediction of 50-50. Even solar plants may fail here. Sunny plants just don’t know what they register in this dry, hot landscape.
