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Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Reviewing Shading and Shielding Garden Plants From The Sun

Plants Shaded From Intense Sun With Shade Cloth

This summer we have had a total of four heatwaves, this is really unusual for where I live. Generally, most of my life, we have been fortunate to get a few sunny warm weeks, often having cloudier days and rainy times in the summer. However this year has been very dry with hardly any rain since early spring and fierce heat during the heatwaves for this part of the world. If this is a trend that is developing I am thinking that long term my gardening will need to change and short term I need strategies to get plants thought the summers with shading.

Many of my beautiful plants are ones that are suited to mild summers with some sun but not intense sun. This year they have really suffered. The scorching rays of the sun has burned their leaves and I have noticed that even the a few days after I watered them they are wilting again. Many have not grown this year as they should and the stunted growth has been noticeable.

Shade really matters in a garden and I am lucky to have one side of the garden that faces north so this year I crammed all the plants that could be moved and those in pots into this shady area. However there were many plants that could not be moved or I did not have room for or where too big or heavy to move at this stage so they had to be in the south or west facing areas that were getting the most intense sunshine for weeks on end.

I tried all the usual tricks to make shade which are still very valid tips.

Grouping the plants together in pots all together so that they would help each other with humidity and shade.
Putting the bigger sturdier leafier ones at the front and the more delicate smaller ones at the back to protect them more.
Water deeply so the water gets to the roots. This is better strategy than little and often, though a hosepipe ban did not help this situation.
Use saucers under as many pots as possible to give a water resevoir
Moving plants under the shade of trees or large shrubs or to a north facing area.

However this year none of this was enough and I started looking into alternative shading devices and products.

Why Does Shade Matter To Plants?

Some plants adore the sunshine while others can take it in small doses or for half a day while others hate it.

They are very much like people in that respect ! However in a heatwave situation, especially if it goes on for more than a day or two even all but the most resilient sun lovers need a respite.

Shading helps plants in the following ways:

It helps reduce or prevent sun scorching of their leaves and reduces the leaf temperature
Lowers the stress on the plants
Keeps them flowering a little longer. many of my sun stressed plants flowered and went to seed much more quickly than normal.
Helps conserve water loss, no matter how much you water if they are in full sun and heat it evaporates quicker.

Here Are The Shading Materials I Tried

Old bedding sheets - I found these quite useful and for this purpose and free as I already had them. They were not too bad, but were not UV resistant and the airflow was not great, so did not work as well as I had hoped.

It also felt a little strange and a bit messy laying out sheets in the front garden where passers by and neighbours were looking on. Also not really easy to clean in the garden, I sponged off any bird droppings etc but they really needed a wash after a couple weeks. Still it was better than nothing and was Ok in the back garden.

White Fleece- this is the fleece I usually use in winter to wrap terracotta plant pots and very cold hating plants up in for a winter blanket. It did work quite well wrapping it around some black pots I had as now the pots looked white and I hoped more heat resistant as black generally absorbs heat, while white deflects it more.

I wrapped it around some of the plants foliage as well and it worked fairly well to shade the plants but I did worry that they were getting too hot, so spent quite a lot of time wrapping and unwrapping them to give them good enough ventilation. Also I had to wrap very loose around the plant to allow better airflow. So really I found it good for wrapping the black plant pots themselves, but less so for wrapping the plants.

Umbrellas! Yes this was one of my more inventive ideas I think. I used several large umbrellas we have in the extreme heat to shade out delicate plants. I have to say it did work very well at shading although it was not easy when there was a breeze as well to keep it in the right place, but if total shade is what required this can be a possible option. They were also easy to clean.

They certainly reduced water evaporation and no leaves got scorched so I would say really quite successful. I only used umbrellas when the sun was at its height though as I wanted the plants to have some light. They will only work for one plant at a time though, not bigger beds.

I think the neighbours thought it slightly odd, but were too polite to say anything !! I do think that the UV sun umbrellas would have worked even better.

If you only have one special plant that you need to shield from the sun and don't mind being a little quirky in the garden and can find a way to hold it down in a breeze, then maybe a sun umbrella will suffice!

G4Free UPF 50+ UV Protection Large Travel Umbrella 42/46 Inch Auto Open Close Windproof Sun Blocking UmbrellaCheck Price

Shade Netting or Cloth

This is specialised netting, very dense tight netting or cloth that gives really good shade, many around 40% to 90% shade and is UV resistant and has good airflow. It is this UV resistance and airflow that differentiates this from all the other shade materials I tried. My plants seemed really happy with this one.

I went for a higher percentage shade as I really needed to protect the plants from the strong, intense sunshine we were getting but still to allow some light through to them.

It was easy to lay over the plants and easy to work with. I simply secured it via bamboo stakes. As I take it off every evening I don't want it as a permanent structure.

The airflow was better using this than with the other shading methods and the plants felt cooler underneath it.

For cleaning I just rinsed it with a watering can, or a hosepipe would be fine. It didn't really get very dirty.

Some shade cloths or mesh are better quality than others and some more sturdy than others. I did not leave mine out in very windy conditions but in a breeze it was fine. If you intend to leave it out in windy weather then you will need to buy a more sturdy version. For my needs a more simple option was fine. I have included a variety below for you to consider.

JOJOLEE 70% Sun Shade Cloth, 10x20FT Shade Net Mesh Tarp with GrommetsCheck Price 90% Shade Cloth for Garden -12 x 20 FT Durable Mesh Tarp with GrommetsCheck Price QLOFEI Shade Cloth for Garden, 70% Sun Screens for Patio Pergola OutdoorCheck Price

How To Use Shading Materials

Know where the sun is strongest in your garden at what time of day. Unless you have a lot of shading materials you may need to move it around during the day. We have one area that is south facing all day it is hot so the shading stays there. However I move the East and West facing shading around the garden as needed just once a day as the sun moves around. I also take it all off at night.

We have a lot of birds in our garden and one of my concerns was that they might get trapped in the material so I checked it regularly and took it off at night.

I secured the material as much as possible and as taught as possible, so that it did not flap about in any breeze or allow spaces birds could get into it easily

I did my best to keep it away from the plants by using bamboo poles and sticks or hoops just to raise it above the foliage. This allows better airflow around the plants and keeps it off the leaves and flowers.

I didn't do this, but you can make retractable awnings which are very useful for raised beds or larger containers or make a more permanent structure by hanging it and then rolling up and down as you need it.

Although I love the long days and light nights this summer has been challenging as a gardener. At times I have felt like it is more simply keeping the plants alive rather than helping them to thrive. If we are going to get more summers like this one I know that my gardening strategies, habits and routines are going to have to change including what I grow and how to best shade my plants.

I do think that of all the shading I tried for plants that cannot be moved into the shade of a tree or shrub, the Shade netting is the best due the the UV protection, airflow and ease of cleaning. For now I am glad we are reaching autumn soon and can look forward to cooler days and hopefully some rain!!

Variety of Garden Plants, mauve, silver and green

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Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Reviewing How To Put The Garden To Bed For Winter

During late October and early November, I start putting the garden to bed. I like that expression, it makes me feel like I am doing my last caring duties for our garden this year and then the garden and myself can rest in the long cold dark days of winter.

Of course, there will always be jobs to do all year round. I do need to prune the climbing roses and I need to do a little hedge cutting later on, but the bulk of the autumn work in our garden is over and the best thing I can do now is to enjoy the autumn colors of the trees and plants still flowering or bearing berries and then let it rest.

What Is Putting The Garden To Bed?

Well for us it is to make sure that the plants in the garden can survive a winter full of winds, gales, heavy rain and snow.

Here are a few key tasks I do in my garden. This is not an exhaustive list and will depend on what sort of garden you have.

Protect Plants From Wind Damage

I need to make sure that plants are not too damaged by high winds. So for example we have several lovely Buddleia and Lavataria.

All summer they have given us beautiful flowers and attracted many bees and butterflies. They all grow very tall so are at risk of wind rock and breaking branches. So about October, I reduce their height using loppers by about half. This prevents any issues and still gives a decent size plant at about 4 feet high. In Spring I will prune the Buddleia to about a foot high but this autumn prune is simply to prevent damage.

I repeat this with any other shrubs or plants that may be in danger. For this, depending on the thickness of growth you may use loppers or shears or these Wolf ByPass Secateurs

However, never prune Spring flowering plants now or you will not have any flowers next year. Also, it is too late to prune lavender now as any tender new growth may be frost-damaged.

Care Of The Grass In Winter

The last cut here will be around the end of October. We tend to leave the grass a little longer over winter but it is a personal thing. We use a manual lawnmower which suits our small lawn and us very well. If you are considering a new lawnmower here is my review of the Benefits And Drawbacks Of A Manual Lawnmower.

It is useful to do autumn spiking of the lawn with a fork or special tool then brush grit into the holes to help with drainage. If you feel the lawn needs feeding now is the time to give it an autumn feed.

The other main thing to do is to keep off the grass if you can when it is sodden with rain. Walking on it too much will cause damage.

scattered leaves in a variety of fall colors

Uses Of Autumn Leaves

Gather fallen leaves into a wire netting bin or wooden bin or in bags with holes punched in for drainage, water well and leave to rot down so you can have lovely free leaf mold this time next year!

Add a layer of mulch to your borders. A thick layer of leaves or compost will enrich the soil and make it a great habitat for worms and other beneficial insects that love to live in the soil.

Here Are More Details On The Joys And Uses Of Autumn Leaves

Make A Wildlife Habitat This Autumn

One of the best things we can do this Autumn/Fall is to make more habitat for wildlife in our gardens. Anything we need to cut down do not throw away but make into a big pile in a quiet corner of the garden. I aim for as little as possible to leave the garden, rather to recycle it within the garden.

This pile of logs, leaves, sticks will make a great winter retreat for insects, spiders, hedgehogs and all manner of overwintering creatures.

In turn, they will make your garden a healthier more balanced place for predators and prey and nature to work is magic.

Fleecing Tender Plants In Autumn

One of the main tasks we do is to buy a great roll of fleece and proceed to wrap up all the tender of more delicate plants. We do not have a large greenhouse so they all have to stay outdoors and most would not survive a winter left to fend for themselves.

If you do have a greenhouse then it is easy to just move all your tender plants in for the winter.

However, I have found that a thick protective covering of fleece works really well. All I need to do then is to brush any snow off it.

So each plant and most of these tender plants are in pots receives a cosy wrapping of fleece all the way around the pot base and the foliage. I leave the top open for if its a nice day but with enough material so I can close it right over if the weather is brutal.

For many of the plants, I am most worried about the roots. If the foliage dies down or gets wind burnt it will usually grow back if the roots are strong.

However, if the roots become frost-bound or starved of oxygen the plant will die. So especially for plants in pots, it is vital to protect the roots if nothing else.

Ideally and especially for terracotta pots, you would first wrap the pot in bubble wrap or hessian then wrap the fleece over it and the foliage. If you do not have bubble wrap then use fleece over all of it.

For plants that really do not like our winters such as our beautiful Bottle Brush Plant I fleece them and also bring them into our sheltered porch.

Do buy the thicker fleece if you can. I have tried different fleeces and the thinner ones tear too easily and I usually have to double wrap the plant to feel it is protected.

With the thicker fleece, although slightly more expensive you only need to single wrap and so far I have not had any trouble with tearing.

Kasbon Plant Covers Freeze Protection & Plant Blanket Fabric 8Ft x 26Ft Rectangle Plant Cover for Winter Frost Protection & Plant Growth Season(Includes 6pcs Garden Stakes)

Move Tender Plants to A Sheltered Spot

After all the tender pants are fleeced up I move them to their winter homes.

This is a place where they are kept as safe from high winds and cold as possible so against a house wall is good. Our Tree Peony in particular hates strong winds. I group them together so that they get shelter from each other.

As I do this before Halloween it has to be said that when all wrapped up our plants do look somewhat like cute little ghosts especially after dark and particularly when my husband decides to elaborate by putting black netting, lights or eyes and ghostly additions !!! The neighbourhood children do love it though!

wrapped plants to protect from cold, frost or ice in winter

Care of Herbaceous Perennials

For herbaceous perennials, the best thing you can do in autumn is nothing at all!

It used to be the time to tidy up all the herbaceous perennials, cutting them down and generally tidying them up.

However, we now know that many insects use these plants to overwinter in their stems and foliage. For them, our untidy garden is a warm safe home. In order for nature to survive and thrive there is a worry that Are We Too Tidy In Our Gardens?

So for the good of nature and to relieve us of a task, we now need to do nothing. When new growth starts in the spring and the insects are no longer needing their warm homes and shelter and protection we can then cut back the old growth.

Protection of Tender And New Cuttings Over Winter

Any tender and new cuttings I took are in small pots and I move all these into our little greenhouse on the patio for winter. It has a cover I can take off if the weather is reasonable and put down when it is cold or particularly windy.

It is not heated and does not need to be, it just keeps the worst of the weather off the new cuttings and keeps them mostly free from frost. If I did not have this I would use a cold frame or even cover them all with fleece.

an assortment of plants prepared for winter

General Care Of The Garden In Winter

So when we have completed all these tasks it is so lovely to know that all our precious plants are warm and cosy and ready to rest through the winter.

I will of course need to periodically check them over to see that they are doing well. On sunny days I will uncover some of the less tender ones so they get some sunshine and remain hardy.

If it snows heavily I will brush off the worst from the plants. Other than that I do not need to concern myself with them.

Then all we gardeners need to do is to sit down with a lovely mug of whatever you like, put your feet up, enjoy the beautiful autumn sights in the garden. Perhaps take a moment to drink in the beauty of your own autumn garden, window box, or patio and in nature and start dreaming of and planning for spring!

Take The Time to Stop Look and Listen In Your Garden