April 13, 2017

Cool Shade Gardens For Happy Healthy Summers

Summer is the perfect time to catch up with family and friends but with the hotter weather comes a responsibility to keep your loved ones safe, particularly children.

Children can burn easily after just a few minutes of sun exposure, but it is not always easy to keep them covered up when they want to be out in the garden enjoying everything the summer has to offer from sticky ice lollies to splashing water fights.

Sun creams and lotions are the obvious way of making sure your little ones don’t get burnt but even they can be fiddly and unreliable, particularly if you need to remember to keep reapplying throughout the day.

The potential for burning is not the only problem the sun can cause little bodies. Dehydration is also a real issue if your little ones are on the go all day.  Dehydration can leave them exhausted and irritable at best but can be potentially life threatening if it is sustained.

Of course you don’t want to be a killjoy and keep your children inside on a glorious summer’s day so how about creating a shade garden that can help protect your child whilst providing a comfortable, fun and cool area to play.

A shade garden is simply an area dedicated to keeping cool.  It doesn’t have to be dark or cold, in fact planned well it can be as beautiful and chic as the rest of your garden area.

Start by considering how you will create your area of shade in which to ‘plant’ your shade garden.  If you have natural cover such as a large tree you could maximise this by adding pretty coloured table and chairs underneath covered with creative materials to encourage little ones to extend their play and stay. You could try planting sweet smelling plants such as lavender and jasmine nearby to create a calm and reassuring atmosphere as your little ones slow down. And don’t forget the citronella so insects don’t bug your children as they enjoy their natural shade garden.

If you don’t have a natural area of shade you can create your own with a rolling awning. These are handy not just to provide shade, they can also respond to our unpredictable weather so that if the traditional summer rain shower occurs everyone stays dry and happy. Add them to a patio and you can create an imaginative play area for kids that is safe and inviting.  Perhaps add bean-bags for summer siestas or a sand box for ‘on the beach’ fun.

Shade gardens are not only for the little ones, they are also great for entertaining as, depending on the size of your patio or garden area, they can provide enough shelter to host safe and comfortable garden parties.

Your shade garden can be as chic, colourful and fun as your imagination dictates.  They provide the perfect place to serve food and drinks and can extend the time you and your family are able to enjoy the rest of your garden this summer.

Bye for now,
Love Happy x