Often, the best area of your home to entertain or hangout with the family is the patio.
Nothing says “Summer Time” like hanging out with friends on the patio furniture, grilling on the barbecue, and enjoy a peaceful, well-designed backyard.
However, if you live in an area with hot summers, being outside for any extended period of time can be a challenge due to the heat.
A great way to make your patio a much more livable space in the summer is by providing shade. We’ll discuss some awesome ways to cool down your outdoor space this summer.
Plant Trees
Adding trees to the perimeter of your outdoor living area can do wonders for the temperature and amount of direct sunlight hitting your patio.
For the most part, when purchasing new trees for your yard, they will come in pots as saplings until they are large enough to be planted in the ground.
When it comes to choosing trees for shade, maple trees and aspens are at the top of the list. They grow quickly, produce large, full foliage, and don’t make a mess when the season changes.
Or, if you want to go for more of a tropical vibe, smaller palm trees are excellent for shade and are very low maintenance.
In general, a 6-8 foot tree should be plenty tall to start casting some great shade over your patio area.
Plant Hedges
Similar to planting trees, hedges can be an excellent “natural” shade-producing fixture for your back yard.
Setting up hedges around the perimeter of your yard will not only create shade, but will add to the privacy of your back yard in an aesthetically appealing way.
When determining what tree you want for your hedges, you will need to consider how tall you want your hedges to grow. Some popular choices are:
– American Arborvitae a common evergreen tree planted as a barrier shrub. This tree is usually planted around the perimeter of a yard and can grow 40′ to 60′ tall.
– The North Privet a typically shorter shrub that is suitable for many places within the yard. This shrub usually grows to 8′ to 12′ at maturity.
While, hedges can be an awesome ‘green’ addition to your back yard, keep in mind they do come with more maintenance than a lot of other shade options. i.e. watering and trimming.
Sail Shades
Sail shades are an easy DIY solution for a good amount of patio coverage.
They are made from a triangular piece of cloth stretched from all ends by anchoring to posts or trees.
Sail shades provide an easy-to-do shade solution while giving a more permanent look than a patio umbrella.
Here is a super helpful video on how to construct your own sail shade.
Patio Umbrella
If you’re looking for a quick and easy shade option, this might be the one for you.
A good patio umbrella really isn’t that expensive and can be very effective especially for outdoor seating.
Patio umbrella’s can either be made to drop through the center of a patio table or can be made to stand alone via a steal base.
The main benefit to an umbrella is that they are not permanent and are portable. They can be moved to better block the sun and can be folded up and easily stored when not being used.
Patio umbrellas can vary in price but here is one I found on amazon for around $50.
Sunnyglade 9′ Solar 24 LED Lighted Umbrella
Pop-Up Canopy
Similar to the patio umbrella, a pop-up canopy is another good, non-permanent option that won’t break the bank. They are very portable and can be stored easily.
Pop-up canopies are not only great for shade in your back yard, but are great for events like parties and tailgates.
A good pop-up canopy can usually be purchased for under $100 and can last up to 7-10 years if properly taken care of.
The main downside to the pop-up canopy as a means of back yard shade is their lack of aesthetic appeal. You definitely won’t find these things on the cover of Backyard Magazine, but as a quick and easy means of shade, they will get the job done every time.
Retractable Awning
A retractable awning is a slightly more permanent option that still allows the versatility of retracting it when not in use.
Similar to a permanent awning, they are constructed from a pre-cut canvas that is stretched over a metal frame to provide shade.
They are powered by either an electric motor or a manual hand crank that allows you to retract or extend the awning away from its mounted position above the patio.
Retractable awnings can vary a lot in price based on whether or not you get an electric motor, but a good base level product can range anywhere from $250 to $1,250 and beyond.
Gazebo
The Gazebo is one of the most recognizable back yard fixtures and is definitely a more permanent option.
Gazebos are free-standing, open structures with a roof and usually some kind decorative perimeter hand railing or lattice work.
Not only do these provide an excellent amount of shade but they can have outdoor fans installed in the center to help make an even more comfortable space in the summer.
If you want to add a gazebo to your outdoor space, there are tons of different assembly kits that range in price and difficulty to assemble.
Pergola
Similar to a gazebo, a pergola is a more permanent option that allows tons of design versatility.
A pergola is a structure made of vertical pillars that support cross beams and usually some kind of decorative lattice across the top of the structure.
The pergola itself does provide some shade but, the real beauty is what you can add on.
The pergola lends itself nicely to design ideas like stringing lights across the cross beams, growing plants along the lattice on top, or even using a bamboo fencing on top to create extra shade.
We will discuss some other design options in the next examples.
Grow Vines
One really popular addition to a pergola or any kind of outdoor structure is to add vines. Vines add another layer of color and increase the amount of shade cast by the structure.
There are tons of different vines or other types of plants you can add to a pergola. A really popular choice is to pick something that will bloom in the spring and summer months to add another bit of color.
Here is an awesome article from TheSpruce.com going over the most popular plant choices to grow on Pergolas.
Best Vines to Grow on Pergolas and Arbors
The only down side to growing plants as a means of shade, as with any green space, is upkeep.
You will have to make sure to trim and water whatever plants you have on your structure to keep it looking it’s best.
Hanging Plants
Similar to growing vines or other plants directly on your outdoor structure, hanging potted plants from the cross beams is another great idea to add some green and shade to your outdoor area.
Hanging plants can largely be for aesthetics or privacy, but can also do a great job to add some shade.
The best part about this idea is that it is really cost effective and easy to do. A set of potted plants will cost around $10 to $30 depending on how many you get and shouldn’t take longer than ten minutes to hang.
Curtains
Curtains can be a super easy addition to a pergola or other outdoor structure and can provide a top notch level of shade.
They are easily installed and look awesome. Curtains also provide an added layer of privacy to your outdoor seating area.
The best part about using curtains on a pergola is the design flexibility.
Whether you are going to buy pre-fabricated curtains or going to create your own, there are tons of design options for the fabric, the curtain rod/brackets, and the curtain holdbacks.
Here is a great Pinterest page with tons of tons of design ideas for outdoor curtains.
Pinterest – Pergola Curtains
Rolling Shades
This is one of my favorite shade options to add on to an outdoor structure. Rolling shades can be installed anywhere curtains can but have the ability to be a little more hidden when not in use.
Installed along the perimeter cross beam of the structure, rolling shades allow you to completely retract them when not in use.
Rolling shades typically vary in price based on the mechanism for raising them up and down.
Manually operated shades typically cost around $100 per shade depending on design. Motor operated shades can cost anywhere from $250 to $1,000.
Cabana
This idea is very similar to a pergola or other outdoor structures but is more commonly associated with being near a pool.
A cabana is typically a smaller structure that encloses one or two lounge chairs sometimes with fabric walls on three sides and one open side facing the pool.
Just like with other outdoor structures, cabanas are great options to hang curtains or roller shades to block out any unwanted sunlight.
Cabanas offer great protection from the sun and easy privacy by the pool. They are super handy for changing into a bathing suit or shutting out the world to take a nap by the pool.
Final Thoughts
Outdoor living spaces can be one of the most inviting areas of a home and can be great for soaking up some sun in the summer months.
However, being able to create some shaded areas where desired will help you get even more use out of your outdoor patio area.
Using any of the ideas covered in this post will help create some much needed shade this summer but, try combining two or three different ideas for even better results.
Hopefully, this post was helpful in finding some shade-producing solutions for your outdoor space.
Happy DIY’ing!
