Summer is the best time to embrace the outdoors and enjoy nature in your backyard. However, there comes a time when the summer heat borders on being too hot to enjoy. With the right tweaks and additions to your backyard, you can make your outdoor areas a refreshing escape from the heat. Learn how to add shade to desert backyard spaces and outdoor living areas with this guide.
1. Build Shade Structures
Adding shade to your backyard is the number one way of reducing the effects of the summer sun. Create a shaded spot to relax and cool down all summer with high-quality shade awnings and structures. Shade awnings are designed to protect your skin and outdoor areas from the sun’s harsh UV rays. They help you stay cool by limiting sun exposure. They can even help block heat from building up indoors when strategically placed.
Getting an SPF awning is one of the best desert shade tips we can give. These awnings are specially made to provide even more protection against the sun’s rays than regular shade awnings. Some shade awnings have an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating. The higher the rating, the more protection from UV rays the awning provides. You can trust products that are recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation, which also created the UPF rating system.
Shade structures will protect your outdoor furniture from the sun and prevent your patio or covered tiled areas from heating up. This makes it pleasant to walk around and enjoy some relaxation outside without worrying about the sun damaging your beautiful outdoor areas.
Shade structures are effective at blocking out the sun, and they also look great. You can enhance the aesthetics and style of your outdoor living space with the right awnings and shaded structures. Fabric awnings, sun umbrellas, metal awnings and polycarbonate thermoplastic awnings have their own advantages in terms of styling and functionality.
2. Plant Trees for Shade
One of the best desert backyard shade ideas involves planting trees. Planting trees is the perfect way to enhance your landscaping while also bringing in a natural source of shade. However, living in a desert climate can limit the types of shade-providing trees that can grow in your garden. Luckily, we have a list of trees that are perfectly suited for a desert environment and will provide plenty of shade:
- Desert-willow tree: This tree species is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern parts of the United States, meaning it belongs in desert areas and can easily thrive in them. It is a small, deciduous tree that grows to be 15-25 feet tall with a spread of around 10 feet when fully mature. The bright green leaves of this willow are adorned with vibrant trumpet-shaped flowers to add shade and color to your garden.
- Arizona ash tree: This fast-growing deciduous tree is native to Arizona, Texas, Mexico and California. Arizona ash tree leaves are long, leathery and dark green. They divide into leaflets forming dense, rounded canopies providing the perfect shade for residential areas.
- Texas ebony tree: If you’re looking for a drought-tolerant tree that provides excellent shade, look no further than the Texas ebony tree. These trees have a 20-30 foot spread and grow to be 30-80 feet tall. They are incredibly easy to care for. They love sunlight and can be planted in small spaces. While they grow slowly, they produce dark green compound leaves throughout the year, providing shade all the time.
- Desert ironwood tree: This is another shade-providing desert tree that grows up to 45 feet tall when it matures. They are the ideal evergreen tree that provides ample amounts of shade and privacy. This medium-sized tree takes its time to grow but will provide shade to your desert backyard as it grows and reaches maturity. It is a great tree to look out for if you want protection from harsh sunlight.
3. Install a Water Feature
Cool down your mind and body with the soothing flow of water while creating your own private oasis in your backyard. Water features are a refreshing way to cool down your outdoor living spaces during the summer. Fountains can cool the surrounding air via evaporative cooling — when water mixes with air to encourage evaporation and a cooling effect.
Since flowing water actively interacts with the air, it can provide cooling more efficiently than still water. For this reason, a fountain will likely be more effective than a pond.
Outdoor water features can also provide extra humidity in your garden to protect your more delicate flowers from the harshness of the desert summer sun. This can be achieved with still and flowing water, so ponds or small fountains will help your garden stay fresh and healthy in the summer heat.
The perfect way to accentuate your garden and cool down your outdoor living spaces is with a water feature. Take full advantage of the different types of custom water feature options that you can use in your desert backyard:
- Fountains: Custom-designed fountains can turn your outdoor area into a cool area of respite and calm even during the hottest summer day.
- Ponds: A pond can be a beautiful addition to your garden. It can be landscaped with rocks and plants to create a serene oasis in your backyard.
- Bird baths: An elegant water source invites birds to sing in your garden. Bird baths can also provide a cooling effect when used properly.
- Waterfalls: Evaporative cooling and magnificent visual splendor are major advantages of having your own waterfall feature.
Get in Touch With JTB Landscapers Today
JTB Landscapers can help your backyard and desert shade ideas become a reality. We have various landscaping design services in and around Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada. We can make a desert garden flourish and help you create a stylish escape from the summer heat.
JTB Landscapers can use our range of skills and services to cool your outdoor living area during the summertime. We can discuss your dream projects and inspirations to find a way to provide everything you dream of. We would love to add you to our list of beautiful designs and happy clients.
To find out more about the landscaping features we offer, fill out a contact form today, and we will get in touch as soon as possible.