GARDEN CARE

Summertime

The great outdoors beckons....if you have shade. Trees and shrubs can be grown to produce a canopy that will protect you from heat, glare and the hot westerly sun.

The trees do not have to be tall nor wide of girth to give you the desired effect. You can achieve shade with one tree or a series of trees and shrubs differing in height.

Purpose built structures such as pergolas covered in climbing plants, polycarbonate sheeting or shade cloth, gazebos and louvres also provide sun protection.

For those gardens and outdoors areas which need light and warmth in winter there are a number of options you can choose to achieve the dual summer/winter effect:

• grow decidous trees, shrubs and climbers
• grow climbing plants that you can prune and which grow back rapidly in the spring
• create shade using materials which can be easily dismantled, eg sails and umbrellas, all manner of verandah louvre systems and rolled shade cloth.

Garden activities
The most important things to do in the summertime garden is to enjoy it. Meals in the garden, reading in the shade, mucking round with the hose and swimming if you have a pool.

Restrict garden tasks to controlling the weeds and keeping the lawn a decent height and of course watering especially young plants and after very hot days. Enjoy!

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Last updated March 15, 2003
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NSW, Australia
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