Chill Out: 10 Cool Ways to Beat the Heat Outdoors

Summer doesn’t need to send you and your visitors clinging to the conveniences of air conditioning, especially if you’re eager to make your backyard a little more inviting with the addition of a welcome colour, air movement or possibly a splash of water. By incorporating one or more of these cool features to your outdoor area, you will find yourself spending an increasing number of time enjoying your extra square footage outdoors.

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1. Gazebos. Think back to this clubhouse you had a kid; gazebos are like clubhouses for adults. Serving both as shelter and focal point, a well-situated and thoughtfully designed gazebo is sure to become the star attraction of your outdoor parties, enticing you and your guests out to the landscape.

While building a gazebo may seem to be a big to-do, a well-designed one is just like the cherry on top of a sundae. Design yours to coordinate with the style of your house, and make sure you give it enough room to permit for open opinions.

D for Design

2. Porches. If your style is to remain closer to home, think about the porch. Front porches head open and out up to the entire world and are ideal for studying the morning’s news or appreciating sweet tea at sunset, while rear porches are for parties and barbecues.

You can utilize your existing porch or make modifications if you already own one, or you may build out one also. You may easily dress up an underused porch with comfy seating and side tables, together with a set of implanted baskets. More ambitious projects may consist of incorporating gingerbread trim, a tin roof or fresh wood flooring.

11 Ways to Get More From Your Summer Porch

Stout Design-Build

3. Pergolas. Although traditionally planted with vines to pay walkways in the backyard, many pergolas today act as architectural elements and are given the exact same pride of place at the backyard. Materials operate the gamut from rustic and thoughtful willow branches to the wood or metal seen in modern interpretations similar to this modern oceanfront design.

In case you do decide to grow spots in your pergola, choose strong and woody vines that may support much of their weight. A professionally installed pergola can handle a much heavier load than one installed in a kit.

Orlando comas, landscape architect.

4. Shade trees. The easiest and most cost-effective way to add colour to your outdoor area is to plant shade trees like the live oak trees (Quercus virginiana, zones 7 to 11) pictured here, and they certainly do their part to add beauty and charm to the neighborhood.

The largest downside is they take some time, however, a quick fix is to buy balled and burlapped trees in the nursery that are big enough to offer some shade. Much as with a puppy, you’ll also need to devote to caring for your new tree by keeping it well fed, watered and dressed, as well as by picking up its droppings. Unlike dogs, however, a well-cared-for tree can last for generations to come. Fall is usually the best time to plant new trees, however, you can start planning for the ideal place today.

5. Awnings. It used to be that awnings and canopies were confined to the borders of buildings, but now they have ventured out to the open like the wings of butterflies. Tensioned shade sails, such as those shown here, choose the forms of wings when attached to nearby structures and wash the space with captivating light. Other awnings are set up much like pergolas, but the different strips of fabric can be wrapped up in different ways to color the desired area.

Liston Construction Company, Inc..

6. Fans. If it’s still 95 degrees in the shade and too muggy to really love yourself, a cool breeze will circulate the air to make the warmth 8 degrees more bearable, as well as keep mosquitoes at bay. Available in stylish brushed aluminum, or in fashions made to look like palm fronds or rattan, ceiling fans somehow even can generate an outdoor living room look more inviting. For the ambitious homeowner, there are freestanding and clamp-on models that may be transferred to where they’re needed most.

Lenkin Design Inc: Landscape and Garden Design

7. Misting systems. Our bodies produce sweat to act as a natural air conditioning system, evaporating and cooling the immediate area around our epidermis. Sweating is decidedly one of nature’s little wonders, but would not you rather cool off with no body odor or sour residue? Misting systems spray a fine mist on your outdoor space such as the fog surrounding a rain forest waterfall, and the cool breeze provided by a misting fan can make outdoor living very comfortable on even the hottest days.

Raymond Jungles, Inc..

8. Swimming pools. Undoubtedly the most effective way to cool off, swimming pools have the effect of an oasis in the Sahara and also make landscapes look cooler by association. It is hard to check at this pool Raymond Jungles and resist sighing a little and escaping into your imagination for a small dip.

A swimming pool surrounded by merely concrete and turf is fine and all, but not nearly as tempting as one that has been lushly landscaped. When planting about your pool, be sure to choose plants that are clean and do not drop too much leaf litter to the pool. Palms, bromeliads and cordylines are great choices for the tropics, while evergreen conifers and grasses work well for many other areas.

Avalon Northwest Landscape, LLC

9. Water features. It doesn’t take an entire swimming pool to cool off a backyard; only the soothing sounds of a small brimming urn or fountain will make a brutal summer day feel more manageable. Well-designed and maintained koi ponds provide a welcome distraction and endless amusement, and water gardens bring wildlife and create the outdoor area appear cooler. Pondless water features like the one shown here are perfect for small spaces and require less maintenance than full-scale ponds.

Professionally installed water features will be perfect where layout and longevity are concerned, but budget-conscious homeowners can get their feet wet with an assortment of merchandise from precast fountains and brimming urns to plastic pond liners and waterfall kits.

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