Beat the Heat With These Natural Shade Solutions

The daily high often tops over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months in Las Vegas. While many people escape to the indoors, you can make your yard and patio area more inviting by using natural shade solutions. Of course, you cannot expect trees, plants and shrubs to grow overnight, so it is important to get started before the blazing hot temperatures arrive.

Tall Plants

Tall plants can be used to block the hot afternoon sun when planted on the west side of your property. You may want to plant two rows of hollyhocks staggering the plants to provide continuous coverage while giving each row room to grow. The vast variety of colors available makes this a colorful accent in many landscapes. You can use sunflowers in the same way if you prefer. Their bright yellow heads are beautiful in the afternoon sun. If you have a privacy fence on the west side of your property, then leave about 18 inches so that the roots do not interfere with your fencing.

Short Shrubs

While you may not want to plant tall shrubs near your walkways, lining them with short shrubs helps to provide shade for the walkway helping it to stay cooler. The evergreen Japanese boxwood may be a wonderful choice and it requires very little care. The unique red coloring of the red-tip photinia is another great choice for lining walkways.

Shade Trees

A shade tree is a beautiful choice to provide shade to yards in Las Vegas. Mastic trees are good choices near pool areas because they do not shed many leaves. They can be pruned to have one or multiple trunks. Another good choice for small yards is the fragrant Texas mountain laurel that puts on beautiful purple flowers in the early springtime.

Using natural shade is a wonderful way to keep your yard cooler in Las Vegas. While desert landscaping in Las Vegas can be difficult, we are here to help you each step of the way.