7x24
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I have always been cautious about buying real estate with big trees. So when I saw our new place, I was glad that none of these sculptural plants might require arborist or other attention. However, over time, the lack of shade puts a burden on me and my plants. This is a hot place in summer, and my plants are often dissatisfied with the heat and light they are forced to experience.
There are indeed some successes. I bought a lunggrass and said it can provide partial shade. So I planted it under a big old apple tree, there will be shade in the afternoon. The poor thing struggled all summer. If I watered it in the morning, it would have drooped by noon. So I watered it twice a day. This spring, I saw me walking around among a bunch of plants, trying to make them less bright. Blueberry moved to the east of the house. The small lung grass was moved behind a set of garden screens. These reduce the amount of light after noon and provide some cover for our terrace. I was rewarded with purple-blue flowers. The leaves are lively and spreading. The leaves are happy, and the plants are happy too. Obviously, it is not a solar plant at all.
An early housewarming gift was a sunshade sail. These are no longer needed. I would love to use them, they will help create some shadows. However, our wind will see them sailing literally. I don't know how to stabilize them so that they won't be torn to pieces. This is a good idea that will help me full of sunshine plants.
Dealing With a Shade Deficit
In short, we have no shadows. If I have any questions about a plant, I won't buy it at all. My favorite these days are free plants. If I see a neighbor’s plant that I want, I will ask if I can split, cut the stem, or whatever propagation method needs to be adopted. Then, once I start the new factory, if it fails in the summer, I won't feel too bad. Selection of plants is a prediction of 50-50. Even solar plants may fail here. Sunny plants just don’t know what they register in this dry, hot landscape.