The summer has ended but we’ll enjoy sunlight all year, this is the best time to eat outdoors because it’s not so hot, so here are some ideas to create shade on your terrace, balcony or garden…

Let’s start with a DYU option, a quadrilateral mesh structure on which a series of small branches or straw were placed. This solution produces a soft shade, with some transparency, where you can have breakfast for example, avoiding direct sunlight but being able to feel its presence.

This is a more rustic option, several trunks or branches arranged in parallel but with a wider spacing between them. This solution also provides some shade, but will not be however the most comfortable since it lets lot of sun in. This is such a nice decorative solution and how interesting is the projected shadow on the wall? Not to mention that it changes every hour of the day! Utterly charming…

You can choose a pergola with a climbing plant, a more classical but timeless solution and always beautiful… Besides shade you can enjoy its beauty and follow its seasonal growth cycles. Talk to a landscape architect to choose the plant that best fits your pergola, there are lots of options according to your taste, color, flower, seasonality. Some of the best known and used are the vine and bouganvilea, a common sight in portuguese gardens.

Sometimes we think too much and we end up having a rather complex solution that does not always suit our garden and terrace. Have you thought about planting a tree? It seems obvious but we do not always remember this hypothesis. Trees provide a very pleasant and fresh shade, while still allowing some sunshine, in addition to all the other benefits they bring us…
Your meals will certainly be much nicer by the shade of your own tree…

If you are looking for more modern solutions there are numerous awnings in the market. From triangular awnings with a very current design to retractable awnings that turn out to be very practical since you can regulate them to your will and according to the weather. The main advantage of this solution is to protect from rain, in case you enjoy your terrace even on rainy days.

Amália Souto de Miranda

Landscape Architect