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Shady solutions to keeping your cool in the garden

For most of us one of the greatest benefits associated with having a gorgeous garden lies in the opportunity to spend time outside, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the sights of nature, especially during the warmer summer months. But, in the wake of recent campaigns by the Department of Health and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) you'd have to have been living on another planet to fail to be aware of the dangerous implications of excessive exposure to the sun.

With the British Association of Dermatologists estimating that there are at least 100,000 new cases of skin cancer annually in the UK it certainly pays to take heed of the advice issued by CRUK in relation to safety in the sun. One of the campaign's key guidelines recommends that we avoid the midday sun and spend time in the shade between eleven and three (this is because the sun's UV rays are at their strongest around midday). However, rest assured, this doesn't mean you need to vacate your garden at this time, but you should ensure that when the heat is on, there's a spot in the garden which can provide welcome refuge from the sun's harmful rays.

Few of us are lucky enough to be the proud owner of a garden sporting a selection of one hundred year old trees which would of course, provide the ideal shady setting! The creation of stylish "man made shade" for the outdoor room is fast becoming a regular feature on the garden designer's brief so no surprise then that as the demand for shady solutions increases so does the choice of options available to the general public. In this feature local award winning garden design and construction business, Scenic Blue (insert territory) shares some of its top professional shade secrets with us:

Shipping in the style

Sails are a great way to inject a dash of drama into your garden whilst also providing a versatile and inexpensive shading solution. A sail can block 90% of the sun's harmful UV rays and recent innovations have meant that the fabric is able to hold its colour for years and is resistant to the signs of mould and mildew. Use a sail where maximum sun shielding is required and / or for inaccessible areas such as over a child's play area or paddling pool

Awesome awnings

A patio awning is an ideal way to quite literally extend your living space and create a shady sheltered outdoor dining area. There are plenty of companies who can produce a bespoke awning which hangs neatly over your patio doors to provide a practical, made to measure source of stylish shade.

Pergola perfection

A pergola can provide a dramatic focal point for the garden but you can make this architectural feature work even harder for you by combining aesthetic charm with functionality. Once the pergola is installed why not weave together the leaves of a beautiful evergreen clematis (such as clematis armandi) and a climbing rose to create a stunning perfumed canopy of shade. Vines which offer big leaves such as vitis coignetiae can also be used.

Speedy shadow

Of course instant shadow can be created using a garden parasol and these can be securely fastened to the dining table or directly into the ground. For a wider expanse of shade you might want to consider a gazebo structure. Gazebos provide a fantastic shady refuge for party food and make an ideal choice for anyone considering a busy social scene in the garden this summer!

Shady future

Although they will take some time to mature, certain varieties of tree are known to be ideal shade providers. If you can afford to purchase a more established specimen, you might not have to wait too long to sit beneath the dappled shade cast by either a Maple, Mulberry, Silver Birch or Whitebeam tree. Alternatively, bamboo can grow relatively quickly and once they reach a certain height, these elegant plants are more than capable of creating zones of sophisticated shade.