In case you haven’t noticed, there’s STILL a heat wave in the Hamptons. Laura Euler offered some possible quick fixes at Curbed Hamptons: “Sit in the ice cream case at King Kullen… Shopping: Try on every single garment in the store, including those of the wrong size and gender. At Sleepy’s, pretend to sleep on the mattresses…” But just in case you are interested in more than just a quick fix, here are 5 landscaping ideas that can help to beat the heat creatively and reduce energy bills for the long run.
1. Shade Trees. Installing some mature, well-placed shade trees will reduce direct sun heat. Factoid: A mature tree in full leaf can block 70 to 90 percent of solar radiation.
Models constructed in Logan, Utah showed a 98 percent reduction in summer cooling costs by shading the entire house. Some examples in Sacramento, California showed that shade trees reduced attic temperatures 20 to 40 degrees. In Mesa, Arizona, almost $220 in annual cooling cost savings were realized from trees planted on the east and west sides of a house. Shading the roof can reduce indoor temperature up to 8-10 degrees.
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2. Espaliers and Vines. Many an old Hamptons estate displays the wisdom of this time-tested technique. Whether you prefer beautiful wisteria or some interesting espalier trees, a screen of vegetation right on the south wall acts as an excellent heat barrier. Deciduous Boston Ivy and wisteria will allow the sun to penetrate during the winter. Design custom aesthetic trellises to add some personal style and also to protect the wall of the home from possible damage.
3. Overhead shade structures. Arbors, lattices and canopies, oh my. If you’ve been in the Hamptons in the summer, you’ve probably seen a combination of one or more of these features used in a tasteful design. Again, the personalized aesthetic factor works together with practical considerations.
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4. Outdoor Air Flow. By cutting the lower limbs of larger trees and designing a landscape with open channels for breezes, you can increase the outdoor cool-breeze factor. Don’t just think of hedges as privacy barriers, think of how plants can be used together as wind tunnels in the landscape design in order to direct breezes towards your house and outdoor patio.
5. Shaded AC condensers. Boring, but true. Shading outdoor AC condenser units and their tubing will help them to operate more efficiently. AC equipment in full sun has to work overtime.
These types of landscaping solutions can help you to stay cooler, save money and also help to offer sustainable solutions to present demands. Get creative. Have some ice cream and do some brain storming. And if I don’t see you actually sitting inside the ice cream case at King Kullen, that will be a good sign.
Original post and links at Warren's Nursery blog.
