I don't know how "pretty" it has to be, how much money you want to spend, and how permanent you want it.

I have no yard, just a patio with a lattice-type roof. Yet, the sun comes in without any pity for my Brug and I attached burlap to this roof. It still lets the sun come thru, bot mottled.

You could dig a hole for two or three of 2x4s (with or without cement in the ground) with a crossbar, and attach burlap, or this green plastic mesh that they use for mulching, to the crossbar on one side, and the fence on the other. The 2x4s could be higher than the fence to give you the desired head-space.
The green plastic is too dense for my purpose, and on the other hand, the burlap is not permanent, but that's OK for me, I'll take it down in the winter anyway.

I'm sure someone will come up with a better idea for you.
Good luck.

Tim I needed shade for a Brug last year and stuck the umbrella that belongs to the sandbox, in the pot for the brug lol. It worked.

You could call it the dancing in the rain alley lol

Lucy

P. S. I know there is to much space to do that though

I bet the heat reflecting off that fence is as much a culprit as the overhead sun is.Why not grow Morning Glories up that fence to soften the look and absorb the heat? They are cheap to plant from see and they would "Love" the heat and their leaves would absorb the heat, not to mention the nice colours of the blooms.You would only have to place them directly behind where the plants are that are suffering.

Shade Cloth would work, Not sure about the pretty factor.
I got some this year but haven't gotten it up yet.
It was around 20 for 6X15 roll. 75% Shade.
Dorothy

Walmart and the big box builders stores should soon be putting the garden supplies on sale. Check them for shade cloth. Those sales are just begining here in TX.

I have been thinking the way you are haase, but burlap will kinda look ugly I think. Its a hidden spot right now but a redwood might come down so everyone will see this spot & I want it to look good.

Lucy, our neighbor has about 5 umbrellas in the front yard on her hydrangeas every year, looks funny but her plants look very good. Yea my space is too long, I would need 8-10 umbrellas. I like the name dancing in the rain alley though, :-)

shade cloth, never heard of it, sounds like burlap? I will have to check that out.

ruth_ann, you are right, the heat off the fence is brutal especially on the other side in the full afternoon sun. The plants on that side really burn. Ive been looking for a vine or something that will climb the fence to help this problem but cant find one I like (fence is old & weak, cant be too heavy). Tried ornamental grasses this year but they grew like crud. Ive seen members in her post morning glory pics & I think those may work here & they look nice. I am going to look those up, can you suggest any or all they all pretty much the same?

Thanks for the suggestions all!
tim

I've had to create a temporary shady area and used the shade cloth that I use on the greenhouse. It was definitely an eyesore but served it's purpose. You could dig in a couple posts and stretch the cloth between them and the fence. I like Ruth Ann's suggestion about using MG's. It might not completely solve the problem but will help and would look nice. They are also very light and won't damage the fence. You might want to mix varieties. Some stay open all day and others close up in full sun. I have several varieties but all the seeds are mixed together. If you look thru my threads I have pics of many of them posted. If you want to try the MG's I'm happy to send you seeds for postage.

Yeah, shade cloth, that's the name of the green (or black, or beige) plastic cloth that they use for mulching as well. Couldn't think of the name in my first answer.
Here's another suggestion" if you put the posts in anyway, why not attach some lattice between the posts and the fence? Out of wood? brown or white painted.They make that out of plastic these days, and it would be more permanent, and it could even look acceptable, if not to say pretty. Then you would have something like a gazebo there and you might want to pull up a chair so you can sit there and talk to your plants.

On the south side for the scorching afternoon sun for next year, why not try interspersing some Castor Bean plants? They have large leaves that give dappled shade and they come with red, bronze and even dark purpilish leaves I believe.
For both the Castor Beans and the Morning Glories, your investment in seeds would only be for the first year, after that collect your own seeds or allow them to self sow. :)
Carmencita Ricinus
Zanzibarensis Ricinus ( watch out, this one grows huge LOL)
Ricinus communis 'Carmencita'
Ricinus communis 'Gibsonii'
Ricinus communis 'Impala'
Ricinus communis 'Red Spire'

I like your idea haase, but I love the morning glory idea, that way it stays more natural. I guess it wont make shade but might take some heat off the fence to help. Think I may try MG first & lattice if the mg doesnt work.

I need to study up on the morning glory. The only thing I know about them is we HATE them, or hate the ones that grow wild around here anyway. We used to farm beans & morning glory is a bean farmers worst nightmare.

Those caster beans look interesting...

Can anyone tell me more about the MG or know of a good website? I am sure I can google something up. Thanks for the offer karyn1. After I learn more I will let ya know :-)

Tim

You could stick in a couple of support posts and screw boards to them around the top and lay sheets of lattice on top and staple shade cloth to that and it would last for a long time. Just the lattice might give you enough shade. Sort of like a pergola or arbor. You could put lattice on the sides and grow vines up it for even more shade and flowers.

I had a similar problem with an area that was in shade all morning, and then baked in the mid-day sun. I couldn't grow things directly on the block wall fence as the west side was fully exposed to the afternoon sun (I'm on the east side of the wall).

What I did was take redwood 4x4 posts and sunk them in the ground spaced ten feet apart. Then across the top, I put more redwood 4x4's so they formed a solid run all the way down the fence line atop the 4x4 posts (connected the whole works with Simpson "T" brackets painted with a hammered copper spray paint). I then found some cast iron corner brackets with a grape motif, painted them copper, and put them up in each corner. I now grow my grape vines up the posts and across the top beam. They fill out to provide enough shade underneath in summer, and since they're deciduous, I get plenty of winter sun.

The whole works is actually above the fence line, so it gave me the effect of a taller fence and more privacy when the grape vines are leafed out. And since they grapes aren't actually growing on the block wall fence, they don't bake nearly as badly. I'll try to post some pics after work so you can make sense of it all.

I like some of these ideas offered a lot. I think you would want to build something more permanent. Between the offers you have received, it all comes down to some sort of an overhead protection. Plants growing up the fence are alright to hide the fence, but with this extreme heat we have been having, the mid-day sun will still get to your suffering plants, no matter if there's MG growing on the fence, or not. I know what I'm talking about.

My advice is: make something permanent, make something decent to look at, and you will enjoy it for many years to come. Do it right the first time around, rather than a make-shift job, even if it costs a few bucks now. Once done, there'll be no more worry or problems, just pure enjoyment.

Hough. I have spoken.

your probably right haase, the sun itself will burn the plants. Maybe I will build the thing with lattice on top & let some morning glory grow on it.? Or the lattice may be enough, I am reading the MG can be invasive so I need to find a tame mg, I dont want anything going crazy on me.

so many good ideas!
Thanks EVERYONE!
tim

It's not that the MG's are invasive like a Trumpet vine or wisteria but some do reseed like crazy. The vines are very soft and thin and easy to pull. Just make sure you don't plant any of the bindweeds. They are a major problem.

Be sure and send us a picture of whatever your solution will be, OK?

I will post pics, but it will be a while, probably next spring.

karyn1, are bindweeds a type of MG?
Can you tell me how your MG grows? How tall, wide, thick, water needs, etc. Do you know the names of the mgs you have?
tim

My DH just built this pergola over the Hot Tub. It started out as a little bit of privacy but, I was hoping it would block the hot afternoon sun coming in my family room window. It works great. You could build a thinner longer one and grow annual vines like others have suggested, so you get the winter sun.
Theresa
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Bindweeds are a type of MG (Convolvulus), native and invasive non native, perennial and annual and can take over. I have a problem with the white perennial variety which forms a tuber. I can't get rid of it. Even a tiny bit of root will give rise to a new plant.

The ones I intentionally plant are mostly the annual Japanese varieties. I have at least 20 kinds and would have to look up the names. I can't even pronounce most of them. lol Most can completely fill in an large area but the individual vines are thin and light. They are easily removed if they grow somewhere they aren't wanted. Just give them something to climb and they'll cover it. They are pretty much care free. I don't water unless it's drought conditions and I only feed them once or twice during the growing season. Too much fertilizer promotes foliage, not flowers.