ideas for creating a shaded patio area?

[WhiteWineAndJaffaCakes]

I have a south-west facing garden that's quite long and has no shade from about midday onwards - and at the moment there's nowhere practical to sit out. I burn really easily so ideally I want to create a patio with some shade where I can eat outside or keep an eye on dd without going lobster red. I can move some flags to outside the back of the house that would give me a small patio, but what's the best way to create the shade? The garden's big enough to be able to 'screen' some of it off in some way, but I've no idea what to use - and would it look daft from inside the house (through the French windows)?

Suggestions much appreciated.

Our neighbour has an arbour (I think that's what its called) with wisteria growing over the top forming a canopy, which looks beautiful and is pretty shady. Would take a while to grow though wisteria does grow quite quick I think.

We have a large (2.5m) umbrella which is fantastic for giving shade and obviously is pretty instant.

I fancy a shade sail

you can buy them
but could equally make your own

Some kind of pergola with clematis/jasmine growing up it (judging by the triffid-like quality of our jasmine, you'd have good shade quite quickly ? In the meantime (before the plants grow) you could always staple some nice fabric to it to create a shaded area.

Or are you looking for a less permanent solution?

IME if you burn easily the shade needs to be given by something other than plants - how big is the garden? What is your budget? Could you have something like a gazebo or would that be too big?

Pergola. That's what I meant, not arbour. Thank you jareth, that was annoying me!

Pergola with vine and wisteria. It's very shady

large parasol here

nice parasol, not what i was expecting

OOh, our back garden's exactly the same as yours, OP. I'd LOVE a pergola with wisteria or something - so Mediterranean, you'd feel like you were on your hols!

Or you could do it on the cheap and put up a gazebo

or spend a bit more and add this!

I have a tarp from Quechua for camping but I also use in the garden to make a shady spot.

You can get this or this in Ikea if you wanted something slightly more attractive and that would be a good interim solution until your plants grow up the pergola (jasmine is the fastest grower - I think it looks lovely with a golden hop growing through it)

Russian Vine also grows VERY fast, and has attractive white flowers.

As does passion flower. Passion flower has very nice flowers too.

russian vine

passion flower (passiflora)

And for additional screening on the sides, you could add pots of bamboo

or be radical and grow giant reed (Arrundo Donax) which grows up to 4 m tall in one season...

I love the way the wind make the reeds go swuuush swish.....

Oh yes passion flower is good. Or you can go for Virginia creeper or Solanus (potato vine) - both very fast growers

Yes, the virginia creeper is really nice. Most spectacular in automn. just see It does cover a lot, too!

Lots of fallen leaves in winter though, isnt it? It loses it leaves in winter, and you need to rake them up?

Mine really isn't too bad - well no worse than any other deciduous plant. It has reddish edges to the leaves too. I really like it

We have it by the front door of our London house. We also have a climbing rose.

Wow, fantastic ideas, thanks. I love the idea of the pergola with lots of climbing plants - that would be perfect. My plan is to redesign the whole garden (eventually) and that would be a great starting point. In the meantime, and on a very limited budget, I might raid Ikea.

Shame you're not nearer us WWaJC - you could have our triffid Jasmine - we have to dig it out as it's taking over the world our garden.