In this topic the role of shade for gardeners, the neighborhood and plants will be discussed.
Cities in particular have a tendency to heat up considerably and cool down more slowly in summer – keyword: ‘Urban Heat Islands’. A large number of heat days have a negative influence on the wellbeing and health of the inhabitants. Community gardens can therefore act as local cooling spots for the communities.
The microclimate can be mainly influenced by creating shade through trees or pergolas and (if possible) by creating water surfaces. Treeshave the strongest impact on the micro climate situation through creating shade and evaporation. But the integration of trees as a design tool should be done carefully within community gardens, as trees have very long life cycles and can not easily be changed. That applies above all for the location, earth composition, space for tree roots, desired height of growth and usage of the tree.
According to the forest garden principles the areas under trees can also be used for gardening with shrubs or plants that might benefit from the shade. Big trees preferably used in social areas of the garden to create cooling spaces, because of their strong roots pressure planting beyond them might not be successful. Large rocks and bodies of water can help to compensate for strong temperature fluctuations in the garden, especially in spring and autumn.