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The past several weeks have been kind of quiet for me in the garden. Sunshine and near 90 degree temps kept the black shade tent in place and the baked ground just wasn't worth trying to hammer into. So instead, I spent weekends on my bike, out on the roads, watching nature's larger garden prepare for the shift that could only be days away. Then last week fall arrived - temps dropped into upper 50's and low 60's and overcast sky and on-again, off-again rains have started softening the soil.
I took down the shade tent constructed a couple months ago and the NE corner is now exposed to the elements. The cooler wetter weather has also brought about a lovely change to the garden - one of the great joys of a garden - hidden secrets: Leaves on several of the maples have begun the tintal migration and a lilliputian forest of fungi have erupted in the humus infused soil I amended in late spring. The fungi only last a day and exhaust their sporing caps, but daily a new, differently arranged forest erupts. I could not have asked for a more wonderful surprise!
Over the next few weeks several new progress posts will pop up as I plow back into several projects wanting attention - the new walls, bed-scaping, rock transfer, bamboo planting and eventually larger pine and maple tree plantings.
This wasn't my idea of a second post, but on the way to the forum a heat wave struck and I began waking each morning to more and more curled leaves and listing fronds. With temps the past few days soaring over the century mark, not at all our norm here in Portland, I needed to do something dramatic and quick. The above picture is the heart of my solution. This a tent of black woven polypropylene material - Aluminet shade cloth.
Typically our temperatures dance in the upper 80's and low 90's in late July and early august - with an occasional day above 100. Generally any temp is accompanied by some cloud covered, even if scattered throughout the day, and a breeze. This heat wave is stifling, sitting over the valley not a cumulus in sight and suffocatingly dead air. The sun just beats down on life large and small.
I chose Aluminet for a couple reasons, but primarily becasue the strands are twisted, so it reflects diffused light from many directions. I needed well diffused light to ensure even the smallest lower level plants received ample light while still continuing to be protected. Aluminet provides several benefits, including 50+% radiation/shade protection. This is the same cloth-like material many local nursery growers use. It comes in six foot wide sections and lengths up to about 230 feet on a roll. I took the remainder of a roll - 200 ft.
In addition, I purchased three bags of grommet sets (6 per bag), and a 100 unit bag of zip-ties. The grommets were critical in helping string the entire tent up via ropes to my roof and the existing fence on the north and east sides. The zip-ties were needed to "sew" the fabric together since each width was only 6ft. The resulting tent became approx. 18'x22'.
The last element was to prop the central section up high enough to allow the taller maples and Hinoki cypress gracilis breathing room to continue growing upwards. I used eight foot 2"x2" poles I had left over from another project to do the job.
What I have learned in the past couple days is as this heat lingers - even at night - propping the tent up higher not only gives the trees canopy space, but also provides for better ventilation - which I had not originally taken into account.
The whole project cost me about $150 - a small price to pay for the dozens of trees and small plants I have commited to insuring a future in my garden.
Side Benifits:
1) the tent maintains greater humidity underneath - which has helped many of the small ferns and ground mosses and lichens I had seeded the area with
2) the tent slows evaporation and reduces my water requirements
3) I moved many of my small potted maples and conifers under the tent and reduced there rapid drying out
4) birds like bushtits, chickadees, Anna's hummingbird, song sparrows and western towhees are using the shade as a respite from the sun and feeding on the increase in insects that are trying to benefit from the added shade and moisture
Since my garden had no established large trees for shade I have decided to keep the shade tent up, and will probably extend it. While not the ideal look, I'm in this for the long haul and the trees I have planted and will plant this coming winter, to form the eventual shade architecture, will take a few years to establish the required canopy height and breadth - until then the shade tent will stay in place.
The past several weeks have been kind of quiet for me in the garden. Sunshine and near 90 degree temps kept the black shade tent in place and the baked ground just wasn't worth trying to hammer into. So instead, I spent weekends on my bike, out on the roads, watching nature's larger garden prepare for the shift that could only be days away. Then last week fall arrived - temps dropped into upper 50's and low 60's and overcast sky and on-again, off-again rains have started softening the soil. 
