I did that for new pink jasmine vine on a treliis against a white black wall, but it got used to the sun after 2 years. I just tied the shade cloth to the trellis and let it drape. I have several little johns also near a block wall and they do fine. No burning.

It can get over 100 here frequently.

pix will get you better ideas ..

yes.. shade cloth would work.. but unless well done.. might look very tacky ...

a more pricey option might be pergola type walkways ... and those would add value to the house.. well done ...

ken

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pergola+walkways&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

hmmm, goblue got me thinking about a trellis. Here's an idea......one of those white lattice things you use under a deck to hide what you are storing under the deck. Also used as a trellis. And a roll of insulation. Tack the insulation to one side of the trellis, then attach the trellis to the block wall.

Also, each spring for the last two (at least) CostCo has had a good deal on a roll up shade. I bought two. They come with tie-downs. Attach to the block wall. Might be enough to block the heat but it's really designed to clock sun.

I could not find the one from CostCo but Lowe's, HD, WalMart etc has plenty. Here's a link to the Coolaroo shade.....says it blocks heat.

Coolaroo

Anyway, fwiw, those are my ideas. mm

Would a couple of patio umbrellas on stands help?

I can't visualize the exact setup, but do you have room for a shade sail? They can be pretty and look like a design feature, and not just a quick fix.

I can really sympathize with you. I spent last summer removing all my roses and evergreen shrubs that were burning in reflected heat. I replaced them with lantanas, Blue Elf aloe (excellent plant!) and small yuccas. They seem happy to be growing in an oven 😎

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I was busy with a different project over the weekend and hadn't had a chance to come back here and respond to your comments.
@Mary, I hadn't thought of using insulation but that would probably be much more effective than shade cloth at blocking reflected heat.
@JoJo, don't tell me you removed your roses! I so want my roses to survive. Last year's didn't, but I'm telling myself that's because I didn't water enough... Blue elf aloe sounds intriguing, I'm going to look that one up!
@Goblue, my little john's from last year did pretty good. Didn't grow much over summer/fall/winter, but didn't die either and they are taking off right now in this pleasant spring weather.
@Ken, pergola type walkway would look really nice! I don't think we're quite ready for that investment though.

Travis, I had a thriving rose garden at my previous house, so I thought I could handle it.

But I underestimated the damage reflected heat can do. I just didn't have a better location for them at the time.

I have since planted a mesquite and a willow acacia that will hopefully make my garden more plant-friendly in a couple of years. Right now I only have Julia Child in a container that I can move around with the seasons in search of shade...

JoJo, those trees should help a lot, I think!

here is a structure i build for my freckled redhead... so he could play in the mudpit ... want to guess the odds of him actually playing in 55% shade ... lol ... rarely ... lol ....

it was 4 x4 stock with some 4 x6 ... and the shadecloth ... at this link.. i used the clips to attach the cloth to the structure...

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffnt&q=amleo+shadecloth&ia=web

you could.. if the city allows ... to invest in the structure .... with the long term plan of getting more fancy with a proper pergola in the future ...

i really believe.. properly done.. it would increase the value of the house .... be a design element... but i truly understand budget constraints ...

ken

crikey

Love it Ken, I bet your freckled redhead loves it too!

hes 19 now ... there isnt much daddy can do for him that he enjoys.. lol ...

how about the day i claimed victory ... unlike a cat.. he was so sound asleep i had time to get the camera and snap the pic... he said .. the black top was just so warm and toasty.. he just wanted to lay down for a minute and soak it up ... ill tell you the mulberry story later ..

ken

and mind you. in case you dont know.. early may in MI ... is extremely variable ... 50s on a good day .. but my 2 little mud monkeys would go play on that black top dressed like this.. while i walked around the yard in jeans a sweatshirt and a hoodie .. lol .. it was driveway chalk time of year ...

I am having a difficult time imagining your situation.....but could it be as simple as painting the white part a darker color? Or would that also involve painting your neighbors house to solve the problem? Otherwise I Like ken’s idea of a pergola.

ken, never imagined you with such a cutie redhead........ :-)

debra

Am I reading it right, there aren't any fences between the homes? It sounded like it is all just open. (This is good because you aren't trapping the heat that way.)

If it were me, I'd try to block the light from both directions, above and from the sides too. I don't have any experience with solutions that don't look tacky though - except for patio umbrellas, which can look okay, You are right to think of using cloth, to keep max airflow.

I will say that ime, the sun will break down almost anything, and if you use a synthetic fabric, that could mean tiny bits of what-have-you going all over. I am biased though because even the tiny bits of light that go through sail cloth bother my eyes. For me, it's just not solid enough. A light colored (preferably cotton) canvas might help a good deal. The problem though is how to make it look nice. I have this same problem. Luckily for the most part, my space is small so an umbrella works.

@Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal) yes, the yard is like a rectangle, the long ends are the sides of the two houses (mine and neighbor) and the short ends are walled. Neighbor's house has no windows, etc., on the side that abuts my yard. That is a good point about the sun breaking down the material. I will look into canvas.

Oh, that's excellent ... if they don't have windows that side, it is much less likely that they will kick up any kind of fuss. If funds permitted a pergola, maybe you could drape curtains on it. One can get long lengths of canvas from online art stores, in different weights. Canvas can make a big difference, although like I said ... some might not like the visuals. (although it can be done neatly) I say though, that we have to do what we have to do to get along with the heat ... I'm not a Rockefeller. Needs must.

Travis, try fabricguru.com for some good deals on bulk fabric. Also, an army/navy surplus store may have some interesting solutions. Just a thought.

Travis, you are correct, I am a northern girl...... I don’t understand how the heat just interacts with everything. I wish you luck with your situation!

debra

you see the boy on the BLACKtop .... hes there because its HOT on a cold day ... on a hot day in august in MI.. you could probably fry an egg on it.. though i never tried ...

painting the house a dark color will heat the house and siding.. to the extreme ... maybe even deform the siding...

i presume there is a reason its a light color ... to reflect the heat/sun OFF the house ... and i suppose.. why you are dealing with the reflected sun/heat ...

when you drive or walk the neighborhood.. are any houses dark in color... i bet not ...

ken