Keep it Cool
Pete Goodlet shares his hot tips for staying cool this summer.
Hold onto your hats, quicken your step, it’s time to get excited. Summer is upon us with long summer days of blue skies and birdsong; balmy summer nights under a starry subtropical sky with the occasional hoot of the mopoke. Dust off your thongs, preferably those of the footwear variety, but each to their own, as we swing into summer in our own backyard.
Summers in Noosa are a delight to behold: sometimes as hot as Hugh Jackman, too hot to handle! But most of us would give it our best shot! Ooops, back to the weather – and some wonderful ways to cool off.
The ultimate cooling solution to any garden is your very own pool, be it large and formal, a lagoon-style oasis or simply a plunge pool there is nothing like diving into your own blue lagoon. Add a few bubbles or jets and it has the added benefit of feeling like your splashing about in your favourite mixer! Did someone say locally-distilled Vodka & Soda? Just do take a tip from someone who learned their lesson the hard way! Don’t add the limes, as they play havoc with your filter!
Pools add a cooling affect to your whole garden which is magnified if your pool comes with a waterwall or cascade. The ambient sound and the breeze off the water enhance your coolness levels. Pools close to your house can make your walls and ceilings sparkle with an ever-changing ripple of light play, as the sun reflects off the surface. This light play can be extended into the evening with well placed LED pool lighting. Most pool lights come with quite a colour range and the red mode certainly adds an element of drama.
With this in mind, when you are designing your house and pool consider putting pool safe windows close to the pool and limiting access doors thus decreasing the need for extensive pool fencing and gates. The use of louvers or even shugg (sashless) windows with a fixed lower section have the added benefit of letting a cooling breeze waft over the pool and into your home. Nature’s own air-conditioning system with just a tweak or two of designer magic.
No room for a pool? Water features and fountains not only provide tranquil sounds but have a cooling effect on the surrounds.
Shade can be one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways of adding cool to your house and garden. A simple skillion roofed shade structure by a pool gives you somewhere to lay back and while away the day while also reducing leaves dropping into the pool. Stunning shutters and blinds around the pool land entertaining areas allow you to control the glare and throw shade not only look great but offer the best protection from the elements. Sam and Rene at Serene Blinds and Awnings have a stunning range of the perfect solution for your space.
And we can’t leaf out (get it?!) plants – they are uber cool. Filtered light lazing its way through the tree canopy takes a lot of heat out the hard surfaces and the lush green foliage of a garden also lowers the ambient air temperature.
Keep them hydrated and lush with a watering system and everybody is happy. Why get hot and bothered trying to install one yourself when Stuart and the gang at Earth Creation Landscapes offer the best advice and professional installation to ensure you don’t blow a gasket!
Bring on summer and while you’re looking mighty hot, your garden will be super cool. Get out there and give it a tweak or too and make sure it’s cool enough to survive Hugh-level hotness!
