FIVE WAYS TO COOL DOWN IN SUMMER
Ahhhh - the heat of summer. We dream about it all winter, and then try to escape it midsummer.
How to minimize the effects of summer heat? Here are our Top 5 ideas for cooling yourself down naturally this summer:
Grow a lawn
It is not a good idea to grow a new lawn during a heat wave, but it is a very good idea to grow a lawn to escape summer heat. Cut your lawn about seven to eight centimetres high to encourage grass roots to go deep. The deeper the grass roots and longer the blades, the cooler your lawn. Grass transpires tonnes of water during a sunny day. It captures carbon and produces oxygen while it’s at it. The result is a naturally cooler environment on a lawn vs. any solid surface, including a wooden deck.
We do not recommend that you water your lawn during a drought, as it will generally bounce back in August when cool evening temperatures return. Even in a relatively dry state, a lawn is a cool place to hang out.
Grow a tree
You might think this is obvious but, apparently, it’s not so clear to everyone. The immense cooling impact of a tree on our city and in our yards is often underestimated. Mark recalls the large maple that towered over the first house that he owned in Scarborough. Its leafy foliage enveloped the entire corner of the house where his bedroom was located. And never, even on the hottest nights of the year, was there any temptation to acquire an air conditioner.
Fact is, a mature maple will transpire over 400 litres of water on one sizzling summer day. The cooling effects of this can result in temperatures that are up to 12 C cooler than the surrounding area.
Deciduous trees, the large, leafy ones, work best for a cooling effect but all trees help.
Cooling mist
Last year we discovered a new product that pulverizes hose water into a fine mist and cools the area within its reach by up to 10C. The nozzles are multi-directional and provide infinite variations of intensity. Place the metre-high mister nearby and enjoy a cooler environment for reading or just lounging.
We met a roofer last spring that used this “garden accessory” on roofs to cool his workers on hot days. In his words: “It works like a charm.” Plants, not just people, can benefit from the cooling mist too.
Cool your neck and forearms
When you cool down your vital pulse points, you cool down your entire body. We discovered a neck band that is filled with a gel that expands on contact with water. Soak the fabric band in a bucket of cool water for a few minutes, wring it out and wrap it round your neck while you work.
Broad-brimmed hat
When we wear hats, we’re ball cap guys. But experience has taught us that there is nothing that cools the body down like a broad-brimmed hat. We are not advocating for the Tilley hat per se but, you know, you can’t beat the models with the breathable band round the middle. The broader the brim, the cooler you will feel.
Plunging your hands into cool water, beyond your wrists, will cool you down significantly. As will a longsleeved, light fabric, white shirt.
And don’t forget to drink lots of water.
Bonus tip: wear cool colours
On the colour wheel, blue dominates the cool colours. This is why we use blue on a faucet to indicate cool and the hot-toned red to indicate hot water.
Purple and violet are cool colours, too. Perhaps it is just a coincidence that the official garden colour of the year is purple, or more precisely ultraviolet. There are many plants that feature this colour.
We recommend that you look for these cool perennial plants at your favourite garden retailer: Sedum Rock ’n’ Grow Superstar, Phlox Opening Act Blush and Veronica (Speedwell).
Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author, broadcaster, tree advocate and holds the Order of Canada. His son Ben is a fourth-generation urban gardener and graduate of University of Guelph and Dalhousie University in Halifax. Follow them at markcullen.com, @markcullengardening, on Facebook and bi-weekly on Global TV’s Morning Show.