Create your own winter suntrap
A small space in the yard can be turned into a restful area where you can sit and soak in mild rays
It’s called a “false spring” when the weather turns mild for a few weeks between the rain and snowstorms of late winter. The sky clears and weak winter sun shines as we approach the equinox. Although it looks warm from indoors, the moment you step out, the icy wind reminds you it’s still winter.
Just imagine if you had a spot to relax outdoors where this ultraviolet energy is intensified. Block air movement and the resulting sundrenched space becomes a naturally warmed solar sink. Similar scenarios were sought by people and animals alike as the age old way of warming the body naturally during sunny days of winter.
Sitting in the sun is the dermatologist’s cardinal sin, but this early in the year, its rays are remarkably mild. It’s a great way to gently enrich your skin with natural Vitamin D instead of taking supplements.
For those with arthritis, this can be an important part of the daily ritual that warms the joints to ease pain before activity. Above all, it provides a place to rest and renew without going indoors for comfort.
The design requires you to assess solar opportunities in your yard for creating a winter sun space in real time.
Take note of where the sun shines from 11 a.m. to noon in winter. You will want unfettered exposure without overhead branches or adjacent shadow sources.
In many examples of suncatching spaces there is a wall, which acts as a thermal mass to absorb heat and reflect it into the adjacent space.
Solid partitions such as this also provide 100 per cent wind protection, compared with using plants, which stop only a fraction of the wind.
Corten or other metals used in a wall can absorb more solar radiation quickly, then offer radiant heat much later in the day. The orientation of these walls must allow the most massive surface or the long side to receive direct sunlight for best results.
Other partitions can be used that are transparent or translucent, but not radiant. They cut wind without sacrificing light.
Plexiglass or fibreglass make for an affordable windbreak fence.
Sometimes, a shorter partition or fence is preferred for use while sitting or reclining without blocking higher broad views.
A winter sun catcher is not usually a planted space because, in most climates, the garden is still dormant.
Keep the size of the living space intimate so less heat is needed to make it comfortable. Above all, reserve it for passive use. It’s personal, so find a comfortable seat for rest and contemplation.
For couples, two chairs and a table are all you need, or two chaise lounges.
The beauty of furniture in lieu of built-in seating is portability. Furniture can be moved with the sun as its position gradually changes through the day and the season.
In terms of materials, cast iron is cold while teak and other woods warm with the sun.
The really fun aspect of creating a sun catcher is deciding what it becomes in the summer.
Maybe it’s in the shade by then, an ideal scenario for a cool getaway over the summer.
If not, simply set up a big market umbrella for the season to perfectly adapt. Then decorate it with a personal container garden of all your favourite flowers of the summer.
The fear of skin cancer has driven us away from direct sunlight even in the winter.
Perhaps that is why there is so much seasonal affective disorder and vitamin D deficiencies.
Just imagine if all it takes is some direct solar exposure in these short days of the early year to clear up both in a most natural way.