Sun Reflectors

[Lillia]

[center]I need some ideas for cheap/frugal sun reflectors for the garden.
One whole length of our garden is our neighbor's brick house, which blocks the summer sun from about 3pm onward.
We end up with shade and it gets rather dark back there by early evening.
What can I do to bring some natural or cheap light in?
Anything but REAL mirrors...I have enough of those to keep clean on the inside of the house [/center]

[Lillia]

Now, I KNOW there are lots of clever peeps on here!
Where are those ideas at?

[lancashire lass]

It depends on why you want it lighter - if you want to grow something, you'll need to plant shade loving plants (maybe a climber?) but if it is to make something appear lighter, then look at what makes it appear dark ... maybe a very pale paving or pebbles/stones on the footpath, white wash walls or paint fencing white and if you have pots or containers they should be pale coloured. You specify no mirrors for cleaning reasons but I imagine using aluminium foil backed panels will soon get tatty. You could get some cheap solar lighting but they only become effective after exposure to good light for a significant proportion of the day and switch on to full brightness in total darkness.

[manda]

Large panels and paint them light colours to go against the wall perhaps??...then you could move them/ take them down/change the colours if you got fed up or fancied a change.

[Lillia]

It depends on why you want it lighter - if you want to grow something, you'll need to plant shade loving plants (maybe a climber?) but if it is to make something appear lighter, then look at what makes it appear dark ... maybe a very pale paving or pebbles/stones on the footpath, white wash walls or paint fencing white and if you have pots or containers they should be pale coloured. You specify no mirrors for cleaning reasons but I imagine using aluminium foil backed panels will soon get tatty. You could get some cheap solar lighting but they only become effective after exposure to good light for a significant proportion of the day and switch on to full brightness in total darkness.

I have nice sunlight during the day...it's after about 3 that it starts hiding. By the time my husband is home from work, it's still daylight and still warm, but we are sitting in the dark, nearly...not because it's dark yet but we have a 2 storey brick house as our fencing on one entire length of our garden that blocks the sunlight.
There is a bit of sun still shining on the opposite side though, where the fence is.
What about some kind of aluminum instead of mirrors? Something artsy? Would that actually reflect, I wonder~
The solar lights might be a good idea.....thanks, LL

[Lillia]

Large panels and paint them light colours to go against the wall perhaps??...then you could move them/ take them down/change the colours if you got fed up or fancied a change.

I could paint my own big sunshine and hang it up
I'll try anything, Manda~~

[Spreckly]

I sympathise with your loss of sun Lillia. We have little after early afternoon, courtesy of our neighbour's overgrown hedge and trees. Hope you fine a solution - ours would be a chain saw.

[Lillia]

I sympathise with your loss of sun Lillia. We have little after early afternoon, courtesy of our neighbour's overgrown hedge and trees. Hope you fine a solution - ours would be a chain saw.

Hahaha... You made me laugh, Spreckly~

Yes, we have those dreadful conifers opposite the brick house~

[Benny&Co]

Could you paint the side of the brick house white perhaps?

I like the idea of brightly coloured panels that you could move about/change too

We've just got rid of two humungous hideous conifers and what a difference it makes, the whole garden seems to have lit up!

[Lillia]

Could you paint the side of the brick house white perhaps?

I like the idea of brightly coloured panels that you could move about/change too

We've just got rid of two humungous hideous conifers and what a difference it makes, the whole garden seems to have lit up!

You know what? If we were allowedto paint , oh yes, I would do that! Aren't allowed to touch the outside but that is a fantastic idea!