I have a section of our house out the back that is all brick wall and it faces the setting sun - in my case west. You can imagine how hot that wall can get in summer. The other side of the wall inside the house is our office area and our air con doesn't really reach that space. So it can, and does, get quite warm during the hottest part of summer.
I have been thinking for a couple of years now of ways to shade that wall - it's not very wide, only around 2m. I have searched for suitable solutions and I think I have found one that will work - at least for the office area. Above it on the second floor is the upstairs bathroom and it has a high window that probably should have some sort of awning over it.
My solution needs to be something I can accomplish by myself - DH is of no help when it comes to this sort of thing. Not that he can't, he just won't. It needs to cheap, it needs to be easy to maintain, and it needs to look good. Oh and I am not that great with power tools so if I can not use those that's a big bonus.
So my solution is a couple of earth boxes (or wicking beds) with some pine trellis behind them. I can grow some sweet peas or some beans up the trellis and some other small flowers and veges in the front of the box.
I researched various earth boxes - btw this is a brand name for a large self watering pot/tub - and diy and came up with this....
They are just a couple of large black storage tubs into which I have placed 50mm slotted agg pipe. There is also a small overflow hole in one side. So far I have spent $15 on the tubs and $35 (ouch) on the agg pipe (it was a 20m roll so I have quite a bit left for more earth boxes).
I am not finished with these babies. I have to get some electrical conduit cut to 40cm long with a diagonal cut on one end and some netting or shade cloth to cover the agg pipe with so dirt does not fall into the slots. I also have to get the trellis still too.
Once I have those I will do some more pics.
