SHELTERING YOUNG JAPANESE ACERS IN HOT SUNNY WEATHER
Growing Japanese acers (maples) in hot sunny weather is tricky, especially if they are young and ultra-especially when a plant supplier sends you one straight from a polytunnel where they have been mollycoddled and need hardening off to toughen them up. Right now, in West Yorkshire, I have four young acers, all grown in pots, in need of protection and I have the right spot for them even if it is not very convenient for me. On my east(ish)-facing house wall I have an electric awning and although I often sit under it during hot sunny spells like we have this week, I have been evicted by plants.Garden awning gives plants shelter in hot sun
Hopefully, when the Japanese acers are older they will be more tolerant but right now I have only had them in my possession under one year so they are still quite young. Off picture is a tiny Orange Dream, and on the patio itself is Sango-Kaku, Osakazuki, and Moonrise behind that.
The RHS webpage on growing Japanese Maples states: Japanese maples are hardy but do best in a spot sheltered from strong winds. Red and purple-leaved cultivars need some sun to fully develop their dark hues. Variegated Japanese maples need partial shade to prevent the afternoon sun from scorching the foliage. Green-leaved forms tolerate full sun but are best in dappled shade as very bright conditions can sometimes cause scorch.
The patio in the above image is at the bottom of my sloping garden so ferns love it there, in partial shade, as the soil is naturally well watered. Ferns create a woodland atmosphere, reminiscent of the entrance to a park when I was a child where they grew under the shade of trees.