Summer is a great time to get out and enjoy the outdoors, even if it just means spending some time in your yard. But scorching temperatures and high humidity can quickly drive you back into the comfort of your home's air conditioning if the yard doesn't have any shady spaces.

When landscaping your yard, don't forget to create some cool areas where you'll get a respite from the heat on summer days. Your landscaping can also be used to cast shade on your home, making it cooler and reducing your energy use.

Before you make any changes to your landscaping, observe your home and see which areas are most susceptible to heat. Areas with southern exposure and other parts of the lawn that receive full sunlight are most likely to heat up over the course of the day. Falon Mihalic, writing for the home design site Houzz, says dark surfaces such as paved areas will retain heat.

Sunlight coming in through the windows will also heat up your home over the course of the day. The University of Minnesota Extension says the sun is high in the sky during the summer, so it is more likely to enter through the east and west windows rather than the south ones.

When shading your yard, you can use either natural or artificial materials. Mihalic says permanent structures such as canopies are best for areas like the patio, since they can create the sense of an outdoor room. You'll also be more likely to stay in these areas for a long time, so shade will make them much more comfortable.

Lighter colors will reflect light and heat, so changing out materials or putting down a new coat of paint can have a significant cooling effect. Use these cooler colors for pavers, exterior walls, patio furniture, and other areas in the yard to keep them from retaining heat.

Trees, hedges, and other plants can also have a nice cooling effect. This option is preferable to a structural component if you want to block sunlight from a wider area of your yard.

Whichever method you use, it is important to make sure that the barrier will have its intended effect. If you use the patio frequently during summer evenings, any tree planted nearby should be positioned between the patio and the sun's path.

Shade isn't the only way plants can help cool the spaces around them. The Department of Energy says they undergo a process called evapotranspiration, where water vapor is released. The air around plants and trees can be six degrees cooler than the surrounding air, while the surface under a tree can be as much as 25 degrees cooler than an unshaded blacktop surface.

Landscaping elements can also be very useful in cooling the interior of your home. The Cornell University Cooperative Extension says the placement of trees and plants can cut your cooling costs by up to 30 percent, as their shade will prevent heat from building up inside. Trees and plants can also be used to create channels to guide breezes toward open windows and doors, improving air circulation in the home.

By creating shade over an air conditioning system, you can allow it to run more efficiently. Landscaping can also be used to shade areas where you park a vehicle, making it less uncomfortable on a hot day.

When using trees to shade the windows, it is most beneficial to create shade for the east and west windows. The University of Minnesota Extension says most solar heat will enter the home during the morning and afternoon.

The Department of Energy recommends getting a slow-growing tree, since it will develop a stronger root system and be more resistant to wind, snow, and drought. Many trees will be able to shade windows in the first year and the roof in five to 10 years. The tree should be planted far enough away from the foundation that its roots will not cause damage.

Vines can provide shade on patios, decks, and other outdoor areas when grown on a trellis. Shrubs can also be useful in shading first floor windows and walls, although they can create humidity problems if their foliage is too dense.

Homeowners in cool areas should also be careful about balancing the benefits of summer shade with the drawbacks this landscaping can have during the winter. For example, a tree planted to the south of the home will cast its shadow downward when the summer sun is high in the sky, offering no cooling benefits. However, it might cast a shadow on your home when the sun is low in the sky during the winter, blocking the natural heat offered by the sunlight.

Many homeowners in cool climates will spend more on heating than on cooling, so you might want to focus your initial landscaping efforts on lowering heating costs. The Cornell University Cooperative Extension says a dense line of evergreens planted to the north and northwest of a home will create a barrier against winter winds, which can let cold air into the home. You can also plant evergreen plants about five feet from the foundation to create another windbreak and layer of insulation.