The Best Place To Hang A Hammock In The Yard

Relaxing in a hammock can help you reduce stress, and it's a way to enjoy your garden during warm weather. But if you pick the wrong part of the yard to hang it, chances are, you won't use it very much. Hang your hammock where it'll get the most shade during the hottest part of the day. Usually, this means the east side of the lawn, where it will get cooler sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon.

Shade can be a big part of how much this swinging chair gets used, especially in hotter regions of the country. If you take big shade trees out of the equation, the east side of the lawn naturally gets more morning sun and afternoon shade. To determine the shadiest part of your yard, simply snap photos of your lawn on a sunny day. Take a picture once in the morning, once in the middle of the day and once in the evening. Comparing them can tell you the shadiest spot to choose. 

This means when the summer sun might be at its hottest, you'll have the benefit of shade while reclining. There should be plenty of pretty scenery to enjoy there, too, since all kinds of plants work well for an east-facing garden. These include hostas, hydrangeas, and irises. Think about plants that are heat averse, and don't mind if their roots occasionally get soggy. Sometimes water doesn't evaporate as quickly in shady areas.

After you've picked a nice shady east-facing side of the yard, you'll need to decide whether you're going to use a stand or hang the hammock between two trees. The best trees will be sturdy, and the space between them will be about two feet longer than the hammock itself. For most hammocks, this means between 13 and 16 feet apart. You also want to make sure there's nothing hard or spiky beneath the hammock, like a tree stump or thorny flowers, that could hurt someone if they accidentally stepped or fell on it. 

You want to make sure the seat of your hammock hangs about 18 inches off the ground. This will enable most people to sit up, put their feet on the grass, and stand. Also, when hanging straps from the tree, keep them at about a 30-degree angle. If you pull the swing too taut, then it might be uncomfortable. If you want to make sure the hammock doesn't curl and lies mostly flat, then consider adding a spreader bar, which helps keep the netting open. You can make and finish a spreader for a hammock without too much fuss.

Before you lie back and relax, be sure to check the weight requirements of your hammock. This will ensure it can support you, the kids, or whoever wants to be on it. Most hammocks can hold up between 250 and 800 pounds.