Earlier, we have seen how the elements affect the building and how we can minimise the discomfort to ourselves by choosing a patch of land that slopes towards the north and east. The south and the west are the least pleasant sides of the house. Actually they are the least acceptable parts of the garden as well. That is why the Vastu texts advise us to locate the house close to these boundaries, leaving the more agreeable north and east sides open for sitting out.

Thick foliage on the south and west protects the structure from sun & rain. It also makes the interior of the house more pleasant.

If the plot is a small one (as they usually are these days) and the open spaces are a bare minimum in any case, then this factor doesn't come into play at all. Similarly, the building is sometimes within city municipal limits and therefore governed by a set of rules over which you have little or no control. In both cases, you may just have to grin and bear it. What you can do though, is to try and have the highest point of the structure in the south and west. That way you will obtain maximum shade over the rest of the house. Besides this, the wind pressures will work to your advantage during the hot summer months.

The courtyard besides being a place that is usually shaded also acts as a natural air-conditioner especially in a hot and dry climate.

Plantation of trees can make a big difference to your life. A barrier of shade-giving, evergreens in the south and west, especially on a site having a bad slope, can be extremely effective. On a small plot though, be careful not to plant trees with strong spreading roots (like mango, peepal, banyan or neem) too close to the house, as they could cause some major damage to the foundations.

Flowering trees are usually not recommended by Vastu, because they shed their leaves in the summer months - when you most need their shade! Besides, exotic trees like the Gulmohur have a nasty habit of dropping their branches right on your head at the slightest sign of a strong wind.