One way to soften cold winters and hot summers is to plant a deciduous tree near the windows on the south side of the house.

A deciduous tree shields the interior from the sun's rays in summer and lets them right in during winter. Talk about bio-automation!

And trees do so much more: they shed their leaves in fall, bloom beautifully in spring, give off a scent, and even bear fruit in summer. In winter, a graphic pattern of trunk and branches appears in the window. Trees look especially good in large, oversized second-floor windows.

Norway maple, rowan, linden, plum, oak, willow — it's ideal when the tree is proportionate to the lot and the house, and the shape of its crown and where it's planted suit the façade.