Pergolas, Awnings, and Shade

11 Aug, 2011Featured, Outdoors

Oh My!

I live in the hot and sun soaked southern part of the United States. Sunshine in my yard is nothing new, and it is certainly something that I am very used to. All of the plants that I buy have to be able to withstand scorching days with very full sun, and we have to stay hydrated beyond belief to just sit outside. Well, when it is hot there is nothing better than finding a shady spot for you to sit back and relax. So, on a mission I went to find some shade providers that give off more shade than just a typical patio umbrella and here’s what I found.

Awnings – Okay when I think about awnings, I think about RVs and campers. The main reason is probably because my first job was working at an RV dealership, and you would be surprised about how often awnings come up as conversation pieces. Of course when my husband mentioned the prospect of actually getting a retractable awning for part of our deck I was quick to say no. With further research though I realized that not all awnings have to look like tacky RV awnings. In fact some of the canvas awnings I came across were pretty modern. Still, I do not want an awning, I refuse. The good thing about them is that they are fairly easy to install and come ready-to-go in all sorts of sizes so you’ll surely find a perfect fit.

Pergolas – Now this is where it’s at. I love pergolas. They are beautiful in any outdoor setting and you can accessorize them. Since I love them, that is obviously what we got to shade a portion of our back deck, and I could not have been happier with that decision. A lot of people will use their pergolas to grow vines and thigns though which is so pretty. I like to be able to change things up often though, so to get some shade I bought some canvas fabric and weave it in and out of the rafters. Hanging plants and lights look great on pergolas too. I love this how to on building a pergola at Lowes’ website.

So, while I am partial to the pergola, I am an advocate for having a cool shady spot somewhere outside especially if your home is in an area that gets hit with heat hard. You will surely love your shady spot no matter how you end up blocking the sun’s vivid rays.