I don’t know. Perhaps I, in my beguiling naivety, searched for something of which had I had no knowledge. Or, at least, insufficient knowledge, to actually know what I’m searching!
After ‘googling’ the term, I landed on the name of a magazine, printed by the Society of Landscape Architects. Perfect!
Not exactly…
What I discovered was a very artistically elegant publication with beautiful illustrations. Some very artistically interpreted photographs of plants in a rainbow of modern shades. No mention of ‘structures in the garden’ could be found.
What I NEED is a skilled someone who can stand back, and objectively view my backyard, such as it is, and quickly know what I’d need to do to obtain the maximum amount of shade on my much loved porch! I see a wise, but artistic, individual in that role, who would take a small step backwards, tilting his or her head, and viewing the 50 foot expanse through a frame created by their raised hands. Thumb to thumb, index finger to index finger.
I really enjoy sitting out there with my morning coffee, trying to formulate my plans for the day. Then , later, I’ll return there with a pre-dinner glass of wine, hoping to sort my day into a nonexistent file folder. Does there exist an answer to both extremes, morning AND late afternoon shade? Other than the obvious conclusion of an inclusive roof over the whole area, I’m stymied.
The turquoise shelter above does an okay job, when the sun is directly overhead. But since I’m rarely home at noon hour, you can see why this isn’t very helpful! The little beige triangular sail is helpful for the angle light, but not all of it.
Ideally, the structure would be tastefully designed, providing for modern aesthetics and environmental concerns. Anything more specific than that is still far too ethereal, wandering in and out of my imagination at will. Lots of time to dream, fantasize and plan.
In a perfect world, all construction could be done in something like redwood, this being California and all. That’s not a frugal choice, but it MUST be cheaper than ‘Trex’, the wood-like material that is essentially a polymer! VERY weatherproof, but also very hard to build with! Of course, there are a lot of competitors now, in the pseudo-wood market, so perhaps the price has settled down a bit.
As most if not all of my MS buddies know, sunshine equals heat, and heat equals non functional body parts! I like to carry that equation to an extreme: I CRAVE SHADE. I’ve even gotten to the point where bright sunlight hurts my eyes, making me steal Glenn’s Oakley sunglasses, since they are SUPER dark. My drugstore junkers pale in comparison, pun not intended but I’ll take it! My tendency to lose things on a regular basis makes me disinclined to invest in pricey sunglasses, but I may have to change my tune after my next appointment with my retinal specialist at Stanford!
One step at a time.
illogicaloutcome 