We decided to take down these umbrellas that didn’t work well with our windy afternoons and replaced them with a shade cloth. I say we in the royal sense, Dear did it all!
We are happy with this new arrangement. The cloth is secure enough to withstand strong wind gusts. It will be easy to take down at the end of summer.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Hi Ellen, I love the shades. You have such a lovely place to enjoy the outdoors now.
Thank you Mildred.
Hello,
Your new shades look wonderful, a shady area on a hot summer day is welcomed.
Take care, enjoy your day and week ahead!
…shade is welcomed on a hot summer day.
I’ve never seen those! Your shade sitting areas look inviting!
hi…testing
It worked! I like the look and the function. Hope that you’re getting some time out there to enjoy.
Hi Ellen, I love the shades. What a great idea. We have a pergola similar to yours, but it is flat on top, causing rainwater to pool up between the slats. Does yours do that? We’re thinking of getting a second one, and it doesn’t seem like it would be an issue, but just wondering.
Hi Karen, We haven’t had an issue with rain water so far. Our cloth on the pergola can be pulled back and forth depending on where the sun is. I suppose if water pooled we could pull the cloth down to get the water to drain. I think the curve on the top of the pergola helps, too. We take the cloth down from Fall to very late in the Spring.
Thanks, Ellen. I thought that would be the case. If we add a second pergola, we’ll for sure get the curved top. We’ve had to replace the cloth every other year, because when the water pools it weakens it so much! Your backyard looks great, BTW!!
Looks like the perfect thing for your hot summers.
That looks like a perfect solution for providing shade. Enjoy! Our patio awning works well until the sun is about to set…and then it is of no use.