Making Lemonade from Lemons

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I posted several weeks ago about the tree disaster that befell us this winter. Our neighbors cut down the huge one-hundred-year-old elm tree that completely shaded our back yard and patio in the afternoons. As I practically live outside from early spring until fall, this was a devastating blow for me. This is Texas, after all, and the back of our house faces pretty much due west--or maybe slightly south of due west, which is even worse! 

Our patio went from a shady haven to flagstone hell! But there was nothing we could do--the tree was just on the neighbors' side of the property line.

After a few miserable weeks (it took them three weeks to get the tree down, AND they had to work out of our back yard to do it) I started trying to find an upside. 

Our roses on the back fence would get lots more sun. Our grass would probably do better. Our water bills would be less (we were the ones watering that huge root system for the last twenty years, after all.) And, um...still thinking.

All possibly good things, but none of them solved the issue of the deck and especially the patio being unusable from about one o'clock in the afternoon on. 

Then, one morning as I was taking a walk, I noticed a neighbor had a shade sail over their driveway. Hmm. I started to research. I consulted the practical hubby, who said it could be done, and we plunged in. We went for the red that picked up the color in our Japanese maples (which we hope survive. They are under story trees, not meant for full afternoon sun.)

And here we are, lots of hardware, rope, ladders, and a post later, besailed!

A sail over a small part of the deck, and a bigger one over a section of the patio. We had to put in a post at the back fence to hold the third point on the patio sail, but it shades at least a section of the patio until late afternoon. (The fence point on the sail is where the tree used to be.)

My little paradise may not be quite restored, but it's certainly improved, and the sails make me smile every time I look at them. I got to plant a few of my shade-loving pots, as well.

And the sunny parts of the deck are thriving.

I may still not be a happy camper when the temps hit the upper nineties, but I'm trying to make the best of things. We have a third sail that we think we may block a little more sun from our west-facing sun porch windows, but we haven't had a chance to put it up.

So, dear REDs and readers, how have you made the best of an unpleasant or distressing situation? It does force you to be creative.

(And thanks to Jasmine and Dax for the photo-bombing:-))