From Julie: When temperatures rise, awnings are an essential weapon in the cooling arsenal—blocking direct sun and creating zones of shade. The best development we've seen in a while is the tensioned shade sail, a triangle or rectangular of UV-blocking fabric. Whittier, CA-based Shade Sails offers an extensive range of sail shades in different configurations; prices range from $159.95 for a 12-foot triangle to $394 for an 18-foot square. Off-the-rack shades by Coolaroo are available at Stacks and Stacks.

Above: Photo via OWI.

Below : Shade Sails from Backyard City.