When you finally realize the opportunity waiting within your backyard, there are a lot of things to do.



First you need to select a patio furniture set. Much of this selection is going to be done relating to the style of an entertaining venue you want to create in your yard. If you want a fun tropical Tiki environment, you can find a bamboo table and chair set and even a bar set with a thatched roof. If you are creating an old Roman theme near your pool and waterfall feature, you can find ornate tables with marble or stone tops and matching chairs.

While you may think that's enough to get the party started, there is something you may have forgotten. If you are ever considering getting the party started before the sun goes down, you need to make sure you offer your guests some shade. If you have a covered porch, this is already taken care of, but if you are setting the patio furniture outside, or within a screened in deck, you need to offer a way to keep the sun out of their eyes. This is easily remedied with patio umbrellas.

Here are some of the patio umbrellas you may choose from:

Regular Patio Umbrellas

These are the umbrellas you are most likely to find in a store to go with your patio furniture set. In many cases these umbrellas are dropped into a hole in the middle of the table and can be rolled open and closed as needed to block the sun.

Cantilever Patio Umbrellas

Instead of being a post in the middle of the table, a cantilever patio umbrella is set up off to the side. A great benefit of this kind of umbrella is they are easier to shift and adjust with the sun to offer the best shade, but if you live in a windy climate they often have a mind of their own and are hard to control in a stiff breeze.

Thatch Patio Umbrellas

If you went with the Tiki hut theme for your backyard entertainment area, you may want to go with a thatch patio umbrella to match. These umbrellas will match that thatched hut bar roof. They are also good if you want to just create a natural or tropical theme to your yard. The only problem is these are not the kind of umbrellas that can be put up and down as you see fit on the table. They are permanently placed in the ground and will be there, for good.

Skyline Patio Umbrellas

Want something other than the traditional round umbrella shape? Skyline patio umbrellas break the round umbrella mold and are square in shape, instead.

Remote-Controlled Patio Umbrellas

In a world of technology, how could we do without umbrellas that are electronic? With the click of a button the umbrella opens. Click again, and it's closed.