Let me bump this old thread to say that I tried to make some diy shade paint by using a diluted interior latex paint, mixed at about 5:1. I applied it with a pump sprayer six months ago to my double layer of 6-mil poly. The problem is that now the paint doesn't want to come off. I had thought that a pressure washer would easily take it off, at the risk of being too strong. But I was completely wrong. Not only does the power washer not remove any paint, the poly itself is oblivious to it. I use the same machine to strip wooden decks and siding. I even tried to cut through the poly with it, and it doesn't even make a mark. It seems like it relates to the poly not being a firm surface; the movement takes away the leverage of the pressured water spray. Undiluted Simple Green and a *lot* of work with a typical plastic kitchen scrub brush eventually took off the paint. If the brush has scratched the poly, I can't see it. It took me four hours of scrubbing to clean just one end wall of a 14' wide high tunnel. If I ever try shade paint again, I will spend the money for the Kool Ray AND paint a small test area only, let it sit for a year, and see how easy it is to remove.

Hi have no idea as to the degree lol. In the past I've merely brought the delicates into the green house where I keep them for the duration . I got a wild hair and decided to plant a bed" of Vandaceous orchids between two palms where they have firmly attached. Usually use cotton bed sheets with a UV heater inside kept at 55 which works well but since fronts usually last 3 days the structure must remain and it tended to overheat during daylight Another wild hair made me try the "frost cloth " maiinly because I've never tried it .lol At last a "normal" front with no wind and brilliant sunshine but had to air it out today as with the sheets. So no advantage and serious cost lol Funny story When I first built my shadehouse I covered it with plastic and electric heater sailed through the night with min of 50!! Went to work and was feeling smug that I'd beat the weather. Came home that evening to find the SH at 150 degrees !! Needless to say I lost everything in it!! Wasn't so funny when it happened lol Thanks for the info!! Though I'm expanding my natural plantings I think I'll stick with bed sheets lol Low for tonight is supposed to be 39 so I'll get another partial test . Thanks again gary

BK, I have the pictures from last year, and my hosta were LATE pipping. Compared to 2012, they were more than a month behind. However, the only 2012 pictures I have are the ones uploaded to Flickr--the external harddrive with them on it self-destructed. Pictures with the date in the corner have turned out to be my most reliable reference. Not pretty, perhaps, but very accurate. All I could do here was seek the shade, which kept moving around on me, so I kept moving pots. I started with a lot of shade on the north side of my house, and had hoped to keep some blue hosta in that location until summer arrived, but the shade disappeared by April. That's when I built the cinder block and boards to keep the hosta beneath my 90% shadecloth. However, I failed to install the cloth before some big limbs fell in that secluded spot. This year, I plan to complete that shadecloth project. Even without the shadecloth, they stayed very nicely as long as I made sure the pots drained. Now I am inclined to create a few more very RAISED BEDS beneath the cloth, making a foundation of mini pine bark, then bark fines. Lowes sells both things in their garden center, although they call the bark fines something else. It will provide the necessary porosity for our high rain area. By spending time with an umbrella during some heavy rain storms, I've noticed the areas where rain either stands or runs, and the spots I need to slope to create a path for runoff. Nothing seems to be simple, does it. When our remodel project is over and done, then comes the landscaper to remove all the "grass" (actually now WEEDS) and sod the small areas not dedicated to beds or plantings. That will help level the yard and eliminate the low spots. After that it will be up to us to halt the two doxie girls from their passionate digging. Who knew we had so many MOLES. Just when your Cleo is maturing enough to leave your pots alone, our girls are discovering the ease with which they can dig raised garden beds! And lay in them to cool their little black hides! But 2014 is another year, and I know I have further lessons to learn about hosta.

You're on the coast aren't you? What type of canopy would you grow? I'd probably try a fast growing Euc, (perhaps E. Ficifolia) or a Jacaranda Mimosifolia? My Jacaranda is usually evergreen except in really cold winters (and in early summer when they drop their leaves and bloom). Embothrium coccineum also comes to mind. These trees would add a tropical look to your landscape as well :)