If you look in the background of this picture, you will see my version of an umbrella. I have some young clematis which I hope will eventually climb to the top and then cascade down. They were plumb when they were put them into the ground, but compared to the pergola, they appear to have shifted. They are just landscape timbers that have been notched on the end in order to put 1 X 4's to form a cross. Of Course, some will also go on the pergola once it is complete. I also plan to put in some of the rebar teepees as Robert suggests. Kathy

"Best" is of course highly subjective. A couple of ideas off the top of my head: Geraldton wax flower, Chamlaucium uncinatum Australian tea tree, Leptospermum - several species. Named varieties will tend to be smaller. Carefully research mature height before purchase. I think of these as shrubs, but the "airy" description and ultimate height suit your needs. Both will tolerate dry periods once established. Water weekly after planting for 2 years or until plant is well established. These will do best in full sun. Alternatively, if you prefer something more vertical with a bare trunk and foliage up top, I can recommend specific palms if you describe your climate in greater detail. Coastal, inland, fog, dry, cool winter? What is your garden style?

Green Designs says: The added expense of HVAC temperature control and stratified temperature layers is another. I appreciate your green focus, but this statement doesn't ring true, with me. Relatively small home (2400 sq ft, on my lot, was all that was allowed, but really pushes the boundaries of "open concept", with windows everywhere)- 10' down and 9' up. None of it energy inefficient. Quite literally, our energy costs are much less than many apartments with 8'-9' ceilings, and yes! It's all due to a well-designed home, HVAC system that's zoned and an energy-efficient temp control system. But I do know how on-top-of it one must be, to make the HVAC system good, before walls are put in. Hardest thing I ever had to learn. And? People hate ceiling fans and then design homes that require them. Then they don't own a ladder tall enough to change the light bulbs. First, not all people hate ceiling fans.They are there for a reason. I certainly don't. I bought gorgeous stainless- but no bulbs. That is a feature I don't like. But down- 10'- they serve to bring the ceilings "down", and they are part of our energy-conserving plan. Not hard to clean, and I'm 5'2". Just have the right telescoping equipment. Up: 9', still fans. And all those fans work together to prevent stagnant air. They also work well with the simple concept of a thermal chimney. As a result, we have very, very low utility bills. Quite honestly, we pay less than people with homes half our size/ One thing we really agree on is the need for great design. My architect lit the way. Another? Sure. Cabinetry can cost a bit more. I have cabs in the kitchen that go all the way up. But the upper cabs are storage, for seasonal etc, and complete the clean lines I was going for. No need for extraneous furniture that I really didn't want- currently in a minimalist phase. But planned correctly? The relatively small charge for the cabs, all the way up, cost me far less than whatever the heck I would have needed to store it all, and keep the look of the house. And well- they are so much easier to clean- no dust on top.

Thanks for the feedback. The original cabin can be seen below. It structurally cannot support going up and I can't afford to bulldoze and start over. Also, there are a lot of rules around what can or cannot be done because it's on a lake. I attached a sample floor layout. I mocked it up on lucid chart so it's not perfect. The original cabin has 7 foot walls but a pitched ceiling in the main room so the ceiling is about 9 feet in the middle. We were planning on 9 foot walls downstairs to allow in more light and not make it feel like basement. The patio doors in the middle would both slide open. The dutch hip roofs over the patio doors are to try and balance/break up the top and bottom since they aren't the same. The proposed layout is below. Adding a main bedroom suite and a bunk room. It's summer cabin so the point is to sleep lots of people while we spend most of our time outside or together in the shared space. Bedrooms can be small. The closet in the back next to the cabinets is for the forced care unit, water heater etc. I will add that I plan to get input from a design/build professional but want to go in with clear ideas to make it a quicker process.