March 23, 2012

Awnings, Gardening + Yurts

Morning Glories Climb Awning Hardware
Before ordering or building a yurt, one must decide if and where there will be windows.
Tropical Vines Climb From Ground to Tree Stump,
to Awning to Lanai

First you study the property: ― sunrise, sunset, typical wind direction. Next it's the interior floor plan.

Then regardless of the kind of window/s you select, consider exterior awnings. Why go the extra expense? Because they're functional.


Yurt awnings provide privacy and weather protection. My particular location has windows open most the time, but seasonal high winds and heavy rains are common. Yet with an awning, the need to close a window is very rare.

Gardening is my thing and I get a kick out of seeing blooms climb up to my windows. Pictured below are morning glories germinated and grown with the help of awning-rainwater runoff.

Hence, I discovered the awnings very useful for starting plants. Those hard-to-germinate seeds come alive with this method. Not pictured are impatiens that thrive in the heat under another window due to the consistent moist ground. There's an inside blooming view from every window now.

My location is in the rain forest, so of course required maintenance will vary. But typically, the usual daily rain will bring beautiful benefits with minimal effort.

Last, but not least reason to love awnings, ―ambiance!

There are awning downsides illustrated below. All it takes, however, is some periodic mildew cleaning and rust preventive measures on your awning hardware. For yurt dwelling lovers, it ain't no big deal, ― just a little forewarning.
Rust Development on Right Rod