As the heat and humidity climb steadily higher, it would be miserably tempting to think that your garden or terrace is now off-limits. But why give up your outdoor living space when you don't have to? Clever shade solutions will extend its life into - and beyond - any long summer of discontent. From large pergolas and awnings to DIY shade alternatives and canopied furniture, there are many ways to both keep your deck cooler and screen out sunlight. Fixed canopy awnings can be great, while retractable awnings offer the most versatility, allowing you to create shade as you need it.
Of course, a simple way to quickly but effectively create shade is to choose pieces of furniture that include an umbrella or their own awning, and there are many attractive pieces that go beyond the old swing-seat: among them, B&B Italia's Canasta sofas have an optional sun canopy, and Dedon's quirkily elegant Summer Cloud is more like a swooping canopy with a languid sofa attached than the other way around. Dedon's Daydream bed is indeed dreamy - an outdoor cocoon that is comfortable as well as chic and would look equally good in pairs or displayed on its own.
At Pottery Barn the umbrellas are a far cry from the boring parasols of old: made from durable, fade-resistant Sunbrella fabrics (awarded a Seal of Recommendation by the Skin Cancer Foundation), they're rectangular or round and come in vivid stripes. Gandia Blasco's Ensombra parasol and Dedon's Parasol line both boast simple umbrellas that are oversized enough to shade more than just a table. The simple use of large pieces of fabric or cloth to provide shade dates back to ancient Egypt and it's still one of the easiest and most stylish ways to create a respite from the heat. Always go for pale shades, which deflect the heat.
Going a step further you could create a romantic pavilion or vintage-style gazebo to offer not just shade but a comfortable place in which to dine, relax and entertain. The old marquee or portable tent as gazebo finds a fresh new look in Karma Deco's beautiful Edwardian colonial-style canopy. It's perfectly simple - a swathe of sheer but tough undyed ecru canvas anchored by four branch-style poles, high enough and wide enough to cover even the biggest outdoor dining table, or to shelter a play area or a lounging area strewn with large cushions. In Karma's store they've hung shells around the edge to pretty effect; you could also try hanging coral from the beach on string or ribbon clipped to wooden clothespegs.
Or plant your own shade. Do as they do at Ladera resort in St Lucia, West Indies, or at any number of hotels in the Greek islands - use nature's own canopy to create a dappled, cool shade using trees, plants and all kinds of greenery, and conduct everything you do outdoors beneath it. In many ways, trees and plants are the best shade system of all, at once shading large areas, providing privacy and giving your garden or a terrace a leafy edge. Bougainvillea and jasmine are the prettiest options among the plants that are tolerant of the UAE climate, although anything floral will never provide as much opaque cover as foliage. If you don't want to dig, provide movable shade and an enticing element of greenery with trees or palms in large planters. Or set planters along the edge of the deck to serve as a screen. Aim for a layered effect by grouping planters of different sizes, either in two parallel lines or in clusters.
Choose terracotta, ceramic, wooden, fibreglass or concrete pots to protect roots from the heat of the sun - and avoid black plastic pots because they cause the roots to overheat. And remember to repot every year or two (but only in cooler weather) to allow room for growing roots.
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Bahrain%20GP
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Jebel Ali results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 64,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: One Vision, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gabr, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
4pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 96,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
4.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Torno Subito, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Untold Secret, Jose Santiago, Salem bin Ghadayer
Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Company%20Profile
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Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
The%20specs
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dimuth Karunaratne (stand-in captain), Niroshan Dickwella (vice captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan and Lasith Embuldeniya.