Thank you!
Yes we do get some really hot sun in the afternoons and I have found that almost all plants-even sun lovers- like a little shade in the afternoon.
Maybe I could rig something up temporarly for a few years until my trees fill in better. I planted 2 Cleveland Pears on the west side of the area. The east side already has a huge Sweet Gum and a rather large Hemlock. The Hemlock was damaged badly a few years back in a storm and isn't shaped nice at all. But it is close enough to the Gum that it is kind of grown together somewhat and the damage is disguised. The birds like it and I love that it is evergreen so I plan to keep it as long as it lives. I hope the pears will not become to invasive with their roots for the hostas I plan to put nearby.
