You can buy a small patio umbrella on Amazon.com. A retractable awning is another option for providing shade to fit your space requirements, but would cost more money.
You can find an aluminum patio umbrella at the following sites www.overstock.com , www.squidoo.com , umbrella.pronto.com/ , all these sites are great for buying an aluminum patio umbrella. These are the sites i found that sell these types of umbrellas.
You can find solar patio umbrellas at shopzilla.com. They will show you different retail stores in your area. You could also find it at nextag.com. Just search solar patio umbrella when you get there.
You do not always need a gigantic umbrella to cool down your patio enough to be usable space during the summer. A small patio umbrella often does the job, especially in small or confined areas. You can find cool, trendy and inexpensive patio umbrellas by searching at home and garden stores. A great idea is to buy a couple of them at the end of the season on sale so that you have enough to last you for the next year or two.
You can buy patio furniture with the umbrella included, but many times you will find that it is sold separately.
If your definition of a small garden is a 8' x 8' balcony, then a 7 foot patio umbrella would be perfect. If your definition of a small garden is a 10' x 10' balcony, then you will need a 9 foot patio umbrella. Take the time to measure your garden. That way, you'll be able to pick the correct patio umbrella for your garden.
You can find umbrella tables at your local stores such as Walmart, Target, and Menards. You may also find them on these stores websites. Sites such as amazon and e-bay will also possibly have patio umbrella tables.
These are some great sites that will be of use to you: http://www.nextag.com/solar-umbrella-lights/compare-html and http://solardecklights.hubpages.com/hub/Patio-Umbrella-With-Solar-Lights
Yes you can find a patio umbrella without the set, although they basically come as a package. Just have a look at AMAZON website and place. there you can choose one from many.
The patio umbrella has a simple spring mechanism in the middle of the rod. The difficulties are in having the tools to get inside it. In most cases, it would have to be returned to the manufacturer.
Just because a patio umbrella is missing a part doesn't mean that is has to be thrown away, which is good news, since a good-quality patio umbrella can be expensive. It can also sometimes be difficult to find a new umbrella that matches an existing patio set. Many companies offer replacement parts for patio umbrellas, including replacement umbrella canopies and replacement umbrella frames; these parts are typically inexpensive and fairly easy to change.
Yes, you can just purchase the patio umbrella without having to buy a new set as long as the patio table has a whole cut out for an umbrella. I purchased my patio umbrella at Target.
I do believe you can find a patio umbrella that doesn't attach to a table. A good place to start looking would be your local discount store like Walmart. Where you place a patio umbrella has more to do with the umbrella base or stand than it does the table. A table does help to stabilize the umbrella but it is not necessary. By getting a heavier umbrella stand or even a rolling umbrella stand you can place your outdoor umbrella any where you want to.