July 20th, 2020 by Sarah Miles

When we have the weather, there’s nothing more lovely than making the most of our gardens and soaking up the rays. However, UK weather being as temperamental as it can be, we often seem to get either rain or heatwaves and nothing much in between. Too much sun can make our gardens as unusable as rain: the heat can become unbearable, plus there’s the risk of sunburn. If you’re not fortunate enough to have some natural shade in your garden, then a parasol is a must-have item for the summer months.

During the lockdown, our gardens have become our sanctuaries as, for most of us, they have been the only outside space we’ve been able to spend any time in due to COVID restrictions. Anything that allows us to maximise our outdoor areas is a real blessing and one that will give us many hours of use over the next few months.

Stay Stylish in the Shade

Parasols, therefore, offer a stylish, yet inexpensive way of creating shade in our gardens. One of their greatest virtues is that they offer very flexible shade, as not only are they easy to put up and down whenever you want them, but they can be angled to create maximum shade. You can even move them around the garden so wherever the sun is, you can always find a cool spot to read a book, have a refreshing drink or enjoy an alfresco picnic. Even those who have natural shade will struggle with this as trees, walls and structures are very fixed in position!

A parasol can also allow you to work in your garden, which could be a godsend during the lockdown. Sunlight can make it very difficult to work on a laptop but a parasol can give you the shade needed to view your screen properly, and keep you at a comfortable temperature (and will no doubt be much more pleasant than a stuffy spare bedroom or kitchen table).

Of course, the good old British summer is a devil for sending as much rain as sunshine and a parasol can even save you from a light shower – place one over the barbeque to allow the chef to continue grilling!

A parasol, however, is not simply a practical addition to your garden, it can really add to the aesthetic appearance of it as well. Not only do they add colour but if you desire some real glamour, you can even get parasols with LED lights built-in along the spokes, such as this Glamhaus parasol: perfect for seeing you through into the evening and adding some wonderful sparkle to your outdoor space.

Glamhaus Solar LED Parasol - Green

Price: £115.00

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Things to consider when choosing a parasol

There is a huge range of parasols to choose from so the following considerations should help you decide:

• For practicality, consider how strong it is. We can still experience adverse weather, such as strong wind and rain, during the summer so choose a robust item that will cope with any disagreeable conditions. Choose one with a frame constructed from a strong material, such as steel, and look for hard-wearing fabric, such as polyester.
• Choose one that has a mechanism that is easy to put up and down and will stay in position once opened
• A parasol that you can angle will give you much more flexibility for finding shade
• Choosing a standard-sized parasol means that you have plenty of options for a base, which can be bought from a wide range of retailers
• One that can be disassembled is easier to store in the winter
• Choose one that will add style to your garden; after all, it could be one of its key features over the summer!
• LED parasols will let you enjoy your garden even after the sun goes down!