Garden Parasols

Which type of parasol

Centre-pole parasols, sometimes sold as market or crank parasols, drop the mast through the middle of the canopy and usually through a table. They are simpler, steadier and easier to put away. Cantilever parasols, called offset or cantilever umbrellas in the US, carry the canopy on a side arm so the ground beneath stays clear, and they rotate to follow the sun. Choose a centre pole for dining and a cantilever for lounging or for anywhere a mast would be in the way.

Canopy shape and size

Match the shape to what you are shading. A round canopy over a rectangular table leaves the corners in the sun, and a rectangular canopy over a round table wastes span. Aim for around half a metre of overhang on every side so the shade still covers the table as the sun moves. Height matters as well as width: check the clearance under the ribs against the height of the people who will be standing at the table.

Frames and mechanisms

Powder-coated aluminium is the usual frame material and the practical one, being light, rust-free and stiff enough for a wide canopy. Timber suits a more traditional garden and needs the same annual attention as any outdoor wood. Most parasols open on a crank or a pulley: a crank is easier on a large canopy, a pulley has less to go wrong. Tilt mechanisms let a centre-pole canopy angle against low sun, which is worth having on a west-facing terrace.

Fabric, colour and UV

Canopy fabric is where the money goes. Heavier weaves block more light and hold their shape better when damp, and solution-dyed acrylic keeps its colour for years where a lighter polyester will lift along the folds. Many canopies carry a UPF figure describing the ultraviolet they stop. Pale canopies throw a brighter, cooler shade; dark ones feel more enclosed and show less dirt.

Bases and safety

Every parasol needs ballast matched to its canopy, and a cantilever needs significantly more than a centre pole of the same span because the weight is off to one side. Where the pole passes through a table, the table takes some of the load and the base can be lighter. Close the canopy when you leave it, and take it down altogether if wind is forecast. Never wedge a parasol upright without a proper base.

Where the parasol will stand

The spot decides more than the specification does. Over a dining table with a hole in it, a centre-pole parasol is the obvious and cheapest answer, and the table takes some of the load. On a terrace with no table to pass through, you are choosing between a free-standing centre pole, which needs a much heavier base than the same parasol through a table, and a cantilever, which needs heavier still. On decking, check what is under the boards before standing sixty or more kilos in one place. On grass or gravel, put a slab under the base or the parasol will settle and lean within a fortnight. On a balcony, a half canopy against the wall usually fits where a full circle does not, and the base becomes the main problem to solve rather than the canopy.

Looking after a parasol

Rinse the canopy with clean water, brush off what the birds and trees leave, and let it dry fully open before folding. Store it dry, ideally in a sleeve or cover, and wipe the frame down at the end of the season. A parasol that is closed when not in use and dried before storage will outlast one twice its price that is not.

Mildew is the usual reason a canopy is thrown away, and it almost always starts in a crease that was damp when the parasol was folded. If it does appear, brush off what is dry, wash with a mild soap solution and rinse thoroughly. Leave strong bleach alone: it takes the colour and the water repellency out along with the mould, and a canopy that no longer beads water is a canopy that sags. Check the ribs at the end of each season too, since a single bent rib pulls the whole canopy out of shape and is usually replaceable while the parasol is still current. Keep the sleeve the parasol arrived in if it came with one, since it is the easiest way to store the canopy clean and dry.