Choosing The Right Garden Parasol To Protect You And Your Family

 Whether you love dining al fresco with family and friends or just lounging on a garden steamer with a glass of iced tea enjoying your gardens beauty, make sure you shade yourself from the unpredictable British summer weather with a garden parasol.

Parasols help you to avoid those harmful UVB rays of the sun around noon which can cause heat related disease and may also affect the immune system and also shelter from the summer showers that are infamous with the UK weather by shading you and your family.

The UK market for garden leisure products is growing rapidly so you can now find parasols in a wide variety of styles, materials and colours that will complement your natural surroundings.

People spend a long time choosing garden furniture so they can create the perfect ambience for their outdoor space, from elegant French bistro sets to contemporary glass and wood dining sets; and the right parasol will compliment any garden furniture whilst helping to keep it from deteriorating from sun and rain exposure.

The style you choose is obviously important to suit the look and feel of your garden. There are a myriad of traditional style parasols; round, square, oblong, with fringes, to name but a few so there is definitely something for everyone. Air vents in the roof of the canopy are recommended so the wind can flow through the parasol and stop it from swaying to violently in strong gusts and extras such as suede corners on the canopy will ensure a longer life span for the material.

Creams and greens are more traditional colours for canopies as they blend effortlessly with the colours of the garden but if you feeling adventurous or want to make a real design statement why not try a deep blue or red. One major tip is to make sure that the canopy is easy to clean so you can keep it looking like new without having to constantly bring it indoors after each use.

Choosing the construction of the pole is important for durability, rot resistance and matching with your furniture style. Materials such as bamboo are aesthetically pleasing but will obviously not have the same life span as a hardwood or aluminium pole, which if treated properly will last for many years.

There are also different mechanisms available for raising and lowering the canopy. Wind up systems are possibly the easiest to use as they take the least amount of effort and look stunning when finished in materials like brass. Pulley and peg systems are also readily available and very traditional.

Irrespective of what type of garden you have, be it an English country cottage type or a Japanese minimalist look, relax and enjoy the lazy pleasures of the outdoors at any time of the day with the protection of a beautiful garden parasol.

About the author:

Jenny Edwards is the operations manager of Arboreta Garden Furniture Store (http://www.arboreta.co.uk ). She is responsible for the buying and importing of new products.

 Jenny Edwards

More Articles 

Cottage Style Decorating - How To Create A Warm And Inviting Oasis - Michael Holland
If you are interested in cottage style decorating for your home interior, there are many exciting ways you can design just about any area of your home to capture the perfect authenticity of such a theme. Cottage style...

Who Invented Wall Fountains? - Matt Iselin
Wall fountains are also known as single face or façade fountains. It is not possible to ascribe the invention of wall fountains to an individual. However, it can be said with certainty that wall fountains did not originate in the western world....

Constructing Garden Steps - Hege Crowton
Steps present as ideal an opportunity for beautifying the outdoors as any other item on your landscaping agenda. Materials which can be used vary from round-cut logs to concrete, brick or stone. Standard step dimensions for outdoors should be...

The Importance Of Home Air Filters - Marcus Peterson
Many people are not aware that the air inside our homes is five times harmful than the air outside. Because of airtight home and office building constructions, the airborne pollutants are trapped inside, making the contaminated air unable to escape....

Invasion Of The Bar Stool - Are You Prepared? - Damon N Burgess
Picture this: Its 1683, Dublin, Ireland - A guy walks into a bar and asks for his favorite brew. The bartender obliges and hands it off. He sits down enjoys his drink, maybe asks for another, then sits back and relaxes. I am sure that guy would...

A Decorative Ceiling Fan can Save You Money - Beverly Marshall
It doesn’t matter if you live in a hot climate or the North woods; there are many days when the breeze isn’t blowing and you would like the air to circulate for comfort. Running central air conditioning is expensive and isn’t always called for. We...

Starting Plants From Seed - Jonathon Hardcastle
One of the most fun and rewarding aspects of gardening is starting plants from seeds. And it's not that expensive either. To start, you will need basic materials like containers, soil or a soil-less mixture, light, water, a fan and a plastic cover...

Video Encryption - Alastair Taylor
Video Encryption is an extremely useful method for the stopping unwanted interception and viewing of any transmitted video or other information, for example from a law enforcement video surveillance being relayed back to a central viewing centre....

Patio Heaters - Sebastian Romero
Patio heaters are a fairly recent development. They can make life outside more enjoyable in those chilly evenings in late summer and fall. A Barbecue in the evening is one of the summer pleasures of life. So many summer evenings turn cold though...

Prefabricated Homes Primer - Diane Takahashi
This is by no means an exhaustive list of what's available in the area of prefabricated homes and buildings. This article is to introduce you to the world prefab. If you're in the industry, you'll probably be cringing about now at the word "prefab"....

Plants And Flowers Can Bring Earth Day Right Into Your Home - Wesley Berry
April 22nd is Earth Day, a day to celebrate this planet we call home and all the natural beauty it has to offer. Many people celebrate the day by planting a tree or bush or simply by spending the day outside, enjoying the splendor of nature. But,...

Is It Really Teak Wood? Caveat Emptor! (Part One) - Michael Ochoa
This article contains a plethora of information and would be difficult to take in all at once. For that reason, I have broken this article into two parts. "Caveat Emptor" is Latin for "Let the buyer beware". If you have Teak wood...