Shade solutions for south facing garden design – elegant parasols

Roll on the sunshine – I want to be shaded! Most people think that a sunny garden is the most desirable aspect and from a planting perspective it offers you the most scope. However a south facing garden design comes with its own complications, such as how to escape the blazing sun.

Stay Cool!

Trees, shade sails, structures, awnings, parasols – there are many solutions to staying cool in a garden but not all are practical for every situation. Trees are only any use if they are reasonably mature and cast enough of a shadow to make a difference. Sails are great, but can be a faff to erect in an instant, structures and buildings are only useful if they  cast a shadow in the direction you want. Awnings can be costly and you need something to attach them to.

Pretty and Practical

For a real dash of elegance you cannot beat these beautiful parasols from the Indian Garden Company. The water and fade resistant canopies are edged with beads and shells, with a cotton weave covering the inside workings. The attention to detail on the finishing of the canopy and hand-carved wooden pole and finial give the parasols a timeless quality. What a wonderful gift this would make!