A garden parasol can add a beautiful finishing touch to your picturesque outdoor setting. Could you imagine a place you wouldn’t mind lounging in for hours? Right in your very own backyard, too? A garden that’s Pinterest-worthy and induces feelings of calm, peace and serenity at the same time. The perfect place where you could unwind during the weekend, while enjoying some fresh air outdoors.

While we love spending a lot of time outdoors, we must protect ourselves and our furniture from the intense and harsh UV rays of the sun (yes, even your furniture needs to be protected). Too much heat will damage your furniture faster than it should, and luckily, there’s one piece of outdoor furniture that’s a solution to this problem. Have you ever considered getting one of those wooden garden parasols?

The wooden parasols you’ll find today are absolutely stunning. They’re of premium quality, and they come in a range of hues to suit every individual’s personal taste and colour preference. Red, blue, dark green or classic white, whatever colour you choose, every shade will look incredibly beautiful in your garden. Do you want to know why? It’s going to add that pop of colour to your wooden outdoor furniture. Even if you don’t have wooden outdoor furniture, wooden parasols are a great addition either way because of how sturdy and durable they are.

Before you set out in search of the perfect garden parasol to purchase, here are five things you want to look out for during your research.

• Selecting the size of your parasol – In this case, size really does matter. The bigger your parasol, the more shade and coverage it’s going to provide. The size of your parasol will depend on how big a space you’re working with, and how much coverage you want for your outdoor furniture. The coverage should be focused on the furniture areas where you plan to spend most of your time outdoors. This is typically the table, chair or bench area since what we typically do when outdoors is sitting and relaxing. Consider both the height and the diameter of the parasol you want to get. Measure your outdoor area and work out what the best size would be for your space. Many parasols these days have an adjustable height option, and the diameter is going to range between two to four meters and more.
• Don’t forget about the passageway width and height – If the set-up of your outdoor space involves a walkway that might become a bit too cluttered once the parasol has been opened, that should be factored into consideration, too. This would depend entirely on your home’s design since not all gardens are designed in the same way. Some gardens have wide-open spaces and, for some gardens, you’ll have to make do with a smaller area in your backyard.
• The material of your canopy – The wooden part of your parasol will be the stand and the frame. The canopy part of your parasol is generally made from polyester. While the material isn’t too bad, the colour tends to fade after three years or so. If you prefer something a little sturdier, consider olefin or acrylic as the material for your canopy since they last much longer than the polyester ones. Some fading is still going to occur, but this time, your parasol is going to last you for at least five years. Depending on how you use your parasol, it could actually last a little longer than that. A general rule of thumb is that olefin and acrylic do come with a longer lifespan, but like everything else, nothing is going to last forever.
• The rotation option – Some garden parasols these days come with the option to rotate them. This can be the perfect solution if you’re hoping for something you can adjust to follow the sun’s rays as it moves throughout the day. Don’t forget to consider how much available space you have to work with, and whether a rotating parasol is a viable option or not. Some parasols can rotate 360 degrees, and this works really well for wide-open and spacious areas. As long as there’s no obstacle that will prevent your parasol from rotating full circle, this is something to look out for when narrowing down your list of parasol options.
• The parasol style – Don’t you just love how we have an option for almost everything these days? It’s not just one or two options, but several options that sometimes, we end up spoilt for choice. Parasols are no exception. Since every home deserves a beautiful garden with equally beautiful-looking furniture to complement your natural outdoor setting, you could opt for a style of a parasol that’s going to enhance the entire look of your garden. The garden parasol style options include the upright parasol styles, cantilever parasols, and the tilting parasol design. Every style has its pros, and it would depend on your vision for your garden. The upright parasol choice is one where the pole stands right in the canopy centre. On the other hand, the cantilever parasols have the pole standing to the side of the canopy. This way, it isn’t going to obstruct your outdoor seating arrangement. Finally, you have the tilting parasol design. This type is similar to the upright garden parasol, except this one comes with a 360-degree rotation. This means you can change the angle of the parasol to follow the movement of the sun.

Garden parasols, especially the wooden variety, can be a fantastic new addition to any garden set-up. Not only do they make your outdoor space more practical and inviting, but it also adds a little bit of class and charm to the setting. If you think your outdoor garden furniture is perfect now, wait until you add a parasol to the equation! It makes a tremendous difference to the overall look and feel of the entire area.

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