Take shade under a living parasol, says Nick Bailey
Take a seat in dappled light and cool shade under a green canopy
Ilove the sunshine, but these last few weeks have sent me scuttling into the shade. But rather than hide under a patio canopy or fabric parasol, I prefer the dappled light under trees and shrubs.
With this in mind I started thinking about the ‘living parasols’ I’ve installed in various gardens over the years – in other words, plants that have a near-umbrella form and can be planted in the ground, around the edge of a patio or in a movable pot on the terrace.
I recently installed a potted ‘top-worked’ London plane through a bespoke table to create a ‘living parasol’. These trees make a dramatic statement with their flattened canopy clipped into a square, held aloft a clear trunk. Statement pieces such as these come at a price, though, and can easily cost £500-£1,000, but there are much more economic ways of creating the same effect.
One option is to train a standard tree (around £40) into a parasol form. This is most easily achieved by attaching the tree’s branches, in winter, on to a simple bamboo frame held horizontally midway through the tree’s canopy. It will take two to three years of pruning and training to achieve this, but there are faster options if you’re in a hurry.
Palms such as Phoenix canariensis and Trachycarpus fortunei have a natural parasol form. The former has near perfect symmetry, but takes a while to grow so could be planted in a tall (1m/3¼ft+) container for instant height and dappled ‘living parasol’ light.
On a smaller scale, a standard weeping rose, such as ‘The Fairy’, can have its drooping stems supported by concentric rings of wire, thus creating a delicate 1-1.5m (3¼-5ft) wide canopy of pretty pink blooms and glossy foliage.
Other standard weeping roses can be treated in this way too and by planting them in a 1m (3¼ft) high pot you’ll have a an instant canopy at more than 2m (6½ft) high.
Another way to achieve a relatively inexpensive ‘living canopy’ is by growing the common shrub Prunus lusitanica as a single-stemmed tree, then pruning its canopy into a brolly form.
My favourite parasol plant has to be the weeping mulberry. It will take a few years to establish, but once it has got its roots down you’ll quickly see it develop a perfect parasol of branches and leaves, with the bonus of fruit in summer. Just don’t sit under it at harvest time!
However you choose to do it, creating a dappled shade area under a ‘living canopy’ gives you an ever-improving space to enjoy the sun without getting roasted.