Botanical bumbershoots

For a natural high, every garden should feature living parasols, says Toby, as he praises the humble umbel

- TOBY BUCKLAND

DID you know that the umbrella was invented in China 3,500 years ago? No, I didn’t, either – but what a sure-fire conversation-starter should you get stuck in a crowded lift! Umbrellas have also given their name to a colourful clan of flowers known as umbels, which explode into domes of colour through spring and summer.

Like living parasols, their unique shape adds an extra layer of interest above or between the roses and sprawling cranesbills. That’s one of the reasons they’re always in the Show Gardens at Chelsea – the other is that they possess a naturalistic hedgerow charm. Like taking off a tie or loosening a collar, they are the flower for giving a garden a relaxed and informal feel.