Light and airy Umbellifers

Loved by gardeners, florists and pollinators, umbellifers are the frothy favourites that add a natural feel to borders and bouquets. Camilla Phelps reveals the best to try

- Camilla Phelps

INSPIRED by hazy childhood memories of running through drifts of cow parsley in early summer, I have a lifelong passion for umbellifers. Probably the first plant name I ever learned, cow parsley (also known, rather more charmingly, as Queen Anne's lace) is officially a weed. Nevertheless, it epitomises the charms of umbelliferous plants: tall and airy, with finely cut foliage and flower heads made up of many tiny blooms.

Umbels are hugely fashionable right now, their appeal driven by a combination of natural good looks and the fact that they attract pollinating insects. There are many varieties available for growing in your garden, such as annuals, which can be sown now, as well as perennials and biennials. Many flower in early summer, but some appear later in the season.