I lost a patio umbrella to a gust of wind three years ago. It lifted out of the table, cartwheeled across the yard, and impaled itself in the neighbor’s hedge. They were nice about it. I was embarrassed.

Since then I have tried four different anchoring methods. Two of them failed spectacularly. Two of them actually work. Here is what I learned so your umbrella does not end up in your neighbor’s landscaping.

The base matters more than you think

Most patio sets come with a plastic base that you fill with water or sand. These are nowhere near heavy enough. A 20-pound water-filled base will tip over in a 15-mph gust — which is a normal Tuesday in most parts of the country. You need at least 50 pounds of weight for a standard 9-foot umbrella, and more if you live somewhere windy.

Cast iron or steel bases are expensive but worth it. Concrete-filled bases are cheaper and work. If you already have a hollow plastic base, fill it with sand, not water — sand is about 50% heavier by volume and it does not freeze and crack the base in winter.

Close it when you are not using it

This sounds obvious. I know it sounds obvious. But I used to leave my umbrella open for days because I liked how it looked. An open umbrella in even a light wind is a sail — it catches wind and transfers the force straight to the base. Closed umbrellas have almost no wind resistance. If you walk away from the table for more than an hour, close the umbrella.

The bungee cord backup

Even with a heavy base, a strong gust from the side can lift an umbrella straight up out of the pole hole. I run a bungee cord from the umbrella pole to the table frame underneath — tight enough that the pole cannot lift out, loose enough that I can still tilt the umbrella. This has saved me at least four times when sudden storms rolled through while I was inside.

My current umbrella is on its third summer. It has not flown into any hedges. My neighbor still waves when she sees me.