Aspects of love
Find the perfect match for your garden by tuning in to the sun
WHEN I am planning a garden, one of my first tasks is to check out the aspect. We all know what that means when we’re buying a house or even just from watching Kirstie and Phil... is the garden south facing?
But when we’re deciding what to plant where – or even where to place our terrace or deck – we can easily forget!
Aspect is which direction the garden is facing, north, south, east or west, and how much light it does or doesn’t get.
Of course I could find this out on a map but that never tells the full story. As the Earth rotates, sunlight falls in the garden in different places at different times.
Neighbouring trees and walls will cast shadows at various points. Long, narrow plots may have one half cast in shade by the house but the other end may be in full light. So out with your notebook and observe your garden through the course of a day and plot which areas are sunny and when this happens. Ideally you will gather this information at different times of the year as well – the difference between the height of a winter and summer sun will affect the amount of light your garden receives. Similarly, deciduous trees in winter allow the sunlight in but they could throw a lot of shade in summer when in full leaf.
From this will follow where to site relaxation areas, such as that terrace, where outdoor lighting will be required, where you might need to introduce shade.
It will also guide you in your planting plans.
It will inform the choice of materials for hard landscaping too, for example, if it’s shady, it’s not going to be suitable for decking as the conditions will be conducive to moss and algae growth.
Spending the time to explore your aspect will save you making mistakes and facing expensive problems in the future.
Every aspect will bring different opportunities as well as challenges.
An east-facing garden will have sun in the morning but not so much after early afternoon. So for early risers and your morning coffee, this would be a lovely place to site some seating and a table or perhaps your yoga deck for saluting the sun.
It’s good for plants that don’t like to be scorched by strong summer sun – for example the delicate leaves of a Japanese maple.
South-facing gardens are the ideal in many ways as they have the longest hours of sunlight throughout the day and are warmer and this is the best place for growing fruit and vegetables and many flowering shrubs and herbaceous flowers. A north-facing plot will tend to be darker and damper and suitable for growing a wonderful range of shade lovers such as hostas, hellebores and ferns which would wilt in all-day sun.
West-facing plots are darker in the morning but by late afternoon and into evening will glow in the setting sun and are the perfect place for outdoor dining and entertaining in the evening.
West facing is ideal for many plants and particularly camellias that do not like early morning winter sun.
If your garden is big enough, you might find that there is always some good light to be discovered in part of the garden. Either way there is always a plant for every site and situation.
Take time to get to know your aspect and you’ll solve so many issues in your garden before you even start!