Sun Conditions of your Planting Borders (and how to assess them)

We read plant labels all the time to check that the plant is suitable for our gardens. One feature is sunlight. This is divided up into:

·     Sun (or full sun)

·     Part Shade

·     Shade (or full shade)

But what does this Sun/Part Shade/Full Shade mean?

A part of the garden or plant border that received over 6 hours of direct sun each day can be classed as ‘Full Sun’.

Partly shaded parts of the garden or particular borders experience 4-6 hours on sun each day.

Interestingly - and something that people do find confusing - is that shaded parts of the garden and plant borders can experience up to 4 hours direct sun in a day (essentially zero hours to 4). The image below is a classic example of this.

Shady planting in a 'sunny corner' where the plants receive less than 4 hrs direct sun each day

Why is this so Important?

It is important to not over estimate (or under!) the light levels on the garden. It is uneconomical to do so. Plants won’t thrive, they wont perform well, they will lean into the sun, they will simply give up and die.

Sometimes we can have really tricky borders – for example the north side of a fence or wall aligned East/West can experience full sun in the summer, but be shaded and damp and cold in the winter. This is a different group of plants altogether and need to be tough as old boots to survive summer sun and dry and winter shade and wet. This will be discussed later in another blog.

Border that experiences full sun - direct for more than 6 hours each day

What Should You Do Before Buying Plants?

Watch the sun as it passes across your garden. And be VERY honest about how many hours sunlight you have. Try not to over estimate. Then create a plan accordingly. There are beautiful schemes you can create for any sun condition. Maximise the gardens potential, don’t waste time and money of underperforming plants. 

We always commission a site survey and carry out a site analysis as well as ask you questions about the garden to ensure we design the planting plan to these light levels described above. If you need help with planting design then do contact us.