If you've ever bought or sold a house, you know how
important location is when talking real estate. One of the first homes we
considered purchasing as newlyweds was this little bungalow plopped beside a
small airport in Ontario. Thank goodness for a wise realtor who skillfully
guided us away from that location. Imagine trying to get a newborn to nap with
airplanes taking off at all hours, not to mention a later attempt at resale!
Indeed, location is everything! The same is absolutely true of gardening. In
order to achieve your dream landscape you will need to fully understand the
location where you wish to plant.
While most people look to the ground for the perfect
landscape locale, don't be afraid to think beyond the usual garden haunts. As
people satisfy their hankering for greener lifestyles, window boxes, gutter
gardens, hollowed out logs, roof-tops, and recycled containers are popping up
all over the world as garden spots. A great thing about the container garden
movement is that you can always relocate your garden if you find a plant not
thriving in a particular spot.
When it comes to the more technical aspects, you needn't be
an environmental engineer to do a quick assessment of your location. In
fact, you can accomplish this in one day! You'll need to consider:
- sunlight
- soil
- drainage.
SUNLIGHT: How much and when?
First things first. You have a spectacular spot on the side
of your house perfect for a garden filled with lush, flowering perennials. You
run to the local greenhouse and purchase bashful hydrangeas and hearty hostas.
After just one season, your hydrangeas' leaves are yellowed with blackened
tips, and your hostas look like your hair after that perm you got in the eighth
grade--fried! Did you consider the amount of sun your garden would get? In this
case, the spot you chose had full sun while the plants you selected prefer a
shadier environment, please and thank you.
You will have a location that has dappled sun, partial
shade/partial sun, full shade, or full sun. Determining exactly what you have
is really very simple. Take the time to examine your location by considering
the following questions about the sun:
1. Where is the sun first thing in the morning?
2. Where is the sun by noon?
3. Where is the sun by 4 PM?
4. What trees will block the sun seasonally when their
leaves are out?
5. What structures will block the sun?
6. How will the season affect the trajectory of the sun in
this location? (For example, some locations will get more sun later in the
growing season as the sun is higher in the sky.)
Answering these questions will give you a ballpark idea of
how many hours of sunlight your garden spot will get. Generally speaking,
plants boasting larger blooms or bearing fruit require around six to eight
hours of sunlight per day. Conversely, plants producing small or no flowers but
display lovely foliage tend to prefer more shade. Those are general guidelines
to keep in mind when you notice a plant you love, however garden centers and greenhouses
usually tag their plants to let you know exactly what locale will best suit
your plant. Pay attention to the labels--they're a novice gardener's best
friend. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
So you've figured out how many hours of sunlight your garden
spot will get, and you head to the garden center to select beautiful plants.
Here's how to understand the greenhouse labels.
Full Sun
Between 6 and 8 hours of sunlight per day.
Partial Sun
Between 3 and 6 hours of sunlight per day (Though used
interchangeably with Partial Shade, this plant will definitely need at least
the minimum of 3 hours per day.)
Partial Shade
Between 3 and 6 hours of sunlight per day (Though used
interchangeably with Partial Sun, this plant will definitely need relief from
the hot, afternoon sunshine.)
Dappled Sunlight
Not as frequently seen on commercial plant labels, this term
indicates the need for some type of filter--a large deciduous tree or other
woodland shrubbery that causes intermittent moments of sunlight instead of a
short period of steady light. The on again, off again filtered light
causes the accumulated total amount of sun to be close to Partial Shade.
Full Shade
Less than 3 hours of sunlight per day.
You'll choose plants based on the number of hours of
sunlight they receive. But before you actually select plants, let's talk
soil.
Credit: Sarah Olver, “Garden Guide”
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