Most flowers have distinct sun or shade preferences. A sun loving plant planted in the shade languishes. It refuses to bloom, leans toward the light, grows thin and sparse, and eventually flops over. Conversely, a shade lover planted in a hot sunny location quickly turns crispy and literally cooks to death. (See Flowers for Shade or Part Shade.)
Some plants will tolerate – or even thrive – in a partial sun or partial shade location. And some plants prefer a cooler location while some are happy in a baking hot spot with sun reflecting off pavement or a building. These kinds of in between locations can be confusing at first, but by experimenting and observing your plants and those around your neighborhood, you will eventually learn what to expect.
Here are some basic guidelines to help you analyze your sun and shade conditions.
Full sun is direct sun all day long or for at least six hours including the hour of noon. Sun lovers really do need ample sun or they will not bloom and grow well. However, many full sun plants will tolerate partial sun, meaning all morning sun or all afternoon sun or four or five hours of midday sun and still do well.
Shade loving plants tend to scorch in too much direct sun, or in direct sun that is too intense. On the other hand, very few plants actually thrive in total uninterrupted deep shade. Most shade plants appreciate a little bit of direct sun in early morning or very late afternoon.
Plants said to take “shade to partial shade” should do well in fairly heavy shade, in bright dappled light all day, or in morning-only sun. (Dappled light would be intermittent sun reaching the ground through deciduous trees.) Avoid exposing shade lovers to direct, hot noon time sun and direct, hot afternoon sun.
It’s important to distinguish between sun and shade as part of your site analysis for a flower garden. You may also be interested in
All Flower Gardens Articles So Far and FLOWER GARDENS BLOGS
Most homeowners have probably spent hours looking at the different types of garden seeders. You may have even come across…
When it comes to vehicle lovers, cleaning their cars on a regular basis is essential to maintaining the paint job's…
Gas chainsaws are the perfect tool for a variety of outdoor tasks, including chopping up logs for firewood, clearing brush…
A home can be a daunting project, one that takes some time and energy to maintain. With hard work, determination,…
Today ginger is grown all over tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, in parts of Africa and South America, and…
Onions are one of the most popular vegetables in the world, and growing onions is a snap in the home…