As we head into June and the weather finally begins to warm up, a lot of people are turning their attention to their gardens. A garden is an ideal place to spend time outside of the house, providing the perfect location for a family BBQ, for drinks in the sun, or for a quiet Sunday afternoon gardening.
However, a factor a lot of people forget to look at in their garden is what direction it faces. The direction a garden faces brings its own unique set of both positives and negatives, and knowing exactly what garden you are dealing with allows you to make the most of it, especially where having a south east facing garden is concerned.
Looking for a quick answer? Use the menu below to jump straight in!
- What Is A South East Facing Garden?
- How To Find Out If A Garden Is South East Facing?
- Does A South East Facing Garden Get Sun?
- Positives To Having A South East Garden
- Negatives To Having A South East Garden
- What Direction Is Best For A Garden To Face?
- Is A South East Facing Garden Good?
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What Is A South East Facing Garden?
A south east facing garden is exactly what it sounds like, it is a garden that faces a south-eastern direction. When the sun rises on a morning, it will flood your garden in sun right up until the late afternoon. As the sun begins to set, your garden will be cast in a cooler shade.
How To Find Out If A Garden Is South East Facing?
If you want to find out if you have a south east garden, bring up the compass app on your phone and stand with your back directly against the wall. Point your phone towards the lower part of your garden, where the compass dial should point towards the direction of your garden.
Alternatively, another way you can find out the direction of your garden is to open up google maps and enter the address of the property in order to determine which direction the garden is facing. However, this technique will only work for houses situated within the northern hemisphere.
Does A South East Facing Garden Get Sun?
One of the perks of a south east garden is that throughout the early morning and all the way into the late afternoon your garden will be flooded with sunshine. This sunshine will last until around 14:00 when the garden will then be in the shade for the remainder of the day.
However, exactly how much sunshine your garden gets is entirely dependent on surrounding factors, such as the height of your house, the size of your garden, and any obstructions such as trees or tall buildings.
House Size
One of the factors that have an effect on how much sunlight gets into a garden is the size and shape of your house. When the sun is at its peak during the summer, the northern part of your garden will be cast in the shade by around 14:00.
The height and shape of your house will have an effect on the size of the shadow that is cast into your garden. For example, a bungalow will cast far less of a shadow on the garden than a three-story house would.
The Size Of Your Garden
Another factor to consider when working out how much sun your south east facing garden will get is the size of your garden. If your garden is small, your garden may not get a lot of sun after around 15:00. If there are any large plants, trees, or tall buildings and structures they may also block out the sunlight.
Large Structures Or Trees
If you are surrounded by large trees or tall buildings or an obstructive garden fence you can expect less sunlight to hit your garden compared to if there were none.
Positives To Having A South East Garden
Direct Sunlight Without Moving
One of the biggest positives to a south east garden is that your garden will be flooded with sunlight in the early morning and into the afternoon. This means that for sun worshippers you can get full sun coverage throughout the morning and into the afternoon without having to move.
Plants and Flowers
One of the biggest pros to a south-east garden is that it’s a great environment for plants to grow. With the right planning, you can grow just about any flower or plant. As the garden is filled with sun from the early morning until around 14:00, it makes it an ideal habitat for many plants and flowers, including:
- Lilies
- Daylilies
- Gardenias
- Peonies
- Hydrangeas
- Black-eyed Susans
- Clematis
- Crinum lilies
- Calla lilies
- Canna lilies
- Azaleas
You can also separate your garden from your lawn by utilizing retaining walls and concrete sleepers if you’re wanting to create a professional, aesthetic look to your home. This can be helpful in keeping your lawn in one area while your plants and flowers have their own space to grow and thrive.
Shady Afternoons
As gardens that face south east mostly receive the sun in the morning and are in the shade during the hottest hours of the day, they are viewed as ideal for families. Children can play outdoors without parents having to worry about sunburn or heat exhaustion.
Negatives To Having A South East Garden
Ideal For Families
Whilst a south east garden is ideal for families as the shady afternoons provide the perfect respite from the sun, it does mean a cooler garden on an afternoon. If you are looking for day-long sunshine, a south east garden may not be your best option.
Obstructions
As already mentioned, one of the biggest threats to the sun in a south east garden is obstructions. Obstructions can come in all shapes and sizes from other buildings to fences and tall trees. If your garden has any of these obstructions, you can expect your garden to get far less sunlight.
Say Goodbye To Sunsets
As we have already discussed, a garden that faces the south east means not as much sunlight as a garden facing the south. This means that after 2 pm, there won’t be a lot of sun in your garden, so if you were hoping to spend evenings watching the sunset, you may have to move into your front garden to do so.
What Direction Is Best For A Garden To Face?
Each type of garden comes with its own pros and cons, and the which direction is best for a garden to face all comes down to individual preference. A north-facing garden receives the least amount of sunlight and can be damp, but they also are less likely to suffer from sun damage. An east-facing garden and a south-east-facing garden both receive light in the early morning and experience shade in the afternoon. Gardens that face west are bathed in sun in both the late afternoon and evening and a south-facing garden receives light almost all day.
The decision of which garden is best for you should be based upon how much light you want your garden to receive and how much time you plan on spending in your garden.
Is A South East Facing Garden Good?
Whether or not a south east garden is good depends on the buyer. If warm, sunshine-filled mornings and shadier afternoons sound like your ideal weather, then a south east garden may be right for you. A south east garden also brings along a perfect habitat for many plants and flowers spelling good news for green-thumbed buyers.
This covers everything you need to know about buying a house with a garden that faces south east, if you have any questions about south east gardens, or any insight on them, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
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Alexandra is a junior content producer who enjoys writing articles and finding out more about the property market. Read more about Alexandra here.
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