How much sunlight do my outdoor plants need?

How much light do my outdoor plants need?

All plants like different amounts of light, so it’s important to know what conditions you’re working with before you choose your plants.

The first thing to do when you’re choosing plants for your outdoor space is to pull up the compass app on your phone and see what direction your space faces. In Europe, south facing spaces get the most sunlight, east and west somewhere in the middle, and north facing get the least.

This is a general rule of thumb, but you also need to pay attention to anything casting shade on the area; buildings, walls, overhead balconies or trees can all shade your garden and force you to pick shade loving plants rather than sun bathers.

Does your space get sun all day, a couple of hours or rarely at all? Once you’ve worked this out, use the filters on ourPatch’s website to find out which plants are well suited to your light levels.

All plants have their own particular likes and dislikes when it comes to light, so even if your garden is in deep shade for most of the day you’ll still be able to find something that will be happy there. It’s not a hard and fast rule either - it is possible for some sun-loving plants to survive in shady spots, they just might not produce as many flowers.