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Once, I got a job taking care of a horticulture program that had a not-so-attractive garden. Half of the beds were positioned incorrectly. The old instructor who was leaving gave me a tour of the garden, and I asked him, “So, where is the east?” Then he said, “Hum, I don’t know.” I thought to myself, ' This guy just told me he has a master’s degree in horticulture and landscape design, and he doesn’t know how the sun, or the light, passes through this garden throughout the year. ' OMG! Knowing how the sun travels through a landscape is one of the most essential skills in gardening. And it is more than just looking up!
Since we are in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun appears to move in two basic ways, or at least this is how we experience it, since we are the ones who orbit the sun. In the summertime, the sun tends to cross from east to west directly overhead, but in the wintertime, it crosses from east to west at a lower 45 degree angle towards the south. This is why, in part, summer days are longer and hotter, and winter days are shorter and colder. The further north you go, the lower the sun will travel in the southern direction across the sky from east to west.
One key factor is to place your taller plants in the northern part of your property and the smaller plants in the southern end. That way, the taller plants don’t give shade to the smaller plants. This is never going to work perfectly, especially if you have close neighbors, but it can help you design or plan your garden in the most effective way possible. If you are in an urban area with many buildings and walls, you can take advantage of how light bounces off the walls to capture some extra light and heat in the coldest months. If the walls are on the north side and your plants face the south, even if there is not enough sunlight in your garden, you might be able to get away with it, thanks to the light that bounces from the walls, especially if the walls are white or a light color. You can also create or take advantage of microclimates. Trees are great for these; underneath their canopies, they can make summers cooler and colder months warmer. In the cooler months, the tree will protect your plants from cold weather, and the plants that are on the south end of the tree will receive enough sunlight to thrive. Depending on your location, this may help you extend your growing season and cultivate plants that would not be able to survive on their own in an open field. If you plan and plant your property correctly, it will effectively capture the sun's energy as a whole.
Some old-school Permaculture landscape designers suggest that it is best to observe a new property for a whole year, taking notes on light and weather patterns before installing your landscape and edible garden. I don’t go that far, but I consider that the sun will pass over my head in the summertime, and in the winter, it will set towards the south at a 45-degree angle. Combine that with your weather patterns throughout the year, and where you spend most of your time in your garden. Those three factors will help you decide where to locate your plants. Remember, light is the most crucial aspect of your garden. The sun is the great giver of light and life, and if you position your plants in the right place with good soil, half of the work will already be done.
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