When asked to design landscaped gardens, there are many variables that landscapers must take into account. The list of variables is a long one, and can include:
- Client’s budget
- Uses for the garden
- Size of the garden
- Lawn or no lawn?
- Level of garden maintenance
- Real lawn or artificial lawn?
- Types of plants such as shrubs, flowers, or trees
- Decking, pergolas and pathways
- Fixed features such as seating and retaining walls
- Water features, pools, ponds
- Timescale for completion
Doubtless, you will be able to think of several more. However, there is one aspect of the garden being designed that we guarantee many clients do not even think of, and possibly even a few landscapers fail to think of too, and that is the direction the garden is facing. Whether a garden faces north, east, south, or west, can have a significant impact on what and how well plants grow there, as well as several potential features that may be included.
The direction a garden faces will determine how many hours of direct sunlight it gets during daylight hours, and crucially how hot it becomes when the sun is at its peak. Given all this, it is imperative that landscape designs take account of the garden’s direction, and below we have outlined briefly how this design might be influenced based on whether the garden in question faces, north, east, south, or west, respectively.