Page 1 of South facing gardens, what`s so great?

Here`s something completely irrelevant that`s had me stumped all day...

Why is a South facing garden supposed to be the best? I can understand that a garden that faces East or West will have the sun blocked by your house in the morning or afternoon, but surely a North facing garden will get exactly the same sun as a South one? Or (as I suspect) am I missing something really obvious?

I have also just realised today that I don`t know which way the sun rises and sets and at 29 years old I can`t help but feel this is something I should know (obviously I know it`s East and West, just not which way round it goes). Although I do know that moss grows on the side of trees that the sun rises thanks to Ray Mears, now if only I had a small forest somewhere... :D

Sun rises in the east, passes around the south and sets in the west. so a south facing garden should get sun all day.

Rises in the East, sets in the West.

Remember that Japan is the land of the Rising Sun :)

As for south facing gardens, it`s because when the sun is low in the sky, especially around wintertime because of our latitude. Then at noon it will be at it`s highest when you are facing south. A north facing garden will be in the shadow of the house at noon.

Conversely a North facing garden will probably be desirable in Australia for the opposite reason.

Or I could be talking out of my proverbial :D

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Jitendar Canth

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I have been waiting for years for a thread such as this, so I can declare my ownership of a south-facing garden. ;-)

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Rik Booth
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This is a very sad Gardener`s World thread and I just want to say my house faces the wrong way...
:( Sue

I don`t know what`s sadder, me starting this thread or Rik poised tentatively at his keyboard for years waiting on it`s appearance! ;)

... I have decided it is Rik. :D

Thanks for the info peeps. I feel somewhat wiser today. Almost as if I am cloaked by a shimmering aura of knowledge.

Ah well! Time to shower and then spend the next 8hrs in an office with no A/C :(

is it a South facing office?

So do you have a garden MB and if so where does it face?. Mine faces West(ish) which I reckon is perfect. Yes the sun`s at the front in morning but all afternoon and until the sun goes to bed its out the back.
Pete

No, at present I live in a gardenless flat (I have a post further down the pages title "Selling Flats Sucks" - can`t be arsed doing a link), but am looking at buying a new house and one I viewed yesterday had a South garden.

I do have a bay window that faces South, however, and the flat gets so hot on days like yesterday that it is uninhabitable until about 9 pm - so I have to go to the pub instead :D