tuinontwerp

North-facing garden: sun hours by spot and season

A north-facing garden lies in the shade of its own house for much of the year. In a terraced garden with fences, 3 metres from the back wall gets at most 2,5 hours of direct sun on 15 May, and 9 metres out gets 8 hours. From September to March, 6 metres from the house gets no direct sun on the 21st of the month.

Sun hours by distance from the house

At most this many hours of direct sun on the ground, 3, 6 and 9 metres from the back wall. Daylight is the number of hours the sun is up that day.
Day3 m6 m9 mDaylight
21 March00612
15 May2,58815
21 June69916,5
21 September00612
21 December0007,5
The worked example. A north-facing garden, 6 metres wide, behind a row of houses 6 metres high. A 1.8 metre fence stands on either side, as between most terraced gardens. No tree, shed or house stands behind the garden. Those can only take sun away, so a real garden facing this way gets at most as much sun as this one.

Where does the sun fall in a north-facing garden?

The sun rises in the east, stands in the south at midday and sets in the west. Behind a house with a north-facing garden, the midday sun is behind the roof. In summer the sun stands so high that the house casts a short shadow: on 21 June, 6 metres from the wall gets at most 9 hours of sun. In March and September the shadow is longer, and the strip up to 6 metres from the house gets no direct sun.

The depth of your garden makes the difference. The further from the house, the longer the sun reaches a spot in a day. In a deep north-facing garden the sunniest spot is at the far end, not against the house.

Sun hours through the year

Jan: Sun, at most 0 hours, Daylight 8 hours0JanFeb: Sun, at most 0 hours, Daylight 10 hours0FebMar: Sun, at most 0 hours, Daylight 12 hours0MarApr: Sun, at most 7,5 hours, Daylight 14 hours7,5AprMay: Sun, at most 8,5 hours, Daylight 15,5 hours8,5MayJun: Sun, at most 9 hours, Daylight 16,5 hours9JunJul: Sun, at most 8,5 hours, Daylight 15,5 hours8,5JulAug: Sun, at most 7,5 hours, Daylight 14 hours7,5AugSep: Sun, at most 0 hours, Daylight 12 hours0SepOct: Sun, at most 0 hours, Daylight 10 hours0OctNov: Sun, at most 0 hours, Daylight 8 hours0NovDec: Sun, at most 0 hours, Daylight 7,5 hours0Dec
At most this many hours of direct sun on the 21st of each month, 6 metres from the house. The light bar is the daylight of that day.

Where should the terrace go?

Put the terrace at the far end of the garden, where the spring and summer sun comes over the house. The strip along the house suits shade plants, a shed or a path. If you like to sit against the house, expect a cool spot: 3 metres from the wall gets at most 6 hours of sun even on 21 June.

Plants that suit it

3 metres from the house, shade: at most 2,5 h of sun on 15 May

9 metres from the house, sun: at most 8 h of sun on 15 May

From the design app's plant list, chosen by the spot each plant likes best. The app judges every plant on 15 May, a day when every deciduous tree is in leaf.

How was this worked out?

The position of the sun comes from the same calculation the design app uses, at 52 degrees north, near Utrecht. Every ten minutes it checks whether the sun can reach the spot, past the house and over the fences. Clouds do not count: these are the hours the sun can reach the spot.

How much sun does your garden get?

Your garden is wider or deeper, and your house is taller or lower. The sun hours calculator works from your own plot in the land registry and the real height of your house and the houses around it.

Work out your garden's sun hours

Questions about a north-facing garden

Is a north-facing garden a bad garden?

No. It is cooler, dries out more slowly, and plenty of plants do well in it. You design it differently: the sunny spot is at the far end, and against the house you choose plants for shade.

How do I tell which way my garden faces?

Stand with your back against the back wall of the house and look into the garden. If the compass on your phone points south, you have a south-facing garden. If it falls between two directions, take the nearest one, or work out your own address with the sun hours calculator.

Other directions