Sun disappears from garden at 4pm in summer.

[Shopperami]

Does anyone else have a small north east facing garden where the sun disappears at tea time? With no sun through winter?

How did you cope with it with children? Does it bother you?

Can they play out the front?

No, it’s straight on to the pavement/road

I find it depressing quite frankly. The whole back of my house feels like a cave.

Not had it, but have you done things like paint the garden walls or fence with white paint? Add a wall of mirrors or a large mirror? Plastic ones if football is going to be played.

Research plants and flowers that thrive in shaded areas and bring in some colour. Build a patio or seating area in the space where it's most sheltered from the wind and make it feel brighter by laying light coloured flags and mirrors. Decorate with ornaments and battery powered lights so that you can use it in the afternoon and evening.

It's good for playing out in the summer as it's much cooler than being out in the boiling sun. It also means that you don't have to suncream up so much if it's always in shade.

We did we hated it. We moved

In Manchester they do not understand this concept called sun. The only time they hear that word is a mispronunciation of son.

It does feel gloomy.

I'm a Mancunian and have always bought houses with south facing gardens. Having lived in a rented house with a North facing garden I knew when I came to buy it was my number one essential. We also have a conservatory so we can sit in the sun and read a book throughout the winter as well.

I know this may not be possible - but just in case!

Our NE facing garden was a downward slope at the back of the house. We had the garden level raised by the far boundary fence so that it got more sun in the evening. Worked a treat.

It's one thing I thought would never bother me but it does. We have a north east facing garden and it sucks! Feels very gloomy and makes me not want to be out there that often!

We are moving though to a house with a south facing garden and I am very excited!

I rent and when (if!) I ever do buy a house it must have a SF garden. I clean houses for a living so I get to “experience” the difference it makes in different houses with different layouts, decor etc and it really does matter.

We had this in the last house we rented. When we bought, it was one of my conditions that we had to have a south facing garden. We’ve ended up with a south east facing one, but because it’s detached, we do get sun in the back garden til about 7 in summer.

My garden is in complete shade by noon! We back onto woods with huge trees, I don't mind too much because we live in pembrokeshire so live at the beach every hot day. It is a pain though that clothes don't dry.

Mine is north facing, but we do get sun at the very end of it. But nearest the house is always shady.

There are loads of plants that love shade, and luckily for me my very favourite plants, Camellias, LOVE my garden.

But yeah, it's not as lovely in May-June
as a south-facing garden would be. But then it's not as stifling in July-August, either and the house is always cool.

I know this was not the intent of your post and if you aren't a Pride and Prejudice fan this will be meaningless to you OP

But I read the OP and instantly thought

"THIS MUST BE AN EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT SITTING ROOM IN SUMMER WHYYYYYY THE WINDOWS ARE FULL WEST!"

There are lots of nice plants that grow in shade and you can create a woodland feel to go with the shade. Summer can get too hot in the sun so I think it’s great for kids.

The biggest row I have ever had was over a nf garden. Everything else was exactly what we wanted but I knew I'd be miserable.

Yes, same here. Small, north east facing. I was clueless about this stuff before buying the house and very much regret it now. There is a south facing sunnier bit down the back that we are at some point going to work on.

We have a NNW facing garden. We do get sun in the garden at various points throughout the year not a lot in December and January but we get snippets in the morning and midday. Rest of the year we get a lot of sun (considering it's north facing) and by the time mid summer june/July time we get pretty much full sun in the garden for a good few hours as it's so high in the sky. At that time of year any shade is a blessing anyway. We are an end terrace though and we're pretty lucky that the evening sun sneaks through the gap between the next lot of houses.

Thanks for some of the ideas to brighten it up.

BartonHollow' yes, Lady C would indeed find it extremely vexing!

Well my back garden faces due west, and on hot summer afternoons after 4pm, it can get up to over 45degrees so having a garden that gets the shade in the late afternoons is something I yearn for!