Is West Best?

[EcoMouse]

What pattern would the sunlight follow in a direct west facing back garden?

It's a reasonably long and wide back garden with no high structures surrounding it.

It then runs along the north side of the house with front garden facing east (obviously! ).

Would a patio area need to be away from the house at the back, to avoid evening shade?

I know I'll have the answers to all of this when I actually move in but please help me add substance to my daydreams!

Puh-leease?

depends what latitude you are at. If you are on the equator then on midsummer day the sun will rise exactly in the east and set exactly in the west, and at midday the sun will be exactly overhead.

We have a westerly garden almost exactly as you describe.

Generally in the morning there's sun to the further parts of it, but not next to the house. The sun moves round the southerly side, and by late morning there is not usually any shade apart from on the walled patio by the house. During the afternoon there is full sun, and zero shade unless you seek out a tree or a parasol.

Your patio will be fine in the evening.
The north side will be in relative shade all day, really.
Hope this helps. You might want to factor in some trees or a gazebo or something, just so there is a bit of shade during the hottest days, otherwise it may become unuseable...especially with young children.

51.1/2 ish, I think?

So the sun would rise in the east but appear to swing towards the south on it's way west? Not very good at things like this, I tend towards brain freeze at crucial moments! Hence asking

Sorry, xposts Sausage.

That's very helpful, thank you. I've never had a garden where there's been need to create shade before! I'm usually to be found chasing the wandering 2 square feet of sunlight with the paddling pool for DC's. How exciting!

ikwym, it was a shock when we moved here! We had loads of plants to put in and tbh it was very very hard work in the shadeless sun.

Hope you enjoy your new place

Thank you.

It's a blank canvass aside from a few small (as yet unidentified) trees! Much work to do. I think I'll prioritise shade creation throughout spring and work on the rest in autumn, when I've got a feel for the place