Best way for garden to face?

[Animalsoffarthingwood]

Just coming into our first Summer in our new house.

The garden is North West facing and the front of the house South East. We are quite high up and the garden goes up in two levels.

We did seem to get quite a bit of sun on the garden yesterday with about 25% shade.

My old house had a South facing garden and I was really unsure about this garden.

I'd like West best, especially if there's not much behind you so you can see the sunsets.

I currently have South, but backing onto woodland so very shaded at the back. The patio is hot but the shaded part of the garden is always lovely and cool.

Well my NW facing garden seemed quite good yesterday. It's very different to my old house though.

I've been quite worried that we wouldn't get any sun but we had sun on at least half of the garden all day. Between about 11am and 3pm the whole garden was in sunshine.

We have a NE facing garden, which in theory is 'bad' but actually because it's long it's not a problem at all - there's always a part of the garden in sunshine. Our house is a dormer bungalow too, so limited shadow cast.

The only real downside is that the patio gets a bit grim over the winter, as it gets no sunshine for 5 months, so gets mossy etc. Quick pressure wash in the spring and it's fine though.

In our NW we get sun right through to sunset in the north corner closest to the house. Hope you do too OP!

We have an east...south....west garden. The only past that faces north is a path along the side of the house.
We get sun in the back garden all day. Although evening sun is all in the front so if I were to choose again I'd have my back garden south west!

Colonelcakes - I'm not sure which part of the world you're in or the insulation levels & size of your house that gives you this outcome.

My house is deep, the front garden is north & it's at least 4 degrees colder than the rest of the house. I know this because my neighbour wanted to check the temperature with her house.
The back of the house is warm, sunny. It rarely overheats because I'm the SE of England, temperatures are rarely that high. Because it's south facing, the sun is shining through my wall of glass for around 4 hours, before it makes merry way to set in the west.

We NEVER sit in our front lounge because it's so cold & gloomy.

I'm very happy that you enjoy your cool lounge, in your warmer-than-my-climes so much. Equally I loathe that room & the only times it's used, is when we light a fire. Even the kids don't like it.

Yes, the question is about back gardens, however whatever ones preference, north facing rooms are cold (& miserable particularly when there is a long, bleak winter. SAD anyone?)

It's always been my kitchens that are North facing. They are cold and dark, I don't mind this because I like the kitchen to be cool, and it warms up when cooking anyway.

It does mean that we have to have lights on even in the day.

Oxfordblue - Our house is a 1950s 3 bed semi, so not enormous. It has double glazing and central heating so all the rooms are warm enough. It’s in the south of England. Not really sure what you don’t understand?

Our last house had a south west facing garden so I always said should we ever buy a house, it HAD to have a south facing garden. North facing was no good. Well, our house has a nw facing garden and we get loads of sun all day. We get pockets of it throughout the day and I love it.

I'm more likely to sit in the sun in the morning before it gets hot, so I want sun on the patio closest to the house 9-10-11am
My parents West facing garden is annoying because you have to go to the end of the garden in the morning.
I prefer north or NE

Large North West here too . I moved from a south facing small and was really worried but it's amazing. The house is always light and warm and there's always sun in the garden. I'd only buy North West or West facing from now on. My solar panels (front and side of house) do brilliantly too.

I’ve had a north facing garden for 3 years and it’s actually been fine, it’s 100ft long and when the sun is high I get sun on the patio (dining room and kitchen are always dark though). We are moving to a house with a West facing garden and while I’m happy about the afternoon/evening sun we’ll have a huge conservatory on the back and I’m wondering if it’ll be stiflingly hot and bright! We are planning to use that as a family room so I’m happy to have a darker, presumably cooler living room east facing at the front of the house!

My favourite house had a SW facing garden with a retractable canopy over the back which shaded the wall of glass which was the back of the sitting room.

Least favourite house had a NE facing garden which we did nothing with as it was always gloomy.

We have a west facing garden and have designed our family room extension (triple aspect anyway) to open out onto a south facing patio. We had all our garden furniture out and had 2 BBQ dinners already this week - we do have one of those large retractable parasols for much needed shade though.

I have a very long NE facing garden and it’s okay because of its size but it does get me down that most of it is in shade when I get in from work unless I want to sit miles away from the house. It’s the only thing about this house I don’t like tbh.

If we ever move it’ll be a to a SW garden so I could enjoy the sun in the evening.

This thread is encouraging me! We have a SE facing garden at the moment and our new place we’re building is W/NW facing. I’ve been worried it will fee horrible and gloomy, but sounds like west is actually quite good?!

South west facing with a very tall hedge at the end of the garden for plenty of shade if you need it.

It means that in the heat of the day the lounge at the front of the house is darker and cooler to retreat to.

I was really nervous about my garden (East facing) since family members all said Sourh is best. But I'm actually really happy with it. The garden is long so there is always sun & shade.

It’s well known a South facing Garden is the most desirable, you usually do pay a premium for those gardens.

I was staying at a friend’s house recently and her sitting room windows faced full West. It was terrible to sit in in the evening as we were blinded! Had to wear sunglasses indoors.

We’ve lived in 2 houses with north facing gardens and have just bought a 3rd. The mornings are always a bit chilly even in summer, but the later sun makes it worthwhile. Even in a north facing garden you need to plan for shade if you’re not a sun worshipper or if you have kids. I’m not a fan of the sun streaming into my kitchen anyway- shows up all the crumbs!

linguaphile sun rises in the east, sets in the West. So morning sun in the front of the house if it faces east, with sun from about 11/12 in the back of the house & garden, until it sets (lovely IMO).
You won't get any sun in the northern aspect, unless of course you are in the Southern Hemisphere. As the sun travels it does so via the southern aspect, so the sun is in the back (in our case from about 10) & moves in a clockwise direction.

Quite right anyfucker, I used to work in an estate agent & never did I hear the request "north facing backgarden please". Many for south/west.

In our nw facing garden we get the sun first thing in the morning as it shines between the houses. We then get it from late morning in the whole back garden. As the sun goes round during the day, it also gets higher in the sky and shines on pretty much the whole garden. My living room is at the front of the house so gets the morning sun, but its then noce and cool by the evening. My kitchen is at the back looking onto the garden, and is pretty much cool all day and gets the last of the sunshine just before the sun sets. I am not in the Southern Hemisphere btw