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Original poster

North-facing garden.... would you?

38 replies

CanStopWillStop · 25/12/2022 00:11

As the title asks, would you buy a home with a north facing garden? Or do you live in a house with a north facing garden, what's it like?

Context, I'm considering a property with a north facing garden, it's long so the end would get decent sun but I'm not sure how much it affects garden use as I've only ever lived in flats.

OP posts:
MaraScottie · 25/12/2022 00:13

No. If the kitchen is at the back of the house, expect it to be dark and cooler thna other rooms. Unless you have skylights facing the right way I wouldn't consider it personally.

Your patio on those long summer evenings will also be in shade and that would drive me mad!

Kalasbyxor · 25/12/2022 00:17

I've a north east facing garden.
I thought it would be a problem. It isn't.
It's approximately 15 m long and I would estimate that only the few metres closest to the house are impacted. The rest of the garden is really sunny throughout the day. The most important thing is that nothing else casts a shadow from any other direction.

SabbatWheel · 25/12/2022 00:17

Our back garden is on the north side of the house and is wider than it is long. The south west corner of this plot gets sun all day in summer and the back border faces south, it’s lovely. It very much depends what is around you to cast shade really.

user1471550643 · 25/12/2022 00:17

We have a north facing garden. It still gets sun part of the day. So ok to sit out and dry washing in summer. The lawn gets quite wet during the winter and the rooms which overlook the garden are colder but not significantly so. It’s not ideal but wasn’t a deal breaker as far as we were concerned .

2bazookas · 25/12/2022 00:18

I did, three times; and I'm a passionate gardener.
All three had a stunning outlook North.. There were still enough sunny spots; and lots of interesting plants thrive in shade.

Cornelious · 25/12/2022 00:30

I've a north facing garden. I love it, it's a very long garden and we've created a sun trap ar the end. So quiet and private. Back of house isn't dark or cold but we have lots of windows and roof lanterns.

Persimmo · 25/12/2022 00:33

My mum has a north facing garden and it is a regret of hers as the front of the house has a tiny front garden with blazing sunshine and the few flowers she can get in do great and the back can grow some herbs and other shade loving plants but essentially she’s given up on having the same sort of amazing flower beds she had at her old house. There is sun at the end of it and at certain times of day but she was very spoilt with the old place.

BlueTick · 25/12/2022 00:33

No. I have a north facing garden and I don’t like the damp parts that never see the sun for months during the year.

I can’t wait to one day have a different orientation but who knows if it will ever happen

Awrite · 25/12/2022 00:37

We have a NE garden and it's absolutely fine.

I actually prefer the front to be South West facing (sea views).

Proudofitbabe · 25/12/2022 00:37

NW, and it's fine. Doesn't get much sun in the wintery months but we don't use it then! Spring and Summer gets loads. Would I rather have South? Yes. Would I swap to another house over it? Absolutely not.

johnd2 · 25/12/2022 08:53

Yes we are North facing at the back from the kitchen diner, but we have a large glazed area at the back (2.4m X 4.8m) and a side window in order to get the light in
The garden is long so in winter (today) the bottom third still gets the light, and in summer the light gets almost to the house as the back of the house is single storey.

In terms of plants, the garden centres always sell plants that need good sunlight and well drained soil, so you have to be a bit clever about what plants you buy for the close to the house bit.

In terms of sitting out, as a general rule there's no obligation to sit right next to the house, it's a good idea to put your patio and seating area in the nicest part of the garden instead.

ReviewingTheSituation · 25/12/2022 08:55

I do, and I love it. Plenty of sun in summer, but still a nice cool kitchen.

A bit bleak for about 6 weeks in winter, around the shortest day, but that's no big deal really.

midgetastic · 25/12/2022 08:57

Was a compromise we had to make that turned out not a compromise at all - I don't like heat anyway and lots of things grow well

Pandor · 25/12/2022 08:59

Unless all the houses with North facing gardens are sitting empty or can be bought for tuppence because no one wants them, then quite a lot of people will answer yes!

We have one, but it also gets some sun from the East and West at the beginning and end of the day. It is a bit gloomy during the winter months but there are always compromises to make when house hunting. Been here a decade now and no intention of moving!

AlisonDonut · 25/12/2022 08:59

It isn't about the north facingness that is the issue, is it the aspect.

So we have a north facing garden but because it slopes up there is a south facing aspect so there is sun all day long.

What you have to work out is, is the shadow of the house going to block out the sun. In our case it only does for the first 5 feet, which is now a terrace so only the few feet close to the house don't get sun for about 12 weeks in winter. The rest of the time it all gets sun.

Didicat · 25/12/2022 09:01

We have a north facing garden and truly loved it this summer for the ability to find some shade, had south west before and it was such a heat trap it was unbearable on a normal year, not sure how we’d have coped this year..

i think the size and and neighbouring properties closeness makes more of a difference than orientation to me

Reindear · 25/12/2022 09:02

Depends on the size of the garden. Our old house was north west and we had sun in it from 8am until 8pm in the height of summer. It was a long garden. Current garden is north east and doesn’t get the sun as long. The sun sets at the front of the house. We still get sun from around 9-6 in the back garden in June so not too bad and I don’t regret buying the house over it. Although it annoys me a bit that next door get an hour extra sun every evening because of their massive garden without another house next door to block their sun 😂

talkingmorenonsense · 25/12/2022 09:03

No, I love my sunny south facing patio and the brightness I have in my kitchen. The doors from the kitchen are always open in the summer and I love it.

mondaytosunday · 25/12/2022 09:07

Yep - I have one now! It's a terrace. The back is the dining area, with a wall of glass and two skylights. If it was south or even west facing it would overheat in the summer and fade everything within. As the terrace runs east-west there are no buildings at the ends to stop the sun so I get sun all day in the summer - it just doesn't shine into the house. In the winter the sun is too low so i don't get much sun then at all, but it's still bright and I don't sit out much then and the plants are more or less dormant.
Also I get the sun in the livingroom at the front of the house instead.
My garden is full of flowering plants and I have no regrets at all.

RitaFires · 25/12/2022 10:30

It's really down to personal preference, my back garden faces North and I use it all year round. When a new neighbour moved in he asked me if anything can grow out the back because of facing North and I was able to list out all the different plants and trees that I have and he was genuinely surprised. If you're a gardener you'll know that there's plenty of plants that thrive in partial sunlight and even shade.

If you prefer sun streaming on you while in the kitchen like a previous poster then a North facing garden might not work for you, I'm used to the kitchen being cooler and the living rooms being brighter.

There are lots of things that affect the level of light a garden receives, so judge each garden on its own merits.

I haven't been able to find it again but there was once a thread on here from someone worried about going from having a South facing garden to a North facing one and it turned out she'd had a North facing garden the whole time but she hadn't realised because it was so bright.

Doyouthinktheyknow · 25/12/2022 10:32

Ours is north east facing, it’s fine. We have a patio at the back of the garden and get sun all day. Our kitchen is extended and has skylights so loads of light.

It’s never been an issue.

HassallGreen · 25/12/2022 10:36

2bazookas · 25/12/2022 00:18

I did, three times; and I'm a passionate gardener.
All three had a stunning outlook North.. There were still enough sunny spots; and lots of interesting plants thrive in shade.

This could be me, I'm on my third too, no idea what all the fuss is about tbh!

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 25/12/2022 10:36

If we really do have hotter summers, a lot of traditional English plants are going to find it hard going. North facing gardens are great for shrubs, which are also quite bit easier to care for than herbaceous etc , especially if you are a trainee gardener. And you can grow evergreens well, which tend not to like too much sun , so you will have a pleasant aspect all year.

minipie · 25/12/2022 11:00

Depends on you really. I am a person who craves light and sun, I will move to whatever part of the house has most light so a N facing kitchen and garden wouldn’t suit me at all and I’d find it depressing. We have a S facing house and put loads of glass in, yes we do boil for a few weeks a year when it hits 30 plus, but it’s worth it for the rest of the year when we get glorious light pouring in.

But some people are far less bothered about sun - and some even dislike being directly in the sun as they find it too hot or too bright.

You know which you are.

Garden wise there are plenty of plants that thrive in N facing, as long as you’re not wanting a lawn.

Parky04 · 25/12/2022 11:05

Love my North facing garden. Have a choice in the summer. We can either be in the sun or in the shade!