Is south best?

[m3bfs]

Hi All

Am i right in thinking that a south facing garden is the best for growing veg in. If i've got it wrong (wouldn't surprise me) which way should my garden face for the best all round growing situation.

No houses to apply for again this week, so am looking at the options we've put down, and garden direction for me is a big thing. Also would like to be able to sit out in back garden on a nice summer evening in the late sunshine, not as has been the case in the shade.

many thanks

m3bfs

[lynda66]

mines south, south west facing, in summer it gets sun (when there is any) from about 9.30 in the morning, till just after lunch, when the sun starts to go behind next doors house, so the west side of the garden, loses the sun about 1, cos it goes behind the fence house and trees ....... the bottom of the garden has sun till about 7, but the top where the patio is next to the house, has no sun at all after about 3, cos of next doors house.

the front garden however is north north east facing, gets sun from about 11 (on most of it) till it goes down behind the trees at night, so more important i think than what direction the garden is actually facing ...... is what the sun can go behind, to stop it shining on the garden ...... trees fences and other houses can be a pain .......... and i've actually had more and better crops from the front garden than the back ...... except for courgettes, cos i didn't plant any of those in the front lol

[Alice]

When looking for a house M3bfs, I think the aspect and position of the garden is all important.
You're right in thinking South and South west is sunniest - you'll get sunshine all day that way. It makes a big difference to the temperature both inside and outside the house.
But Lynda's right. You also have to look round and see if there are buildings, trees etc in the way that would black the sun out.
A southerly aspect was an essential on the shopping list when we were house hunting. Good luck and hope you find the house you want.

[BrideXIII]

my front garden is south facing and gets the sun all day, subsequently it will only grow really hardy stuff cos it is too hot, and has the salt off the sea on it all year round.( it is also only 4 ft square)

my back garden faces north, which is annoying, but i get sun in it all afternoon, and right till 9pm in the summer, i just have to keep moving my chair

[m3bfs]

thanks for the replies, when the list goes up we have about 4 days to put in a notice of interest, so will just have to go and have a look and see what's in the way. In a way i'm hoping there is nothing for us to consider till after Christmas, days will be ever so slightly longer, so might just be able to get a better idea, how things will be.

Once again thanks

[Alice]

A note of interest commits you to nothing M3bfs (although your solicitor will charge you a small fee for noting your interest). But it does mean a closing date can't be set for the sale without you being notified. Well that's the position in Scotland.
I think you're wise to wait until after New Year for house hunting - nothing can happen over the holiday period and it would just all be frustration.
Good luck with the hunt. Make a shopping list and tick the boxes. That way you will get what you want .

[m3bfs]

Alice, sorry should have said, its council housing. We were renting privately last year, but trying to get on the council list, and move from the area that we were, so we took this one, but as we were signing for the tenancy there was a letter addressed to the occupier, which the council rep, said was us, and it informed us that the house was in the proposed area for demolition and regeneration, but at that stage it wasn't definite (officially, everybody knew it would be). But we were told that council would arrange the move, we could choose any area in Barnsley that we wanted to move to and would receive upheaval (?) allowance. We fell in love with the house, nice large garden for Bruce and Charlie, so we moved, thinking that it would all be over and done with and we'd be settled somewhere else by April. All the official paperwork, council business was supposed to be over and done with in January, and we'd be moved by April. :-) The decision didn't get finalised till April, and since then we've been waiting for 00.01 Fridays to check the website to see it there are any suitable houses for us to put in a notice of interest. We've done that for 18, been offered 2, first one garden was fine, but you couldn't get anything in the kitchen and there was less than 2 foot of worktop space. The second one wasn't the one we thought it was and the garden was too small for one thing. We were all (those in 1st phase) supposed to be out by Christmas. There are still 9 households left, the others are all tinned up.

Just want to get moved and settled so that i can start growing things again. If i'd known we'd be here this long i'd have been growing in pots.

Sorry to have waffled, thanks for listening

m3bfs