North facing garden - thoughts?

[Cats_pyjamas]

We are thinking of buying a place in ED that has a small, North facing back garden. The bedroom at the front gets lots of lovely sun, but the garden is mostly in shadow. Does anyone who has a North facing back garden have a viewpoint? Do you regret it? Does anything even grow?

We've seen a smaller place that has a south facing garden but it needs more work and no period features remain. Weighing it all up!

[LondonMix]

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1661072

You might find this recent thread useful.

It really depends on how small it is and what else is around it. I have friends with north facing courtyard gardens that can be blazing hot at the height of summer because its fairly open.

If the garden really is in shadow all the time, then all things being equal I'd say you get much more use out of a South facing garden-- ours is quite a bit warmer in Spring and Autumn than other exposures which means we use it more.

There are plenty of flowers that can grow in shade though-- clematis grandiflora, star jasmine, various climbing roses so it doesn't have to be dreary at all.

If you need the extra space that the house with the north facing garden offers then I'd go for it. Especially if both gardens are small, there is only so much you'll be able to do in them.

[LD929]

We bought a house two years ago with a south facing garden. At the time I didnt really think it mattered, but it makes a huge difference. We spend most of our time in the kitchen and dining area, which is in the back of the house and where all the light is. Much more comfortable and enjoyable than sitting in the dark.

[klove]

We've got a North facing garden and you end up using it in a different way. We have lots of tropical plants that like the shade, decking next to the kitchen we can eat out on a nice day, a slide and sandpit. The back fence has a grape vine and we have a cherry tree in the darkest corner that seems to love it!

But we don't have any grass as it just gets muddy. And you have to choose your plants carefully. You have to be more inventive in a North facing garden but it definitely doesn't stop us having fun in it. It would be nice to have a bit more sun but we go to parks all the time and we loved the house and location.

[canela]

Agree. You need to think about plants carefully. Check neighbouring gardens for huge trees that would block out any sun. we had one and found we could have grass as long as we looked after it carefully. you can make it really lovely but needs a bit of extra thought.

[devsdev]

We have a north facing garden and I must say I have occasional pangs when I see the gardens behind us bathed in glorious sunshine. That said, we had our garden redone so it is mainly a stone patio with some hardy and flowering plants, a brightly painted shed and we get a decent amount of sunshine especially in the summer. And it's still a lovely place to hang out and the kids enjoy it. More importantly, the house is the one we liked the most, had the most space and needed the least work. Given that we live in the UK and we have lots of green spaces in the Dulwich/SE area, it's probably best to go for the nicest house you can buy. If this particular house had a south facing garden the price might be higher? Good luck!

[Giacomelli]

Yes agree it really depends on the neighbouring trees or light-blocking buildings. We actually had a little south facing garden in ed and neighbouring trees really shaded it so the grass became quite boggy. My soil had high clay content so constantly in shade was a bit of a nightmare. Now I have a very open north facing back garden and much of it is in sun throughout the day due to no trees (less privacy though!).

I have also put a bench in my south facing front garden so that if I want full on rays I can sit there. I used to sit out in my front garden in ed too with a morning coffee. Front gardens are under used in my opinion!