What direction is best for a marvelous backyard garden?

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-05-2010, 02:38 PM

We're in the midst of deciding on our top three houses. In the listings, they give us the front exposure direction and for me, having a large backyard garden is essential. I plan on making the garden pretty large, considering the lot sizes in Edmonton are pretty big (50 x 100 at the start).

I've been reading that both a south-facing and a west-facing back yard are ideal. But I want to be sure.

What direction does your garden face and how bountiful is its production?

**Vanilla** · 12-06-2010, 12:51 AM

I would say facing south, yard would have light from sunrise to sunset.
West facing is good too, but no morning sun (the house might block out some light)
My backyard is facing southwest, some area is shaded from afternoon sun, some area has 8 hrs of sun in the summertime.

**KeithBC** · 12-06-2010, 01:01 AM

South-facing is best. Especially in Edmonton, where you need all the sunlight you can get. West is second-best.

It's a bit hard to tell which direction our garden faces. It is east of the house, but it slopes down to the north-east, and is shaded on the east side. It is far from an ideal location, but is the best we can do.

Everything here is productive compared to the Alberta climate, but there are lots of gardens in our area that are better than ours.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-06-2010, 09:23 AM

Yeah, my inlaws have their garden on the back part of their yard behind their garage but I'm not sure what direction the house faces.

There are two houses on my list that have south and west facing backyards. They're actually at the top of my list now. From what I've seen of the list I've been compiling, most of them are west Front exposure. I guess I'll have to keep looking.

**KeithBC** · 12-06-2010, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by MomToTwoBoys

There are two houses on my list that have south and west facing backyards. They're actually at the top of my list now. From what I've seen of the list I've been compiling, most of them are west Front exposure. I guess I'll have to keep looking.

I'm not sure I would eliminate a house from consideration just based on which direction the garden faced. An east-facing garden is almost as good as a west-facing one. In Calgary, I grew tomatoes successfully in a north-facing garden.

**Missy** · 12-06-2010, 12:37 PM

I agree. I woulnd;t count out your contenders based on the direction your garden faces. A south is ideal, but my south is shaded about 75%! So my south doesn't yeild anywhere near what my north does! And even in the most ideal situations things can be done to improve the conditions. So what I'd suggest is to find a place where the garden area gets a good deal of sun, has enough room to manuver around, has good "bones" as far as drainage, sloping, soil, etc goes. and if the place offeres different areas that could be used for different type of produce, more the better. I have yard all around my house. One zone (north) is better for my root veggies. South is better for my tomatoes and peppers, eggplant and the like (they get sun but dont get burned) and so on. What I am saying is that the entire garden doesnt necessarily have to be in one plot.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-06-2010, 01:06 PM

So if I went with a home that had a west facing front exposure and was a rather large lot, I'd be able to put a lot of that yard to good use?

That's not to say that any of the houses we have remaining on the list have problems with lot size. It's things like neighborhood, need for renovations inside, etc that are wiping them from the list. I'll just be sure now to look for houses that are good, but the lot size being better is the golden ticket.

**Russ** · 12-06-2010, 01:11 PM

Full sun for plants = a minimum of 6 hours.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-06-2010, 03:42 PM

So in the summer time, if I get sun from say 6 to 12 or 2 to 8, it'd be considered full sun?

**monkeywrangler71** · 12-06-2010, 04:47 PM

Is number of hours of exposure going to be an issue in a place where summer days are 17 hours long? I would stick with south or west because I think the ground will warm up faster in the spring. It's a short growing season, you want the area that will be ready earliest.

Your garden doesn't have to be in the back. I'd be more concerned with having south and west facing windows. Not just so you get some sun in the winter, but to have a place for starting plants inside.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-06-2010, 05:43 PM

There's one house in particular that has a south facing front yard and the yard really isn't large enough for the plot size I want. The east and west side of the house also have other houses pretty close, so the back yard would be my primary spot to garden. If I could stick the garden in the centre west side of the back yard, I'd be happy with having it that way.