drastic exposure changes winter to summer

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by chemicalx, Nov 19, 2007.

  1. chemicalx

    chemicalx Active Member

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    Torrance, CA; USA
    Due to the location of our garage, I have an area in the backyard that ranges in exposure from essentially full sun in summer to nearly full (though fairly bright) shade in winter. It's a north wall, but I think it is angled so that it is actually North-east, hence the sun in summer. What is a good approach for choosing plants in this area? Do I treat it like a partial shade site, even though it gets such heavy sun in summer? Or, should I just plant is as a full sun location, and hope the sun loving plants pull through the shady winters?

    Some things I have that are growing ok there so far: Night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnus), Asparagus fern 'Meyers', Mother Fern, Zinnias (flowers winding down) and creeping thyme.

    On the not-so-hot side, I also have calla lilies, primroses and even spathyphyllum planted there, but they all did poorly once the sun came around, so I may need to move them to a more suitable location. Though now with the season change, the calla lilies have started poking up out of the soil again, and even the primroses I thought were long dead have revived a bit.

    Lori
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Sounds like sun plants are working out there and shade plants aren't. Plants not active in winter won't care about the shade then.
     
  3. chemicalx

    chemicalx Active Member

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    Ok, that makes sense. Didn't occur to me that the sun lovers might be able to go through periods of shade without a problem. Learn something every day!

    Thanks, Ron!
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Even evergreen plants like various rhododendrons may live in the wild where 10' of snow sits over them for much of the winter - although snow at least does transmit light. But the shadow of your house is not excluding all light, the plants are still getting light from overhead and the sides.
     
  5. Karalyn

    Karalyn Active Member

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    I would plant some clematis in that location. That can take sun, part sun and northern exposure.
     

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