Enough Light In My Garden?
How do I determine if I have enough light in my garden to plant Full Sun perennials or Partial Sun annuals?
There are at least 3 ways of answering this question:
1) Monitor your garden:
- Determine which areas you would like to plant.
- Observe the sun and shade patterns during the full day
- At the end of the day, calculate the number of direct sunlight hours each specified area of your garden received.
2) Get a Sun calculator
This calculator is a wonderful measuring device, which will measure the amount of accumulated light that falls on any specific location on your property. This will give you the ability to match the plant’s light requirements with the actual light conditions measured by the device. All you need to do is place the device at the desired location, turn it on and 12 hours later return to read the results. Sun calculators should be available at any garden centers or nurseries.
3) Use a Plant Sensor
Plant Sensors will read and analyze growing conditions in specific spots inside your home or yard, including sunlight, temperature, humidity, soil moisture and drainage. Plant sensors can be found at any garden center.
Guide Information
Photo:Peter Wiezoreck
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.