Is an east-facing garden a problem?
Many know that north-facing home is the most desirable type for house-buyers among all facing directions of houses. However, the ideal house type differs from people to people. Whether the east-facing garden is suitable for you depends on your needs. Next, the benefits and drawbacks will be offered as follow to help you make your wise decision.
Benefits of East-Facing Gardens
- Sufficient sunlight in the morning
As for the garden facing east, the first ray of sunlight in the morning will shine in. Every day, after the sun rises from the East, the garden will be exposed to the sun at the first time. The morning sun is bright and warm but not strong, so if you are the type of people who love morning, the east-facing garden will offer you a perfect playground to enjoy the sunlight.
- Favourable conditions for certain type of plants
East-facing gardens are usually the great place for plants that like morning sunlight or moderate light to thrive since the sun rises in the east, while evening shade will enhance the impact of white flowers in the garden. Not all plants can grow well in the morning sunlight so it is important to choose the right plants to grow in your garden. For vegetables, east facing gardens are perfect for growing lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, peppers, radish, beetroot and swede. These plants are shade-loving and will not thrive in high temperature or sunshine areas. For flowers, Japanese forest grass, barberry, Himalayan blue poppy, oak leaf and enchantress hydrangea will do well in partial shade and cooler conditions.
- Enjoying cooler shade in hot hours
For people who are not keen on direct sunlight and would like to sitting in the cooler shade on summer days or hot hours of a day, east-facing gardens are their best choice. Because the the sun only shines over the garden in morning hours. Besides, a long time of sun shining may be troubling for heat-sensitive or sun-sensitive people. So this type of gardens is better with children, because you get a beautifully sunny rear garden all morning and then by late lunchtime the patio gets the shade and you can eat out in the cool.
- Longer bright hours compared to west-facing gardens
Living in a house with east-facing garden, you will know that the dark hours wouldn't be as long as if you had a west facing garden because the sun will sink below the roofline of the house earlier, and therefore you may save more electric power than that of west-facing gardens. You will even be able to eat an evening meal in the sun for most of the summer.
Drawbacks of East-Facing Gardens
- Coldness and lack of sunshine in winter
There is rarely sunlight casting in during the warmest hours of a day in east-facing gardens, and therefore it makes the garden very cold in winter. And due to the lack of sunlight in winter, you can hardly dry the quilt and clothes outdoors.
- Prone to mould growth and water leakage
For houses located in the southern states, under the influence of the southeast wind, the monsoon will bring strong rainfall, which may lead to water leakage and seepage in the garden, especially for those with poor drainage. Moreover, the humidity in the east-facing gardens is higher than those facing the east. In this case, the moisturized conditions many easily cause mould growth. In addition, there is no sufficient sunshine in the afternoon, so it is difficult to dissipate the moisture.
- Shorter bright hours compared to the south-facing and north-facing gardens
Except for the morning hours, the garden will not receive direct sunlight in the afternoon and evening and this may cause a higher electricity fees. Besides, due to the lack of sunlight, some types of plants that need a large amount of sunlight such as yarrow, shasta daisy, coreopsis, purple coneflower, blanket flower, Russian sage, butterfly weed and lavender, will not be able to thrive.
After reading the article, you must have more ideas in your house-hunting. Your personal needs and habits are the main factor to consider when you look for an ideal property.
