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Old 27-01-2006, 01:28 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
chris French
 
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Default How to tell where you garden is facing? (South/North etc)

In message .com,
htmark98 writes
I havent a compass yet but looking at street maps by house looking onto
the street is facing NorthWest so looking at my front door is SE. So
which way is my back garden facing looking from the back door down at
it or from the bottom of the garden up to the house.

It's the former, so SE facing.

If it's down towards it again looking at it's facing South East
(approx 120). But i think i'll need a compass to get an exact figure,
is there anywhere online that wil tell me this to save me buying a
compass?


You don't need an exact figure, in fact it doesn't matter that much
though, what matters is you learn where the sun shade etc. falls in your
garden through the day/year.

If you can find you house on Google Earth (not all the UK photos are a
very good resolution, but lots are. it has a handy little compass.

http://earth.google.com/

Though this requires you to install a small application on your
computer. It's good for some time wasting though.

Our local authority planning dept has maps showing individual properties
(1:10000 maybe?) which you can access via searching for planning
permissions.

But most important is this a good garden for growing?


99% of gardens are good for growing, southerly acing gardens are
generaly considered 'good' because the house isn't shading the garden,
but then if it was surrounded by 40 foot conifers....

Havent started
yet so what do people recommend?


What sort of gardening to you think you are interested in - ornamental,
veg, fruit? how mcuh time do you think you will devote to it? For the
first year, get a fell for the garden, don't necessarily plan any major
changes. Note the where the sun/shade falls, how would you like to use
the garden, will you want somewhere to sit in the evening sun, any
special features, such a s a pond? Measure it up and sketch a plan etc.
--
Chris French