When the books say something will tolerate part-shade, or light shade,
is there any difference between a continual dappled sunlight, or a
corner that only gets sunlight for an hour or two a day, but full sun
when it does get it?

Also, if you have a place that gets no sun at all except for 4 months in
the summer, and for those 4 months it's good sun for up to 8 hours a
day, could you put in a plant that says it needs full sun? We just
happen to have a house at the bottom of our short South facing garden
that stops most of the sun until it gets high enough in the summer to
clear the top of that house. It occurred to me that as many plants are
dormant in the winter they might only care what they get in the summer.

I have the same question as I also have a border that doesn't get any sun
whatsoever in winter, but gets full sun during most of the summer. I've
decided that as most of my plants are dormant in winter, I'll treat the
border as being in full sun.


"Inge Jones" wrote in message
. ..
Also, if you have a place that gets no sun at all except for 4 months in

"Inge Jones" wrote in message
. ..
When the books say something will tolerate part-shade, or light shade,
is there any difference between a continual dappled sunlight, or a
corner that only gets sunlight for an hour or two a day, but full sun
when it does get it?

Also, if you have a place that gets no sun at all except for 4 months in
the summer, and for those 4 months it's good sun for up to 8 hours a
day, could you put in a plant that says it needs full sun? We just
happen to have a house at the bottom of our short South facing garden
that stops most of the sun until it gets high enough in the summer to
clear the top of that house. It occurred to me that as many plants are
dormant in the winter they might only care what they get in the summer.

A year or few ago I came across an exhibition on just this at Chelsea FS by
one of the horticultural colleges.

I can't remember all the details, but essentially the thrust was that
dappled shade has parts of the spectrum missing through filtering and
reflections, full sun has the full spectrum. Even N.facing open aspect with
no direct sun is different from Dappled shade.

Hence, woodland plants have evolved to use different regions of the spectrum
to plants liking full sun.

ie there is a differenence - and one that fits with my experience - plants
that like full sun rarley do well in dappled shade but sunlovers can be
quite happy with a few hours of full sun. I once had a lavender hedge in an
E-W side passage that only saw the sun in the very early morning and late
afternoon in summer and none at all in winter. It was vigorous and healthy.


pk

In article ,
"Jack" writes:
| I have the same question as I also have a border that doesn't get any sun
| whatsoever in winter, but gets full sun during most of the summer. I've
| decided that as most of my plants are dormant in winter, I'll treat the
| border as being in full sun.

You should avoid plants that are prone to die from waterlogging in
winter, though.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

ie there is a differenence - and one that fits with my experience - plants
that like full sun rarley do well in dappled shade but sunlovers can be
quite happy with a few hours of full sun. I once had a lavender hedge in
an
E-W side passage that only saw the sun in the very early morning and late
afternoon in summer and none at all in winter. It was vigorous and
healthy.

How tall do lavender hedges get then?

In article , Inge Jones
writes
When the books say something will tolerate part-shade, or light shade,
is there any difference between a continual dappled sunlight, or a
corner that only gets sunlight for an hour or two a day, but full sun
when it does get it?

Yes, they're different. Dappled shade plants are obviously basically
woodland, so will also prefer the sorts of soil you get in woodland.

Also, if you have a place that gets no sun at all except for 4 months in
the summer, and for those 4 months it's good sun for up to 8 hours a
day, could you put in a plant that says it needs full sun?

Probably. I grow water lilies in such a situation and they flower well.
But look at the conditions your plants need - many 'full sun' plants
also need well drained soils - can you provide this too?

There's also lots of plants which aren't fussed about sun or shade, and
they will do well too. In a similar situation I have magnolia, skimmia,
heathers, snakes head fritillary, euphorbias, hellebores, pernettya,
Malva moschata, roses, nicotiana, crocosmia.


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/

Inge Jones wrote in message ...

Also, if you have a place that gets no sun at all except for 4 months in
the summer, and for those 4 months it's good sun for up to 8 hours a
day, could you put in a plant that says it needs full sun?

I'm so glad you asked this question. Just the problem I've been
mulling over as I wait for the sun to clear the surrounding
rooftops...
Thanks a lot :-)

Katharine

Thanks everyone (-:

And I thought I was the only one with a garden that only gets sun in the
summer

Peter




"Inge Jones" wrote in message
. ..

Thanks everyone (-: