North facing back garden

lesley probert

My back garden is North facing. Can I grow fruit? What other plants will thrive? 

Dave Morgan

Does it get any sun at all Lesley? North facing gardens can be problematic in some situations but you must get some sun somewhere?

barry island

My garden is on the north side of the house and has hardly any sun from mid November until mid February because he sun is so low in the sky and my house casts a shadow but from now on it gets sun at the bottom nearly all day because the fence at the bottom of the garden faces south, I don't grow fruit up the fence but I'm sure that it would be a suitable position to do so.

Yvonne Wilson4

I too would welcome advice suggestions re flowers & shrubs. My north facing back garden is a very similar orientation to barry island's. I nurture plants/shrubs through the spring/summer/autumn only to often have them decimated by the winter shady months. Given the aspect the garden also is a 'frost pocket' at times (I'm in South Wales). It's very disheartening! Any help greatly appreciated.

pansyface

Choose fruit that is frost resistant such as these

https://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/apple-trees-scotland-north-britain

 

Snow Maiden

Our garden faces north, and to be honest we don't find it a problem at all. We give anything a try!

We have a thorn- less blackberry bush,2 vines( early days with these!) 3 apple trees, 2 pears trees,2 plums trees and one cherry tree.

We have quite a few shrubs, and I grow a lot of summer bedding from seed, This year I'm growing more perennials from seed. 

I'm not good at putting a name to plants, shrubs or trees  so will find a few pics from last year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Hope this will be of help to you.

Wee Al

You don't mention the size of your garden. Mine is 6m x 12m and north facing and shady as you describe until early March due to northerly latitude. On the earliest section to receive sun in the year have, and continue to, grow raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries (in hanging baskets) and outdoor tomatoes successfully. But it is a difficult aspect in small gardens even for dense shade lovers such as ferns which I collect but still possible.

 

Jimmy Crawford

Don't get hung up on which way it faces. It's more about how much sun it receives. If it's north facing AND small, it's likely to be perma-shaded, but if its large enough parts of it will get good sun. And if not, theres plenty of bushes that do well in semi-shade.