Is a north-facing garden bad for plants? Adam Frost shares why it isn’t always ‘negative’

Adam Frost shares his new smaller garden

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Adam Frost is a familiar face for Gardeners’ World viewers, having presented the flagship BBC gardening show since 2016. On April 22, the green-thumbed presenter revealed he and his family had “scaled back” to a new home, which includes a “north-facing garden”.

North facing gardeners are often avoided by those who want to fill their green space with flourishing blooms and plants.

This is because north-facing gardens are typically in shade for much of the day, as the house is usually blocking the sun.

The Gardeners’ World host admitted, “some people will think this is a negative”.

However, this is not necessarily the case, and in fact, plenty of plants can grow happily in a north-facing garden.

Mr Frost said: “I think the first thing you need to do when you take on a new garden is put the brakes on the excitement and understand what you’ve got.

“I’ve been trying to understand what the light does.

“I’ve been out here really early in the morning watching the sun come up.

“East is sort of over in that direction which means, and some people will think this is a negative, the back of the house faces nearly North.

“So at the moment, it is quite shady, but the further we get into the year, the sun gets higher and it gets more light than we think.”

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Throughout the year, the height of the sun means even north-facing gardens can get some patches of light.

This can depend on how big your garden is, or how tall your property is.

In fact, a north-facing garden doesn’t have to be an automatic dealbreaker for gardeners.

Instead, it is about understanding what will and won’t work in the space.

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According to CheckaTrade, one of the perks of a north-facing garden is that “temperatures in a north-facing garden are less likely to fluctuate to extreme temperatures.”

This also means your plants and outdoor furniture will be shaded from any damaging rays of strong sunlight.

There are also plenty of plants that will grow in shady conditions.

What plants can grow in a north-facing garden in the UK?

Experts from CheckaTrade have compiled their “top pick” of north facing garden plants.

These include:

• Ferns and hostas
• Sweet box
• Variegated ivy
• Snowdrops
• Lily of the valley
• Begonias

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