Determining your yard's sunlight pattern is an important step in the process of planning your landscape. Every yard has its own unique areas of shade and sun. The trees in your landscape, your house, sheds, garages and fences can all cast shade. Your neighbors' homes can also affect the amount of shade you receive. The patterns of sunlight also change throughout the year as the angle of the sun shifts in relation to the earth.

Planning Your Landscape Designs

In the spring and summer, when days are long, the areas of your yard that receive the most light will be illuminated for long periods of time. In the winter, when days are short, these sections may receive very little sunlight. Because each landscape's sunlight pattern is different, the most effective approach is to create a map of your yard noting the way light falls in the morning, at midday and in the late afternoon during the peak growing season.

Once you've determined how sunlight strikes your yard throughout the day, you can determine which areas receive the most sunlight and shade. Some sections of your yard may be shady from morning till evening, with only brief glimpses of sunlight. Other areas may be exposed to full sunlight for extended periods. Some plants thrive only in shade, while others must have at least 6 to 7 hours of sunlight each day. Knowing which plants adapt well to shaded or sunny areas will help you develop planting strategies that will keep your plants happy and healthy.

The way you use the different areas of your landscape throughout the year will also make a difference in how you plan your design. If you're thinking about adding a new patio for summer entertaining, place this landscaping feature on an area of the house that receives a moderate amount of shade. If you want to add more color and texture to the front of your home with perennial flowers but the area is shaded by a large tree, consider pruning the tree's branches, relocating your flower beds or choosing flowers and ground cover that thrive in shade.

Types of Shade

As you spend some time evaluating the sunlight in your yard, you will notice that the sunlight falls in different patterns. In some areas of the yard, sunlight may be filtered by tree branches or telephone wires. Direct sunlight may rarely strike these areas of your landscape, while others receive full sun for several hours at a time. Partially shaded areas may receive several hours of solid shade during the day, while fully shaded areas receive no sunlight at all.

In planning your design, you will encounter certain elements that can be easily modified or removed to increase sunlight, such as a portable shed, a trailer or a fence that's no longer useful. Other elements, such as your house or a beautiful old shade tree, probably cannot be moved to accommodate more light. Once you know how the sunlight falls in your yard throughout the year, you can develop a flexible landscaping design that works with your existing elements.

Photos of landscaping projects can inspire you with new ideas for utilizing shade and light in a garden. Many homeowners are not aware of how many shrubs, trees and flowers can thrive in shady areas. Jasmine, hostas, agapanthus, impatiens, lobelia and sweet alyssum are only a few of the shade-loving plants that you can integrate into your landscape. Figuring out how to use the landscape designs that fit sunlight patters in a garden is not necesssarily a weekend project, but an ongoing effort to capture the transitions of the sun throughout the year.