Plants for South-Facing Gardens

Q: What plants are best for a south-facing garden?

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Q: Is a south-facing garden too hot for some plants?

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Q: Do south-facing gardens need more watering?

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Q: Which plants flower longest in a south-facing garden?

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Plants for a south-facing garden get the best of the light. A south aspect is sunny and warm for most of the day, so it suits the widest range of flowering and sun-loving plants of any spot in the garden.

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Yellow Bark Japanese Maple 'Bi Hoo'

Acer palmatum 'Bi Hoo'

£39.99

1

Rose of Sharon 'Red Heart'

Hibiscus syriacus 'Red Heart'

£11.99

1

Rose of Sharon 'Admiral Dewey'

Hibiscus syriacus 'Admiral Dewey'

£11.99

1

Heavenly Bamboo 'Gulfstream'

Nandina domestica 'Gulfstream'

£34.99

1

Dryopteris affinis 'Crispa'

£8.99

1

Dwarf Mondo Grass

Ophiopogon japonicus 'Minor'

£6.99

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Making the most of a south-facing garden

A south-facing garden is the sunniest aspect you can have, in full light from morning to evening for most of the year. That warmth and brightness opens up the largest choice of any garden: flowering perennials at their most floriferous, sun-loving exotics, silver foliage and Mediterranean-style planting all do well here.

The one thing to plan for is heat and dryness. South-facing beds warm up fast and dry out quickly, so free-draining soil and a few genuinely drought-tolerant plants take the pressure off in summer. Pots in particular will need regular watering. Get the drainage right and a south aspect rewards you with the longest, strongest flowering display of the whole garden.

All grown for UK gardens and sent out well rooted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What plants are best for a south-facing garden?

A south aspect suits sun-lovers: flowering perennials, silver and aromatic foliage, grasses and drought-tolerant exotics all thrive in the warmth and light. It gives you the widest choice of any spot in the garden.

Is a south-facing garden too hot for some plants?

It can be in summer, especially in a dry spell. Shade-lovers will scorch, and thirsty plants need watching. Choosing some drought-tolerant plants and keeping the soil free-draining takes the pressure off.

Do south-facing gardens need more watering?

Often, yes, since they warm up and dry out faster than other aspects. Pots especially need regular water in summer. Established drought-tolerant plants cope with far less once their roots are down.

Which plants flower longest in a south-facing garden?

Sun drives flowering, so most flowering perennials bloom hardest and longest in a south aspect. Mixing early and late kinds keeps colour going from spring into autumn.