Landscaping For Morning Sun.
 (Read 50+ times)
By Glory Lennon
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When you awaken in the morning the sun is right there setting songbirds to singing, bees to buzzing and butterflies to flutter by and not to mention lighting up your yard. Morning sun is wonderful and should always be preserved for its gentle light. It is far less intense than afternoon sun, you see. With that in mind, landscaping for morning sun can be tricky and it can be fun.
Being a far more gentle light, semi-shade liking plants would do well in morning sun. Foxglove, Bleeding Hearts, Columbine, Coleus, Hardy Geranium, Astilbe, Siberian Squill, Daffodils and woodland flowers like Dogtooth Violets and shrubs like Azalea and Rhododendron do quite well in morning sun even though technically it is considered full sun. Morning sun is like that and can therefore be used to your advantage
Trees planted on the east side of the yard could block the precious morning sun casting shade where you don’t want it. So planting tall, wide canopied shade trees would be better on the west or north side which also provides much desired shade for your home during hot summer months and won’t block the sun in winter.
Under these trees an under story of shade loving shrubs and perennials would do well. As the sun moves across the sky it will eventually pass over and leave them in shade. Some Hosta which color up better in the morning sun like this placement particularly. The same goes for brilliantly colored Daylilies and dark colored Roses. They retain their colors better if planted with a bit of afternoon shade in mind. Harsh afternoon sun bleaches out some of their color and they just don’t do as well. But morning sun they love.
To plant specifically for morning sun use tall growing shrubs like the columnar shaped Althea or Rose-Of-Sharon or tall growing Sunflowers to form a garden room where you can have the more delicate flowers or those requiring a bit of shade. Planting in front of these makes a great placement for Impatiens, Petunia, Nasturtium, Ajuga, Joe Pye Weed, Japanese Iris, Morning Glories and Dahlia.
Red Japanese Maples tend to fade a bit in harsh afternoon sun but in morning sun they retain their color well and lend a striking silhouette to the garden with its low sweeping branches and glowing foliage.
Placing ponds and other water features like bird baths and fountains in morning sun is preferable. The harsh sun can cause algae to grow in all of them. In ponds the sun can make it uncomfortably warm for small fish and amphibians. It also causes the quick evaporation of the water in bird baths and fountains.
As you can see morning sun can work to your advantage when you know a few tricks. Watch for the pattern of the sun going over your landscape and plant accordingly.
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Author Bio Box: Glory Lennon
 Visit me at http://helium.com/user/ 32782 for more garden fun and amusing stories.
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