Monitor the light It’s important to remember that some plants do really well in sun and others in shade. So before you make major investments in landscaping or perennials, make sure the light is adequate. You’ll want to monitor this season-by-season, paying the most attention to the warm summer months. I would suggest keeping a notebook to track the light and what areas are sunny or shady at what times of the year. The first year I had a vegetable garden on a condo balcony, I was very excited thinking that because it was very bright, I would have a successful garden. The unit was south-facing with no obstructions to the west. However, come July, the high summer sun was blocked by part of my building, creating a shadow across my balcony in the middle of the day and I had to regularly rotate my plants. I eventually had to give up on some of them because the light I was getting in May and June wasn’t carrying through in those later, warmer months. The next year, I adjusted which vegetables I planted based on getting light later in the day as opposed to the middle of the day. This is one of the reasons why you also want to make sure any fencing or other construction is finished by the builder as those will impact the shading and light through the season. Paying attention to the amount of light different areas of your outdoor spaces get over the season will mean that you can plant the best garden beds for success year-over-year.
abode Summer 2016
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