Plantsplaining: Working With Light Conditions
For landscape designers, light is more than just an aesthetic element; it's the lifeblood of every plant and the sculptor of shadows that shape outdoor spaces. Accurately determining lighting conditions is crucial for ensuring plant health, maximizing usability, and crafting harmonious landscapes. When starting on a project, the first order of business is a site analysis - any condition on the site that affects plants, water, and people.
Identifying the sun/shade patterns is among the most important tasks. Historically, differentiating between full sun, partial shade, and deep shade zones would be educated guesswork, possibly mixed with multiple visits to observe at different times of the day.
Another, more recent tool, 3D software, has revolutionized light analysis. Platforms like SketchUp Pro and Vectorworks allow designers to build virtual replicas of the landscape, incorporating accurate sun simulations that cast real-time shadows and illuminate areas bathed in sunlight throughout the day and year. These digital sun studies provide invaluable insights, enabling designers to:
Identify microclimates: Differentiate between full sun, partial shade, and deep shade zones, ensuring each plant is placed in its ideal lighting environment.
Optimize plant selection: Choose species that thrive in specific light conditions, minimizing plant stress and maximizing their visual impact.
Strategically position hardscapes: Design patios, decks, and walkways to bask in the desired amount of sun or shade, enhancing outdoor living experiences.
Below is an overview of how Lawson Yardscapes used 3D light simulation in a recent project to make sure that the right plants were located in the right spots, using June 1st as our reference date.
1. Full Sun
‘Full Sun’ is generally regarded as six or more hours of direct sunlight per day. In this light simulation, we have roughly three specific areas that get full sun, albeit with some variation in a few spots. The front yard is bathed in light almost all day. With a design that borders the sidewalk with plants, this calls out for plants that love heat and can be drought-resistant. The side yard is shaded a bit more but it still falls into the full-sun category, as it sees rays from sunrise to just before 3:00pm. This are would be appropriate for plants that like full sun but don’t mind a bit of shade in the afternoon.
PLANTS FOR FULL SUN
Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’
A popular perennial known for its striking golden yellow flowers with dark brown centers, adding a vibrant pop of color to any garden bed. This low-maintenance plant is a favorite for its long bloom period and its ability to attract pollinators, making it an excellent choice for adding visual interest and ecological value to landscapes.
Penstemon x ‘Dark Towers’
Penstemon, also known as beardtongue, is a perennial flowering plant that thrives in full sun or partial shade. These versatile plants are native to North America and add contrast to gardens with their dark foliage and pink flowers.
Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’
Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro' is a popular daylily cultivar known for its prolific blooming and drought tolerance. The vibrant golden-yellow flowers brighten up garden beds throughout the heat of summer, attracting butterflies and adding a cheerful touch to any outdoor space.
Sedum spectabile ‘Brilliant’
Sedum spectabile 'Brilliant', also known as Showy Stonecrop, is a stunning perennial with vibrant, starry pink flowers that bloom in late summer through fall. It is attractive to pollinators, undemanding, and heat tolerant.
2. Part Sun
You can call it part sun or part shade. Half full or half empty. There’s a world of plant life that thrives in this in-between world. The side yard has a portion along the fence that starts the day with morning sun, sits in tree-filtered sunlight midday, and finishes out the day in full shade. Because the harshest summer sun comes during the afternoon, this is a pretty luxurious setup.
PLANTS FOR PART SUN
Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’
Annabelle is a stunning deciduous shrub with large, round, white flower heads that bloom in summer. This variety is known for its ability to thrive in partial shade and its low maintenance, adapting to a variety of soil conditions.
Itea virginica ‘Little Henry’
The ‘Little Henry’ Virginia Sweetspire is a charming deciduous shrub with a compact, mound-shaped form and bottlebrush white flower spikes. It’s a dwarf version of the original species and it enjoys part shade just the same. It has burgundy fall foliage and is virtually disease- and pest-free.
Geranium x ‘Rozanne’
A robust and vigorous perennial plant, Rozanne features vibrant violet-blue flowers that bloom for an extremely long time - from late spring to early fall. It is adaptable to a wide range of lighting conditions and tends to snake its way through its plant neighbors.
3. Mostly Shade
‘Mostly shade’ means four or fewer hours of direct sunlight per day. (‘Dense shade’ is reserved for even shadier than that.) Up against the east side of the house is the least amount of sunshine. The plants that thrive here don’t have the same colorful flowers as the sun-loving brethren, so you want to look for interesting and contrasting foliage.
PLANTS FOR MOSTLY SHADE
Hosta x ‘Guacamole’
The Hosta Guacamole plant is a stunning perennial with large, heart-shaped leaves that are a vibrant shade of chartreuse, complemented by dark green edges. Its fragrant white flowers bloom in summer, making it a beautiful addition to the shade garden.
Polystichum acrostichoides
The Polystichum acrostichoides, also known as the Christmas fern, is a delightful evergreen fern with leathery, dark green fronds that bring a festive touch to winter landscapes. This native North American fern is cherished for its ability to thrive in woodland shade and its resilience in harsh winter conditions.
Finalizing
With a fall installation, the plants have all winter to establish their roots, get ready to flourish in the spring, and take advantage of the perfect conditions.
