What can you do with a north facing garden?

If you're wondering if north facing gardens get sun, or if you don’t get a lot of sunlight in your north-facing garden, we are here to help! There are types of grass seeds that grow well in shady conditions, and there are even wildflowers that thrive in the shade. These shade-loving wildflowers and shade-tolerant grass species are what you would typically find growing naturally on the forest floor, beneath a canopy of trees or alongside shaded woodland trails.

Adding these types of shade-loving grasses and wildflowers to your north-facing garden allows you to have a lawn and flowerbeds that are as colourful, luscious, and vibrant as any other garden!

Do north facing gardens get sun?

As mentioned before, a north facing garden gets reduced sunlight throughout the day in the UK. Although this is more noticeable in the autumn and winter months, the reduction in sunlight, combined with our temperate climate - mild and humid for most of the year – can increase the chance of weeds and especially mosses growing!

What grass seed is best for a north facing garden?

Grass Seed for north facing gardens with shade

Referred to as shade-tolerant grass seed or grass seed for shade, this specialist lawn seed is perfect for north facing gardens. When your garden is covered in shadow most of the day, or if your garden lawn suffers from reduced sunlight due to high walls, trees or hedgerows, then shade grass seed is what you need!

Does grass grow without sunlight?

The short answer is no! Normal grass seed does not grow well in low light conditions, and while specialist grasses grow very well in various degrees of shade, there are no species of grass seed that can grow without any sunlight! So when people ask this question, they usually mean, “Will grass grow in low-light conditions?”.

Gardens with large trees or bushes will also limit the amount of rainfall that reaches the soil. A lack of moisture combined with low sunlight affects the growth of many grass types, but we also considered this when choosing our mixes to ensure our shady grass seed would grow well in drought conditions.

Can wildflowers grow in the shade?

Many wildflowers thrive in very low light conditions since some species grow naturally beneath trees in a forest canopy or in a woodland setting.

Growing wildflowers in the shaded parts of your garden is easy when you pick wildflower seed that grows well in the shade! By planting wildflowers in shady areas, you will be helping to provide a habitat for pollinators and local wildlife.

If you have any questions on your north facing garden, are having trouble growing grass or wildflowers in the shade or have any other questions unique to your garden, please send us a message, and we will happily help!