Step One: Good Day Sunshine!

[The next couple week's worth of posts will be geared toward getting a first-time gardener going: simple steps that shouldn't take much time or money but will get you digging in the right place.]

Homework Assignment  #1:  Identify the sunniest spots in your yard

The patterns of sunlight and shade that bend and kaleidoscope across your spot on the globe are the single most important determining factor in choosing where to dig and plant.  After all, we can modify the soil characteristics, we can irrigate a dry area, we can shield a windy spot, but we cannot control the sun and how it reaches the ground - well, not unless you want to go cutting down a tree.  The availability of sunlight on your ground will determine where you plant, and in the most limiting cases, if you may have to resort to container gardening.

We all know that the sun rises east and sets west, but what goes on in between, specifically between the hours of 10am and 4pm, is what you need to figure out first.  If you've lived in your home several years you may have some familiarity with this, but I still recommend playing close attention.  Again - this is the deal breaker when it comes to gardening.  And when we talk about "full sun," morning sun or late afternoon sun or filtered sun (shining through tree branches) doesn't count.  You'll need a minimum of 4 hours of strong beautiful mid-day sunshine, and much better if you can get 6.

An easy check to narrow down where you'll be looking is to Google map your address and click the "satellite" option.  As north is always straight up on these maps, you can get a good idea of the orientation of your house.  Areas immediately to the east or north of your home, other structure, or tree are going to be too shady.  You'll be looking to the south and west of homes, structures, or trees for the best spots.

Then hopefully in the next few days we'll get a beautiful springlike morning and you can celebrate it by getting out and walking your yard, preferably starting about 10 am.  If you can take another look every hour or so until 4pm, that will be most helpful!  Sketch out the shade lines hour-by-hour if that works for you, or if you'd enjoy a more physical effort, drag out a garden hose or rope and delineate the shade lines then take an hourly picture.  At the end of the day you will have identified the spots with the most sun.  Do pay careful attention though to the areas that are shaded by tree branches.  What today may be a few arcs of shade will in 4 more weeks be completely shaded out once deciduous trees grow their leaves.

If your sunniest spots are found to be at the end of your driveway or on your deck, your new gardening best friend will be Terra Cotta, and you should start looking out for a deal on a few good-sized pots.