Why are south-facing gardens best?
A. The sun doesn’t technically rise in true east and set in true west. In the Northern Hemisphere growing season, the sun spends most of its time in the southern part of the sky, so your house will cast its shadow on the northern part of your property. This is because the sun as we see it, is below the zenith. Many outdoor ornamental plants do well in the sun on the east or west side of your house because it isn’t as hot. Window plants, or plants on a balcony, will likely receive less or diluted light, which is why south-facing exposure is best. Food plants such as vegetables will do best in south-facing, full sun gardens.