Introduction to aspect and soil

Introduction to Aspect, Site & Soil

Understanding these key areas will give you great insight into what will work in your garden, and how you can get started.

Site

Where does your plot sit? What is it's orientation? And where are the boundaries?

Aspect

What direction does your site face? What position does it occupy in relation to the sun's movements?

Soil

Which type of soil do you have? Is it heavy, clay-like and nondraining? Or a sandy, freedraining soil?

Sketch Your Site

This is a great way to further your understanding of your site, and how the spaces within it relate to one another. It's a wonderful tool for organising your design. On your sketch, it is helpful to:

• Define the boundaries
• Mark access points
• Note nearby buildings
• Draw key elements
• Use an arrow to signify a view

Topography

A key element of your site, this will directly impact where you place things in your design, as well as the ease with which you'll be able to garden. Engaging with the topography of your garden will help you to understand how to make your brief work on the ground.

• Is your site on a slope? Gardening on a slope can be more difficult, so you may want to create areas that are levelled off.
• Perhaps your site is completely flat. If this is the case, do you need to create areas of interest by introducing height or depth?
• If you can, mark on your sketch cross-sections where the land is steeper or shallower; they don't have to be accurate, but a sense of these areas will help enormously.
• If you are changing the topography of the land, try to find a viewpoint that gives you a wide perspective, to see whether your planned changes will sit naturally in the landscape. A hill on the other side of a valley, across the road, or even from a neighbour's garden could make a big difference, so it's good to check multiple angles before committing to a topographical change.

Sun and Shade

Your site will be dominated by the way in which the sun moves across it, and this will also affect its aspect (positioning). It will help you understand how to use your space at different times and what to plant where.

• Note things in your site that might cause shade: a tree or building, for example.
• Observe the path of the sun over the course of a day, from sunrise in the east, to sunset in the west. Note the influence of shadow from anything that falls into your space.
• You may want to position a morning seating area for coffee in an east-facing place, or an eating area for the evening in a west-facing location.
• If your site is very exposed (as Hillside is) you may want to consider planting to create shade.

Damp or Dry

Finding out whether the soil in your site is damp or dry will have a huge impact on what you plant there. It's unwise to fight the natural conditions of your site; rather, work with it and choose plants that will thrive in the conditions.

• The vegetation already on your site will tell you whether there is a constant supply of moisture; if there is, it will be verdant and lush.
• If the vegetation is prone to 'crisping' quite quickly, this means your site is on the drier side.
• You can start to understand your soil by putting a fork in the ground and unearthing the depth of your fork. Observe how the soil structure sits; you should be able to tell by eye how dry or wet it is.
• Depending on the size and topography of your site, you may have different types of soil in different areas. Despite needing to plant them differently, you can connect them visually.

Plant Directory

Medlar

Heptacodium

Hydrangeas

Welsh Poppies

Tulipa Sprengeri

Hazel

Hawthorn

Primroses

Marsh marigolds

Buttercups

Wild angelica

Filipendula

Meadowsweet

Your Assignment

Using this blank page, sketch your garden. Mark down as many of the things discussed in this lesson as you can. This will form a comprehensive visual representation of how it works as a site and its aspect, as well as beginning to give you an indication as to which plants will work well where.