Guide
Sunlight Garden Guide: Map Sun & Shade for Healthier Plants
A sunlight garden thrives when every plant sits in the light it actually wants. This guide shows how to use Shadow Forecaster's live sun arc and shadow renderer to map sun and shade patterns across your garden — hour by hour, season by season.
Why sunlight mapping matters
Most plant labels list a single requirement — "full sun", "part shade", "shade" — but the same patch of soil can swing from six hours of direct light in June to two hours in October. Mapping the real arc of the sun over your garden helps you:
- Place sun-loving vegetables and herbs where they actually get 6+ hours.
- Protect tender shade plants from late-afternoon scorch.
- Plan trees, trellises, and structures without shading future beds.
Step 1 — Set your location
Open the Shadow Forecaster home and allow location access. The sun arc redraws for your exact latitude and longitude, with accurate sunrise, hourly tick marks, and sunset times for today.
Step 2 — Sweep through the day
Drag the sun along the arc. The shadow under the tree rotates and stretches in real time, mirroring what would happen in your garden. Pause at the hours that matter — early morning, solar noon, late afternoon — and note where shade falls.
Step 3 — Match plants to light
Use what you observed to assign each bed a light budget:
- Full sun (6+ hours): tomatoes, peppers, lavender, rosemary.
- Part sun (3–6 hours): lettuce, chard, beets, most herbs.
- Shade (<3 hours direct): ferns, hostas, mint, woodland natives.
Step 4 — Plan for the seasons
The sun rides higher in summer and lower in winter, so shadows shorten and lengthen dramatically across the year. Re-check the arc at the spring and autumn equinoxes and at the summer solstice — these three snapshots cover most of the variation a garden bed will see.
Tips for a healthier sunlight garden
- Photograph each bed at 9am, noon, and 3pm on a clear day for a real record.
- Account for fences, walls, and neighbouring trees — they cast shade too.
- Re-survey after pruning or planting anything taller than knee-height.