Re: western exposure
At 02:14 AM 6/14/00 +0200, francisco cardama wrote:
>south western exposure is not considered very desirable here. both plants
>and people get cooked in the afternoon sun.
I would agree with Francisco, having a south-western exposure myself in my
small garden. Happily, as it has aged, the area shaded by the house during
most of the morning is now more-or-less shaded in the afternoon as well,
shade provided by maturing shrubs and small trees. This not only helps
cool the house but also creates a shady respite for plants I would
otherwise find hard to grow. But there are some area which are in full
blazing, hot afternoon sun only in the late afternoon, when I'm sure they'd
rather be resting. It takes its toll on them!
This late sun might be the cause of Martin's mildew - which thrives when
moisture is allowed to stay on leaves for long period while the air is
warm. Morning dew that is not evaporated at sunrise might be the
culprit. I have occasionally had this problem as well. Since my garden is
on a slope facing south-west, at the end of a small vale facing east, there
is often good air circulation against my garden, which helps dry the
foliage quickly. it can also desiccate the garden badly, so it works
against me as well. A thick mulch helps a lot, as well as a layer of
understory plants to help cool the soil and retain moisture.
Sean A. O'Hara sean.ohara@groupmail.com
h o r t u l u s a p t u s 710 Jean Street
'a garden suited to its purpose' Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
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