Backlit garden
Afternoon is the golden time in my garden. Morning light only briefly touches it. Agaves, yuccas, bamboos, and grasses are clustered on the west end of my garden because it gets the most sun, and they look illuminated from within as the setting sun shines through their leaves.
Variegated American agave leaves, thick as they are, glow brightly when the sunlight hits them.
Aloe saponaria‘s thorns, rather than its fleshy leaves, grab the light.
Purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) in full bloom is a cascade of light effects each afternoon.
The live oaks shield much of the garden from sun all day, but even they light up as the setting sun shines through their branches.
Which light does more for your garden — morning or evening?
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
My backyard faces east so the morning light is gorgeous as it reflects off dew and sun catchers. I was also inspired this weekend by your CTG segment and your discussion of gates and creating interesting entry ways. I’ve also long admired MammaHolt for her love of painting things. So I used some leftover house paint and painted my backyard gate sage and mulberry. I love it! Thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing that, Kat. Very cool! —Pam
Throughout the summer I enjoy being in the garden in the mornings with the soft light but as of late the autumn light in the evening is so pretty on the grasses that I’ve found myself out there more often with my camera in tow. I’m on pins and needles waiting for the yellow flowers behind my fence to bloom – they are dazzling in the soft light!
Pam, I could feel the light in that first photograph like a beam through my chest. Utterly beautiful.
It’s really lovely Pam~and the cobalt pots are perfect. There are certain times when plants look their very best~Like the pennisetum~Gorgeous! I’ve a self shown Bottle Brush grass that is spot lighted ever morning. I couldn’t have planned it better! gail
Morning and evening both flattering, but evening a touch better – since I have to choose. Light plays into some plant choices only in a limited way for me, since it varies so much from noon to low sun angles…I savor soft light on the 5 days a year we have it, or dew on the 3 days we have that!
How a particular plant or element in the light works with a background shadow is about it in my designs. But maybe I should look at this issue more in my work? Probably!
Do you think more about shadow effects because you work with more walls in New Mexico than we do here in Austin? I wonder. —Pam
Late afternoon light works magic on the ornamental grasses in autumn at my place. Nothing much else is happening in the garden drama-wise, so maybe I am being unduly influenced by the show.
Grasses + back/side lighting = magic
Christine in Alaska
Morning and evening are quite different and really “highlight” such different aspects of the garden. When the light hits something just right, Mark and I shout out to each other: “Light effect!” and come running to see it!
I love that image of you and Mark running out to see the light effects, Linda. Thanks for sharing. —Pam
I especially like how the aloe’s spines catch the light, and its very cool when some of the white spined dyckias do the same. Thanks for the pretty pics!
We’ve got spaces on either side of our house so depending upon the time of day we are morning happy (in back) or afternoon delighted (in front). Very meditative shots – they are urging me out of my chair and out into yard.
Early morning light is great in my garden as is the late afternoon light during summer. I tend to migrate from side to side in my garden according to the sun’s movement. Love seeing your garden in a backlit sort of way.
Great pictures. I like the late afternoon light. It is soft and golden at this time of year.
Beautiful shots…I’m lucky if I can get home while it’s still light out! 🙂
My property is north south, so I get sun almost all day. The softer plants are set up on the western side to catch the gentler morning sun and the hotter/evening sun hits the veggie bed and lilly pilly hedge and peeks under the roof of the deck and shade house.
Morning, without a doubt. The afternoon sun is so intense everything is bleach out by evening. Even the flowers are mere shells of thier former selves.
Hi, Pam, If someone had blindfolded me and taken me to the first photo in this post and taken off the blindfold and said, “OK, where are you?” I would have said, “I’m in Pam’s garden.” 🙂 That pic of the fountain grass is fantastic! Yes, the sun moving through flower petals, on edges, behind and above, makes a big big difference. Thanks for drawing our attention to this wonderful miracle. 🙂 xoxo
I’m glad to know my garden has a distinct look, Kathryn. Thanks for visiting! —Pam
Great photos, Pam. I love the way the one of your oak tree sitting area implies a quiet, contemplative retreat (and I’d kill for those retro chairs!) Great photos of succulents, too, and of the seedheads of ornamental grasses.
Thanks, Debra. No need to kill for those retro motel chairs. I got them on sale just a month or two ago at Home Depot. If they’re gone this season, maybe they’ll have them again next summer. —Pam
My garden is out in full sun almost all day, but I love to take a very early morning walk when the light is gentle. And at this time of the year the dawning sun shines on the trees on the western edge of our field and the warm blaze is just gorgeous.