Which way does my garden face?

[Keleez]

How can i tell which way my garden is facing? The early morning sun hits the bottom of my garden and spreads across the rest of the garden so that by noon until late afternoon the entire garden is covered in sunshine.

[Gizmonster]

Look at where the sun rises in the morning - that's east (ish) and where it sets is west (ish) - from that you can work out which way your house is facing.

[Clanad]

Passing up the opportunity to commnet on the obvious... try this:
Place a stick or branch into the ground vertically at a fairly level spot where the sun will cast a distinct shadow. Mark the shadow with a stone, twig, or other means Wait 10 or 15 minutes until the shadow tip moves a few inches. Mark the new position of the shadow tip as in previous step....
Draw a straight line through the two marks you made on the shadow tips. This line is an east-west line

The first shadow tip you mark is always west and the second mark is always east. To determine north, draw a line at a right angle to the east-west line at any point ...
(Thnks for the memory refresher from my Boy Scout's Handbook)

[sara3]

look at your road on a map, and hey poncho (sorry, stole that one!) you can see which way your garden is pointing.

I'd guess yours is SSE :o)

[Malagabob333]

If you have google earth zoom in on your house and get an idea which way your house faces by the compass on the screen.

[dustypuss]

go out into your garden when the sun is shining take your wafch off and point the little hand at the sun

the big hand will be pointing south

[Gizmonster]

Dustypuss - that isn't quite right ....

1. Get a blade of grass, or a short straight twig, or a match to use as a pointer.

2. Hold your watch horizontally, with the hour hand pointing in the sun's direction.

3. Lay the blade of grass or match across the middle of your watch, halfway between the hour hand and the 12.
The grass blade or match will then be pointing south.

.... taken from: http://www.users.bigpond.com/rdoolan/compass.h tml

[buildersmate]

Magnetise a needle using a permanent magnet, stroking it gently in one direction several times. Place needle on a cork in a tub of water. The point of the needle, now being magnetised, turns around and faces north. Compare north to general physical features around garden, then deduce further compass bearings using trigonometry,as appropriate.

[jno]

depends on the time of year a bit - at present my bedroom gets sun for an hour or 2 after dawn, then again at sunset, yet it faces northish. You could probably construct a compass out of loo rolls and things as others are suggesting, but it might be easiest just to buy one.

[shylock73]

I`ve just had a look on Google earth at my house which I thought faced Due North but find it`s NNE. Thankyou Malagabob.

[Keleez]

Thankyou for all your help, i have now established my garden faces east after going on google, which solves my problem many thanks again everyone x

[thegreenman]

Ok well ill state the obvious,buy youself a cheap little COMPASS!