Why Where You Plant Matters More Than What You Plant
Right now — late spring and early winter — is when most people start thinking about their gardens again. The days are getting a little longer, seed catalogs are showing up, and it’s tempting to jump straight into planting.
But this planning window is actually one of the most important times of the year to slow down and really study your yard.
The more you understand your garden’s conditions before planting — sun, heat, drainage, and microclimates — the better your success will be not just this spring, but for years to come. A little observation and planning now can prevent a lot of frustration, plant loss, and re-doing later.
This is especially true for perennials, shrubs, and trees. These are long-term investments, and where they live in your yard matters just as much as what you plant.
One of the biggest factors in long-term garden success — yet one of the most commonly overlooked — is microclimates.
What are Garden Microclimates?
A microclimate is a small area of your yard where growing conditions differ from the surrounding space. These differences may be subtle, but they can dramatically affect how plants perform.
Sun exposure, reflected heat from buildings, soil moisture, wind, and tree canopy all play a role. Even in an average residential yard, there can be several distinct microclimates just a few feet apart.
That’s why two of the same plant — planted on the same day — can have completely different outcomes depending on where they’re placed.
Winter Vs. Summer Microclimates: Why the Distinction Matters
Winter Microclimates are important for:
Annuals
Vegetables and Crops
Raised Beds and Containers
Frost-Sensitive Plants
Cold pockets, wind exposure, and low spots can determine whether winter crops survive or struggle.
However, when it comes to perennials, shrubs, and trees, winter conditions are rarely the main reason plants fail in our region.
Summer Microclimates matter more for long-term plantings. In Mississippi, plants don’t usually fail because of cold. They fail because they experience repeated stress from:
Intense afternoon heat
Prolonged moisture and poor drainage
Drying winds
Re-elected heat from hard surfaces
Understanding how your yard behaves in summer is the hey to creating a landscape that lasts.
How Microclimates Help You Read Plant Labels Correctly
One of the biggest misunderstandings I see is treating plant labels as hard-and-fast rules. In reality, plant tags are guidelines, and your yard’s microclimates — and your region — determine how they should be interpreted.
This is especially true in the South.
“Part-Sun: Almost Always Means Morning Sun
When a plant is labeled part-sun, it typically means:
Morning sun
Dappled or filtered light
Protection from intense afternoon heat
In our climate, afternoon sun and western sun is far more intense than morning sun. A plant can technically receive four to six hours of sunlight and still struggle if most of that exposure happens after 1 or 2 p.m.
This is why so many “part-sun” plants fail when placed in open, west-facing areas even when the label says it should be fine.
Not All Sun Is Created Equal
Sun exposure isn’t just about hours — it’s about intensity.
Afternoon sun:
Is hotter
Lasts longer in summer
Comes with higher air temperatures
Often combines with reflected heat from buildings and patios
A bed that receives only a few hours of intense afternoon sun can actually be more stressful than one that gets longer exposure to gentle morning light.
Why Zone Ranges Matter More Than People Realize
Another important piece of the puzzle is the hardiness zone range listed on plant labels.
When a tag says something like “part sun to full sun, zones 4-9,” that covers a massive range of growing conditions.
Zone 4 full sun and zone 9 full sun are not the same thing.
In cooler northern zones (roughly zones 4-6), full sun is often:
Less intense
Shorter induration
Paired with cooler air temperatures
Plants in those regions can usually tolerate — and often benefit from — longer periods of direct sunlight.
In warmer southern zones (zones 7-9), including here in Mississippi:
Sun is stronger
Summer days are longer
Afternoon heat is significantly harsher
That same plant labeled “full sun” may struggle if it’s placed in unprotected afternoon sun in hotter zones.
How This Plays Out in Real Gardens
For many plants labeled part sun to full sun:
In zones 4-6, they often perform best closer to full sun is
In zones 7-9, they usually benefit from:
Morning sun
Afternoon shade
Protection from intense summer heat
This is why a plant that thrives in full sun farther north may scorch or decline when planted in the same exposure farther south.
Why Full Sun Plants Sometimes Do Better in Part Sun
This can feel counterintuitive, but it’s where microclimate knowledge really pays off.
Because summer sun is so intense here, many full sun plants actually perform better with some relief:
Morning sun with afternoon shade
Filtered light during peak heat
Protection from reflective surfaces
This doesn’t mean full sun plants belong in deep shade — but it does mean they don’t always need to be in the hottest spot in the yard to thrive.
The Summer Microclimates That Matter Most
When I evaluate a landscape, these are the questions I’m constantly asking:
Where is the most intense sun?
Not just “sun vs. shade,” but:
Morning vs. afternoon exposure
Length of exposure
Reflected heat from walls, patios, and driveways
Why areas stay wet?
Low spots
Compacted soil
Areas downhill from roofs or slopes
Wet soil combined with summer heat is one the fastest ways to lose plants.
Which areas dry out quickly?
Slopes
Raised areas
Wind-exposed corners
Beds near concrete or brick
These areas may look fine in spring but become high-stress environments by midsummer.
How to Identify Microclimates in Your Own Yard
One thing I always share with clients is this: I’m in your yard for about an hour. You live there.
That means you have something incredibly valuable when it comes to understanding microclimates — long term observation.
My role during a consultation is to interpret patterns, connect conditions to plant needs, and help create a plan. Your role is simply noticing what happens in the space over time. When those two things come together, the results are always better.
Track Sun Throughout the Day
Instead of thinking in general terms like “sun” or “shade,” it’s much more helpful to notice when and how long the sun hits a space.
I once worked with a client who had beautiful raised beds planted with many of the same plants, including ajuga she absolutely loved. One bed was thriving. The other was constantly scorched.
At first glance, the beds seemed identical. But when we tracked sunlight throughout the day, the difference became clear: one bed stayed exposed to intense afternoon sun, while the other was partially protected by the house.
Same plants. Same soil. Same care. Four feet apart. Completely different outcomes — purely because of timing and heat.
This is why it’s so important to notice:
Where the sun hits in the morning
What areas get midday exposure
Which spots receive the late afternoon sun
Also remember that these things will look different in winter compared to the summer due to the Earth’s axial tilt. What feels manageable in the spring can become intense by midsummer, especially after 2 p.m.
Notice Heat, Not Just Light
Two areas may receive the same amount of sun but behave very differently.
Heat — especially reflected heat — plays a huge role in plant stress.
Growing up, we had a neighbor with a neat row of cone-shaped shrubs along the front of her house. At some point, she added a shiny, reflective metal order to the planting bed as decoration.
Over time, the shrubs on either side of the orb began to brown — but only on the sides facing it. Eventually, they started to grow diagonally away from the orb, literally leaning from the heat. The rest of the shrubs in the row were perfectly healthy.
She never removed the orb, and the damage just became more pronounced year after year. Those shrubs weren’t poorly planted or poorly maintained — they were slowly fighting reflected heat every single summer.
That’s what microclimates look like in real life. Not sudden failure, but gradual stress that adds up over time.
When you’re studying your own yard, pay attention to:
Where soil dries out fastest
Where plants wilt first on hot days
Which areas feel noticeably hotter when you walk through
Heat reflected from houses, fences, patios, driveways — and even decorative objects — can completely change how a space behaves.
Watch What Happens After Rain
Rain is one of the best teachers.
After a heavy rain, notice:
Where water pools or drains slowly
Which areas stay damp for days
Which spots dry out quickly
These patterns matter enormously for plant health, especially in summer.
Pay Attention to Wind and Exposure
Wind increases evaporation and plant stress.
Notice:
Breezier corners of the yard
Open fence lines
Elevated or exposed areas
Plants here often need to be tougher — or placed more intentionally — than those in sheltered spaces.
Let Struggling Plants Be Information
Plants that consistently struggle are usually telling you something useful.
Instead of assuming it’s a care issue, ask:
Is this spot too hot?
Too wet?
Too dry?
Too exposed?
Often, the plant itself is fine — it’s just in the wrong microclimate.
Why This Is Hard to DIY
Plant tags, online advice, and big-box garden layouts assume uniform conditions. Real yards are anything but uniform.
Understanding microclimates requires:
Observation
Experience
Seeing how plants behave over time
Sometimes the solution isn’t a different plant — it’s moving it six feet.
How a Garden Consultation Helps
During a consultation, I:
Identify summer microclimates across your yard
Help interpret plant labels for your conditions
Match plants to the places they’ll thrive
Create a plan that works with the real heat, real rain, and real soil
This approach leads to healthier plants, fewer replacements, and gardens that improve year after year.
Final Thoughts
If plants in your yard have struggled “for no obvious reason,” there usually is a reason — you just need to know where to look.
Understanding microclimates — especially summer heat and moisture patterns — allows you to plant with confidence instead of guesswork.
If you’d like help reading your landscape and creating a plan that works with your yard instead of against it, I’d love to help.
