Kristimama - I use Black Magic potting soil. It seems to be widely available, and it was highly recommended by a very knowledgeable person on this forum. It's a tad expensive, but since my roses have so much to contend with already, I felt they deserved it. I should have mentioned that I have only had roses for about 4 years, so I'm far from expert. I've learned a lot, however, due to volunteering once a week at the Sacramento Historic Rose Garden in the old city cemetery (a wonderful place to spend a few hours, working or not!). I also should have mentioned that my roses are about to face an even more challenging environment: After yellowjackets came every summer that we've been here (4 years), last summer they built a nest in the rolled-up "privacy screens" on the balcony, directly above my roses. The exterminator said that they would be bound to come back, as they find those rolled-up screens to be a perfect nesting site (it keeps them warm, etc.), and that it would be best to keep the screens rolled down. They're part of the balcony (i.e., the property of the apartment complex), so I can't get rid of them. They are down now, as I am allergic to bees and wasps. SO... the roses (and my other plants, succulents) will get even less sun than before. This coming summer is an experiment - I'm hoping that the screens being down will produce a dappled shade effect, thus shielding things from frying, while still letting in enough sunlight to keep everything more or less happy. We shall see. As Amelia Peabody would say, "Another challenge! I'm up to it!" -- at least, I hope so. Laura

Here is my experience: 1) Morning sun is more important than afternoon sun. 2) Full sun means a plant is getting direct sunlight for at least 6 hours. 8 hours is preferable in fruiting plants. 3) Partial sun means that a plant is getting at least dappled sunlight for at least 4 hours. Leafy greens seem to do fine in partial sun. 4) Partial shade means that a plant is getting perhaps 2 hours of sunlight per day....and the rest in indirect shade. Even hardy greens will grow slowly in partial shade. -If your plants are getting direct sun from the morning to the afternoon.....they should be fine. The most powerful sun seems to be from the rising east....perhaps that is why sunflowers always turn in that direction. -Hope my experience is helpful. -David Mason

There are quite a few plants that will tolerate sun OR shade, such as Heuchera and Columbine, which should work out just fine. I have both of these in full sun, but lots of people grow these in the shade. I would think anything that says it does better if shaded from hot afternoon sun, would do well there, such as Astilbe, Lychnis, Lobelia, and some types of Euphorbia. Because the time of year that they will be receiving full sun is early in the year, when the sun is not as strong, they should be fine. I'm sure there are many other things that would work there, these are just the ones I could think of off the top of my head. Hope this helps, Bonnie

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