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Why do herb gardens need sunny locations?

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Curving flower beds of colorful tulips and blue grape hyacinths bordered by green grass and blooming cherry trees at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, Netherlands. — gardening Keukenhof Gardens, near Lisse, Netherlands.

In the context of gardening as both an art and a science, the requirement for sunny locations for herb gardens is rooted in the fundamental biological and environmental needs of plants.

Garden and landscape design is a science that relies on precise knowledge of natural processes, including how plants interact with their environment. Climatic factors—specifically the availability of light, temperature, and moisture—directly dictate the health and growth of vegetation.12

Most culinary and medicinal herbs are herbaceous plants that have evolved to thrive in specific ecological niches. Providing a sunny location ensures that these plants receive the necessary light energy to support their metabolic processes, which is essential for their development and the production of the essential oils and compounds that give many herbs their characteristic flavors and scents. Because garden design must account for the technical and functional requirements of plants to succeed, placing them in locations that match their natural light preferences is a critical practice in horticulture.31