Bear in mind which way your garden faces, because this will make all the difference to where the light falls during the day. The ideal garden is south-facing: these gardens get sunlight for most of the day. These can also be the highest maintenance gardens though, as during summer the higher temperature will mean more watering is needed. North-facing gardens tend to get less sun and are cooler, but the temperature is more consistent across the day. East-facing gardens get the sun first thing in the morning, so are perfect if you like an alfresco breakfast, but can be shady by the afternoon. The opposite is true of a west-facing garden, where you’ll benefit from the sun well into summer evenings.
Understanding your garden’s aspect is important when choosing plants, because not everything grows well in full sunlight or shade. You may also be surprised to discover there are areas the sun rarely reaches. For example, the shadow of the house may block the sunlight for much of the day, so a patio adjacent to the house may not be as practical as one further down the garden that is sunny for longer.
Spend some time observing the light in your garden. On a bright day, note where the sun falls in the morning, at lunchtime, in mid afternoon and in the early evening. This will really help when you come to design your new build garden.