Garden expert reveals five tips for making the most of a north-facing space

Sunshine is everything in the garden. It's where terraces, patios and seating areas are centred around and it's where fruit, veg and flowers thrive.

When house hunting, a south-facing garden is often remarked upon as one of the most important aspects of a happy home, but obviously that option is not available to many of us.

If you don't know what direction your garden faces, the easiest way to tell is to stand in it, facing to the rear and use a compass or app on your phone. If the compass says 'south', your garden is south facing, reports RSVP Live.

READ MORE: Sephora announces opening date for Trafford Centre store

There are ways to maximise the light in a north-facing garden to make the most of limited sunshine. Gardening expert Fiona Jenkins at MyJobQuote shared the best ways to brighten up your garden space.

The direction that your garden faces will determine how much sunlight flows into the space and, at which times of the day the sunshine is available in the space.

Most estate agents and letting agents alike will boast about a property's south-facing garden because this is the type of garden that gets the most sun throughout the course of a day.

If you're the owner of a north-facing garden, you might be disheartened by the lack of sunlight that illuminates your outdoor space, and the gloominess of the area could deter you from spending time there.

However, there are several strategies you can employ to brighten up the space and inject some life into it.

If you're fortunate enough to have some degree of sunlight reaching your garden, you'll want to maximise this by eliminating any obstacles. This could include trees, structures, fences, shrubs, or anything else that might be blocking the natural light.

One of