Which is the best aspect for a sunny back garden, south or west facing or is it much of a muchness?
South facing. You’ll get most sun that way … in the northern hemipshere anyway. West facing means your garden will be in the shadow of the house all morning.
South west by a country mile :
Depends on other aspects too though, especially the obstacles surrounding the house. Gardens tend to be longer than they are wide. If you have a narrow garden hemmed by trees, a south facing garden will be shaded when the sun is low in the west, whereas a west facing garden will have the sun at that time, as well as at noon when the sun is high enough to clear the obstacles.
Be sure to bear in mind, though, that the position of sunrise and sunset in Ireland varies dramatically throughout the year because of our high latitude. Midwinter sunrise and sunset are a full 40 degrees south of east and south of west respectively, while in midsummer they are 43 degrees north of east and west.
Jesus, if the house is actually Reading Gaol then all he’ll have is a little tent of blue and it won’t matter a fuck what direction the garden faces!
Assuming there aren’t 10 meter high walls or other obstacles surrounding it, then a south facing garden will get more sun than any other orientation.
Yeh-but on the south facing. While it would get more sushine overall than any other orientation you have to consider when you will be at home to take advantage. Personally as a commuter only getting home after 6pm at the earliest I have always favoured sw/w orientation as the only time I am free is after 7pm.
A five foot hedge will cast a fifteen foot shadow at 6.30pm in the last week of August.
+1. I have a patio attached to the house that faces directly south, but the sun goes off it by 6pm in the summer, because the sun goes so far north.
The sun rises in the east and setts in the west, so to get the sun in the morning you need to be south east and in the evening south west. just follow the sun and make sure you have the best of all worlds, with sume skylights.
Would take West before South…with a preference for South-West!!
Evening (West) sun is what you want for BBQs and adult entertaining.
You need seclusion for that! 
Only if you’re shy about such things!
Definitely on the South West ish orientation.
It’s when the back garden is more likely to be used by persons who have conventional 9ish to 5ish job roles. (or 7am ish to 5ish like mine!)
When you get back, at least for 3 seasons some of them sunshine rays are likely to be falling your way.
Even a bit more Westish from South West, i.e. West South West may be the best.