Arranging plants with different sunlight needs in adjacent urban planter boxes is a common urban gardening challenge. The key is strategic spatial planning. Position your planter boxes so that the side receiving the most intense, direct sun (typically south-facing in the Northern Hemisphere) hosts your full-sun lovers like herbs, tomatoes, or succulents. Utilize the shaded side of the same box, or the side of an adjacent box cast in shadow, for shade-tolerant plants such as leafy greens, ferns, or impatiens.
Embrace vertical layering. Place taller sun-loving plants at the back (sunny side) and shorter shade-preferring plants at their base in front. This creates a natural canopy. Alternatively, install a small trellis on the sunny side for climbing beans or peas, which will provide dappled shade for plants below. Consider companion planting; some plants, like lettuce, appreciate being "shaded out" by taller neighbors during the hottest part of the day.
Group plants with similar needs together in distinct zones rather than intermixing them randomly. This simplifies watering and care. By thoughtfully assessing the sun's path and using plant height and structure creatively, you can transform adjacent planters into a productive, harmonious, and lush mini-ecosystem that caters to diverse light requirements.