June 25, 2026, 3:11 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Some plants just don’t thrive in the garden. They languish, no matter how often you water and fertilize them. Sometimes the reason is improper care, but often the groundwork is laid much earlier: by planting in the wrong location.
The climbing rose on the north wall never blooms as profusely as on the label. The blueberry gets yellow leaves and withers, no matter how much berry fertilizer you give it. And the thyme grows willingly, but the aroma remains flat. Those with plants in the garden that simply won’t thrive sometimes attribute it to their “brown thumb.”
The decision over thriving or failing can be made at planting. Often, the desired garden image is decisive: The plant is placed where it might look best. If its requirements for location and soil are not met, there’s hope that this deficiency can be compensated with a little more care. And so many plants end up in a location they would never have chosen themselves. But biology is non-negotiable. A plant thrives under the conditions it finds, or it simply doesn’t.
Too Much Light Is as Bad as Too Little
Some plants grow best in full sun, while others prefer partial shade or shady spots. Hostas, for example, originally come from cool, moist mountain forests, so they are more adapted to locations with little direct sunlight. Yet, they often end up in sunny spots in the garden because their patterned leaves look so beautiful there. Some varieties can handle it, some cannot. The leaves get sunburned, and in blue-leaved varieties, the waxy coating that gives them color simply melts away. What’s left is a lesser version of the plant. Other plants like most ferns, astilbes, and bleeding hearts suffer when placed in too sunny locations.
The reverse is also true. Most rose varieties love sunny locations. In shady or partially shaded spots, they barely survive: They don’t die immediately but grow long, thin shoots in search of more light and produce significantly fewer flowers. Additionally, the susceptibility to diseases like mildew increases. Most other plants that prefer sunny locations, such as tomatoes, peppers, verbena, or agastache, respond to too much shade with poor growth, few flowers and fruits, spindly shoots, and high susceptibility to disease.
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The Soil as a Foundation
While light conditions are easy to recognize, you have to look more closely at the soil. Some plants need acidic soil to thrive. The blueberry is one of them. It needs acidic soil with a pH of around 4 to 5 to absorb the iron contained in the soil. In neutral or alkaline soil, the iron remains inaccessible to it. Its leaves turn yellowish-pale, the harvest is absent or meager, and in the worst case, the plant dies. Rhododendrons, azaleas, and heather face the same issue. No fertilizer can change their minds as long as the soil’s pH is not right.
Other plants fail not because of the soil’s chemistry but its composition. Lavender, for example, comes from dry, barren Mediterranean slopes where rainwater drains away immediately. If you plant it in heavy soil in the garden, disappointment is inevitable. The roots of lavender get too little air and begin to rot. No amount of care can help because you can’t water a well-drained, lean soil into existence. Rosemary, sage, catnip, and many other plants also need light, well-drained soils.
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The Right Amount of Nutrients
Sometimes, too much of a good thing is the problem. Thyme, for example, develops its aroma mainly on lean ground. On nutrient-rich soil, it grows lush and looks great but disappoints in the kitchen. The essential oil only develops when it has a bit of a struggle. Most wildflower meadows also thrive best on poor soil.
Other plants need the opposite: Pumpkins and other heavy feeders like zucchini, cucumbers, or cabbage remain small on poor sandy soil. In nutrient-rich soil, however, they reach their full potential. There is no inherently good soil, only one that suits a particular plant.
First the Location, Then the Plant
Behind all the frustration with plants that don’t thrive often lies the same reason. We plant according to our taste, but the plant follows its biology. Those who understand this reverse the order: The starting point is not the favorite plant but the planting site. What does it offer, sun or shade, dry or moist soil? And which plant wants to live exactly there? It sounds pragmatic but saves a lot of disappointment.