Osmocote® Azalea, Camellia, Rhododendron Smart Release® Plant Food is a good fertilizer. I like Holytone or MagAmp better, but all three are good. Whatever you do, DON'T follow the directions on the Osmocote package. Do not mix the fertilizer into the top 1 to 3 inches of soil. That is where the roots are since rhododendron and azaleas have shallow roots. Do not cultivate around rhododendrons and azaleas. Just mulch them. When fertilizing, pull the mulch back, sprinkle the fertilizer on top of the soil and then put the mulch back over the fertilizer. Also, do not reapply every 4 months. Only fertilize in the spring and at half the rate on the package. The primary reasons rhododendrons and azaleas decline is: 1) poor drainage. They need well drained soil. 2) soil not acidic. They need an acidic well-drained soil. 3) too much shade. They need an acidic well-drained soil in a location that get at least 2 hours of sun each day in order to set buds. 4) drought during summer. The need to be kept moist (not wet) while they are forming flower buds during the summer. For many of us, this past winter our plants took a beating with the very unusual winters some of us had with warm weather followed by late freezes. They have what is more typical of drought damage but in this case was caused by the warm weather followed by late freezes. It causes Botryosphaeria dothidea which causes leaves to turn dull green and then brown and roll and droop. Cankers form on branches which may girdle the branch. This is the most common disease of rhododendrons in the landscape. A typical symptom of this fungal disease is scattered dying branches on an otherwise healthy plant. Leaves on infected stems turn brown, then droop and roll inward. These leaves often lay flat against the stem and will remain attached. The pathogen can infect all ages of stem tissue through wounds, pruning cuts, and leaf scars. Heat, drought stress, and winter injury can increase disease incidence. Cankers on branches can gradually grow through the wood until the stem becomes girdled. Diseased wood is reddish brown in appearance. Discolored wood viewed in longitudinal cross section often forms a wedge that points toward the center of the stem, and the pith may be darker brown than the surrounding wood. Sanitation and applying a fungicide such as metalaxyl (Subdue) after pruning my provide some control. Plants should be grown in partial shade, with mulch and kept well watered during dry periods. All dying branches should be promptly pruned out in dry weather and all discolored wood should be removed. Plants should also be protected from rough treatment during maintenance activities to prevent unnecessary wounds. Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow rhododendrons and azaleas.

Interesting thread. We have two Chilean mesquites on the west side of our house. Love their shade, hate the mess this time of year. Each spring we fill up a minimum of one trash container (the big, roll out kind the city provides) per tree of dropped leaf litter. That said, at 13 years old, they require little supplemental water and no fertilization. They do require branch thinning/trimming once a year to prevent branches breaking in the wind. We also have sissoos and like someone else said, they have leaf drop, roots that can heave sidewalks (even with deep watering), and suckers that spring up everywhere. There are Chinese elms planted behind us and we curse the winter leaf litter and they cause allergic reactions with some people. Our shoe string acacias (on the south side of the house) are cool trees and provide great shade, but are messy. Sorry to be of no help suggesting a tree that fits your criteria, however wanted to add more information to trees suggested by others. Based on these posts, I wish a had a place to try out a male carob!

The overhead shade will help, but with the temperatures that were having right now, it's tough, especially for container plants. As far as light, there is probably plenty for them to survive. You will need to watch the water though, it can be tricky. You will see your plants wilt down in the afternoon and want to water them. Be careful. Plants will wilt because they can't take up enough water to keep up with transpiration from the leaves.If they haven't bounced back by late evening or morning they may need more water.If you over-water at these temperatures and the soil stays too moist you're inviting fungi and root rot. The lavender, rosemary and sage should do okay with less watering. Likewise the peppers. Tomatoes and cukes are a little more difficult. A moisture meter helps take the guess work out and they're not expensive. There are a few that have a light meter built-in. The plants that are lacking light will start to grow toward the light and start looking "leggy" rather that full. Rotate your pots every week or two to help keep the growth balanced. One way to help keep the soil temps down is to water with ice cubes anduse mulch in your pots to slow evaporation from the soil.Hope this is of some help.

Posted by Jackie Fox: I have a townhouse with a back yard that is shaded by taller homes and a large oak tree. During the summer months the small yard receives very little direct sun. I live in northern New Jersey. Kirk Johnson: Aren't Summers in your area hot? A splashing fountain would make it even more inviting. Ferns and foliage plants would make it seem cool and peaceful. Lisa Kuhlen: Sounds like my garden. Be prepared for very little in the way of blooming things. I have lots of lovely greens, but few blossoms. Here's our plant list: In the sunniest areas, echinacea, valerian, some herbs (like chives), self-heal (nice plant, but DON'T let it go to seed). Astilbe, great lobelia, variegated hostas. In the deeper shade, bleeding heart, golden wood poppy, green hostas, sweet woodruff, sweet violets, english ivy, ferns (cinnamon, shaggy shield, christmas, leatherwood). kathie hayden: I have full shade and I keep trying everything but what always works best is the hostas,coleus, begonias, IMPATIENS (its nice that something with bright colors works!) Astilbe works too. barbara: There's a nice book put out by Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record, "Gardening in the Shade". It contains lists of shrubs, vines, annuals, perennials, bulbs, moss, ground covers, etc. d. scott: I recommend "The Natural Shade Garden" by Ken Druse. He includes several landscaping designs for shade gardens including the one behind his N.Y.C.townhome. ruth anne: Check out 'Fine Gardening Magazine's' book called "Garden Rooms". also "Garden Design Ideas" and "Great Gardens". They have designs such as you describe that are to die for!! I think a spot such as yours would have so much potential as the oft desired "secret garden"!! Shade Garden under High Deck Posted by Mary Ellen Mulhern - 6: I live in Southeastern Pennsylvania and have a high deck off the first floor. Weeds grow under the deck so I assume plants would grow as well. It is definitely a shady area and the soil seems dry. In the fall I planted hosta around the outside perimeter. What types of plants can I grow under this deck, which is fairly large? What about ferns? Bill Hoppe (DC area Z7): If the bottom of the "header" and the joists that hold up the decking planks is at least 8 feet above the elevation of the space under the deck, and if that space is directly accessible from the basement via a regular door or a sliding glass door assembly, why not use the space for more practical purposes? I would hate to see it go to waste. You could pave part of it, surround that with plantings that tie in with the rest of your garden, and leave a 4' wide opening for a walk/path that leads out to the garden and, voila, you have a nice seating area! Dressing up the posts that hold up the deck with some lattice work against which you can grow all kinds of vines (like clematis), would add a nice touch. Sue Vanderhoff - 5: I also have a high deck. I have used lattice on the 3 sides. One piece is hinged so I can get to it. I have black plastic sheeting under it and I use it for storage,(wheelbarrow, leftover straw mulch etc.) In the summer morning glories grow on the 3 sides. Mine faces west with sides north south. I have a lilac bush on the south side, flowers on the west side and the stairway north. Gail Trimble Z7/Ga: We have a high deck also, but our plans are to put a jacuzzi underneath. Currently it has pinestraw on the ground and stores the oversize patio chairs that don't fit ON the deck!