Beginner Gardening: Need advice, 1 by Umgowa

Umgowa wrote:
I have a walkway up to my front door. Attached is a photo taken from my front door looking away. You'll notice all the shrubs on the right are under an overhang. Right in the center of that line of shrubs, under the overhang I have two camellias that constantly get brown and die on me. I replace them and the new ones just die. All the other shrubs and camellias along this path on both sides do fine. I wonder if that spot just isn't getting enough water because of the overhang. I do not like sticking my finger in the soil to tell if there's enough moisture (that does not work for me) and I would dearly love to get a hydrometer I saw at the store for $9.00. Before I get it, does anyone have any ideas on why these camellias in this one spot keep dying?