It is nearly impossible to figure out a good watering program based on the methods you describe. Assuming you have selected plants that share similar watering needs - a rather critical factor - you would water the entire bed as a unit rather than by individual plants. And use a water wand or sprinkler (even hand-held) in place of a watering can........if is far easier and faster and will deliver a more appropriate amount of water. Even better are soaker hoses or a drip system.

How frequently you need to water will be determined by the soil condition, the weather and the plants themselves (xeric or moisture lovers; newly planted or well established). A raised bed typically offers good drainage just by virtue of the increased elevation so hopefully that should not be a problem. In my garden, a weekly deep watering is the most that is required for perennial plantings, even in full sun and the heat of summer. But I do it slowly and over an extended period of time so that the water penetrates deeply down into the soil profile. Ideally, any single watering should result in water penetrating down 8-10 inches, which is why you need to water infrequently but long and slowly.

I would urge you to get rid of any landscape cloth - it is not particularly effective for weed control, hard to work with and can block good water penetration as well. Instead use a 2-3 inch mulch to cover the soil surface and prevent weeds as well as reduce soil moisture evaporation.

I do have the fabric to help with weeds

==>>>> my money is on good for nothing landscape fabric being the problem ...

get rid of it.. and i bet you solve you moisture issues ..

the stuff is useless .. in that minutes after you put it down.. air borne seed is floating on top ,.

on some level .. you messed with ma nature ... and now you are saying you cant figure her out ... well.. then take that variable away ...

being under the eave.. also indicates you are probably trying to garden too close to the house ... and if the sun hits the house.. that is another problem.. you might be frying to tops of the plants ...

how about a pic or two ... so we can see the whole situation ...

ken

Adding your USDA zone would help posters offer help. Where I am in Southern New England, marigolds are annuals, not perennials.

I mulch my perennial beds with recycled corrugated cardboard topped with several inches of plain, brown shredded bark mulch. Worms love cardboard, so they're attracted to the garden beds. Worms = worm poop which = free organic fertilizer which = healthy perennials.

Landscape fabric benefits only the factories that produce it. It does nothing to impede or control weeds. Most simply grow through it.

Brick is brick and soil is soil. Plants may grow ON brick but they typically grow IN soil. To grow healthy plants, you need healthy soil which isn't always easy in an urban garden.

Gardening, for those of us who've done it most of our lives, is a journey rather than a hobby. To succeed, we've all learned valuable lessons about soil, moisture, sun exposure and plant hardiness. For example, your marigolds are annuals that need full sun.

Your plants are dying slowly because they don't have what they need to survive and thrive. A watering can or hose may not serve your plants. Give some thought to thinking outside the box. I use recycled plastic containers with a pinhole punched (with an ice pick) opposite the handle an inch from the bottom, filled with water and set up against the base of the newly-planted perennials. Water gently exits the pinhole at the base of the plant. Water remaining in the container prevents it blowing away in the wind.

This may sound radical to you as a newbie but plants KNOW how much water they need (isn't THAT a concept!!) so unless you drown/flood them, they won't take in more than they need. Yes, some plants don't do well when things flood (read: everything in moderation).

Borrow some books from your local library and read.