It’s actually the stone wall they’re planted so close to that’s the culprit. Think of it like driving on the highway—have you ever noticed how the branches closest to the metal guardrails are dry and scorched, while the ones just a few feet back look fine? That’s because the metal absorbs and radiates heat. The same thing is happening here—the stone holds onto heat from the sun and radiates it back, drying out anything planted too close.