Hi Judy, I would put the niko blue in partial shade. Morning sun is great. To make the soil more acid you can add peat moss, work it in around the plant. It also helps the soil to retain moisture. I'm not too sure about the coffee grounds. I use Miracle Gro for acid loving plants and it works wonderfully......Wayne

Mine is in a partially shaded area and I find it sure is a thirsty little fella and the blossoms do wilt when too dry. This year I am slowly getting around to adding more mulch around my garden to help with the moisture-loss problems I have in this area....I find the soil in my area is a mix of clay/concrete...yuk! I add some azaelia/rhododendron food to help with the acidity since it is something I have on hand. Good luck, they sure are pretty aren't they? g.g.t.a., Justine

We have ours on the western side of our garage wall, but there's a HUGE (over 40') jack pine and a Japanese maple in there, so the plants wind up in morning sun and afternoon shade. We have three in there now, and are looking to add more since the originals have done quite well.

As for increasing soil acidity, you can always go the nuclear route and just put down elemental sulfur, but if you're looking for a gentler option, coffee grounds do help. (Mind you, you do need lots of grounds in order to get any real effect - as in a 5 lb bag from Starbucks, not 4 tablespoons from your morning pot o' Joe. If you're using your own grounds, save up a few pots' worth in a jar in the fridge and put it down all at once). Other good pH-lowering amendments include peat moss and pine needles. Some nurseries also sell "soil conditioners" that add organic matter and lower pH - these are not a bad option, if somewhat expensive.

Hope this helps!