Think of plant labels as the instruction booklets that come with your leafy purchase. More than price tags or identity labels, they are a wealth of information as to where to plant, how much to water, when and what to feed and, most importantly, how to provide the key ingredients for your plant to prosper. All plants come with a label, which should be reviewed prior to purchase and saved for reference.
Hardiness Zone = Head Start
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has very kindly kept watch of the weather throughout the country for decades, and has created the Plant Hardiness Zone Map for us to reference when choosing plants for our home gardens. It is based on a 30-year average of lowest recorded winter temperatures, and is meant to let us know the likelihood of plants surviving (and when to expect the first frost for crops). The Laconia area falls into Zone 5b. Look for this number, or a range that includes it, on your plant’s label to tip the scale in favor of your plant surviving through our winters.
Know What You Are Buying
“A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose” (Gertrude Stein, 1913), but there’s a world of difference between a prunus maritima (beach plum rose) and a basic rose (rosa). Its plant tag will provide the common name for the plant, but also, usually in italics and mostly Latin, the name that includes its genus, species and cultivar. Important only to some, but good to know if you are a collector or interested in knowing the plant’s origins. The tag will usually provide a picture of what the plant should look like at its maturity, to help with color selection. The size of the plant is provided on the label, which will give a range of full-grown height and width, based variables such as placement and nutrients the plant receives. How much sun the plant requires should dictate whether or not the plant will thrive in the location you have in mind. Full sun translates to at least 6 hours a day; keep that in mind as you consider placement of the plant, or you are jeopardizing its success. Part sun indicates 3 to 4 hours of sun; full shade tolerates less than 3 hours exposure to sun.
Along with how much sun to provide, the plant label will suggest how often to water, what type of soil the plant prefers and any particular traits you should know about. For example, some flowers are excellent pollinators, attracting bees and butterflies. Some plants are ideal hang-outs for butterflies. Or, the leaves of some plants, if chewed, may prove poisonous to household pets, and this should be noted on the label, as well.
Above and Beyond
While the mature size of the plant at full growth should be enough to cue you as to how close to plant to each other, some tags will advise how much spacing to provide between plants. Some plant labels will go so far as to suggest uses for the plant, such as ground cover or focal point. Some plants are not particularly tasty to deer or other wildlife, and the tag will alert you to these, a good choice if your garden borders a woods area. Keep your plant tags in a convenient place with your garden supplies, or take a picture of both sides of the tag and maintain an electronic file of plant tags. It will save you time looking up plant care after a long winter, help your new plants become established and assure the best care for new plants and shrubs.