The Real Meaning of Plant Catalog Terminology:

After spending Saturday digging a french drain to keep dirt from flooding into a bed covered with river rock, I thought about all of the “laboring” we have been doing this hot rainy summer here at Gardening On A Dime. So, for this morning’s Sunday Morning Garden Quote, I thought a little humor was in order to help celebrate this Labor Day weekend.

I found a list of descriptions that would never be found in any plant catalog. This list is not at all like the tips I posted a few months ago, called Seed Catalog Tips.

The Real Meaning of Plant Catalog Terminology:

“A favorite of birds” means to avoid planting near cars, sidewalks, or clotheslines.

“Grows more beautiful each year” means “Looks like roadkill for the foreseeable future.”

“Zone 5 with protection” is a variation on the phrase “Russian roulette.”

“May require support” means your daughter’s engineering degree will finally pay off.

“Moisture-loving” plants are ideal for landscaping all your bogs and swamps.

“Carefree” refers more to the plant’s attitude than to your workload.

“Vigorous” is code for “has a Napoleonic compulsion to take over the world.”

“Grandma’s Favorite” — until she discovered free-flowering, disease-resistant hybrids.

Thanks to Garden Digest for these new insights on how to read a plant catalog.

Have some fun today and try not to labor too much on this Labor Day weekend.

Happy Gardening,
Dave and Trish