Saturday, June 6, 2015

Very Short Post: Caveat Emptor

I have to admit that as a newcomer to the region I'm grateful to Lowe's for posting this sign.  However ambiguous it may appear, it clarifies some confusion regarding Arizona shade, that blessed equivalent of full sun in more northerly latitudes.  And obviously not even quite the same as California shade.

This point was further emphasized in Gardening in the Desert by Mary F. Irish, formerly with the Desert Botanical Gardens.  She states concisely that "Shade helps everything."  (An excellent book, which I picked up recently from our local Friends of the Library.  I am an unembarrassed second-hand book lover.)

However, these little signs also demonstrate one of the difficulties of plant-buying when the plants are trucked in from a considerably different growing zone.  I try to do my own research before heading to the garden centre, and I often use my trusty smartphone to doublecheck information on plant tags.  And there is always common sense.  But there is no replacement for watching plants grow in a given environment.

So I buy the plants and watch.   After all, I am very new to this!

6 comments:

  1. Great sign! Informative and to the point, I like it.

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    1. I was very surprised when I first saw these signs up. But I quickly learned to appreciate the warning! :)

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  2. I think it's also true that plants earmarked for full sun in other areas, like the UK, PNW and even Northern California, often do better with some shade in SoCal. The hotter the summer heat, the more likely plants are going to appreciate a bit of shade during the hottest period of the day.

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    1. Very true, Kris. And I think low humidity may increase the effect. The dilemma here is compounded by a marked lack of local garden information, not to mention a dearth of local nurseries producing for our growing conditions. I'm sure much of this is simply due to the recent massive growth of the city and will hopefully be corrected over time...!

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  3. what an interesting sign! I am also learning to do some research first as not all plants like my coastal conditions. By the way, I also love a secondhand book! Have a lovely week :)

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    1. Coastal conditions would surely impose some similar dilemmas! Secondhand books are great fun, aren't they? I enjoyed your photos of the festival and local shops and suspect there must be some delightful book stores in there... ;-)

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