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Show Wednesday, March 25, 1998, THE DAILY HERALD, Home Expo. Provo. Uiah Page 13 .n, L, , .J LilU. L buffet ,441 iH By JOAN JACKSON Knight-Ridd- Newjpapen What started as Popsicle-Iik- e sticks stuck in the soil has evolved into colorhand-writte- n d ful, plant-car- e labels on nearly every piece of greenery sold at nurseries. easy-to-rea- The result of this savvy sign language: smarter gardeners with a far better chance of success. "Consumers have become smart shoppers and want to know how to take care of investments made in plants," says Jim Ledger, sales manager for Macore Co., a major labeling company in Lafayette, Ore. "Killing an expensive plant by too watering much, for instance, is not smart." What is smart, says Kay Kawashima at Sunshine Nursery in San Jose, Calif., is reading a label from start to finish before purchasing a e in plant. "It's like a horticulture," he says. "The tag will help you decide if you have the right growing conditions, and whether you have the time and energy to devote to that plant's care." mini-cours- Good tags Next time you walk through a nursery, check the labels on plants. You will notice that not all tags are created equal. Some have more information than others. They range from the plastic stake or "stick-in- " tags used mainly for bedding plants to indicate light and water needs right up to highly sophisticated tags with color photos and detailed information. So, what makes a good tag? Sun and water needs are essential, and after that, anything that helps the gardener is encouraged. "My personal view is that a consumer-friendl- y label works for everyone," says Bob Hysong, Pacific region manager for MasterTag, the Michigan com- pany that pioneered the plastic plant label business. "The tag should include a large photo, clear plant description, easy to read care information and specific planting instructions." The plastic label used on Monrovia Nursery Co.'s greenexamery is a based in Monrovia, ple. Southern California, is one of the largest wholesale growers of landscape plants in the United States. The label shows a photo of the plant, plus planting instructions, key benefits as a. landscape plant, flowering time, size, sun, water, cold hardiness and care instructions. Details such as deer resistance or attraction to butterflies also are noted. A price coding bar and printed price are included. There is even a hole punched in the tag so it can be hung on a nail or hook to save for future state-of-the-a- rt reference. Lucrative branch It was the need for such consumer-friendly labeling that launched the plastic plant label movement, a $1 branch of the million-a-yea- r Green Industry. "There were too many growers who complained the wood sticks did not hold up very well and were hard to read," Hysong says. The wooden sticks were usually hand written with only the plant name such as pansy not nearly or Petunia "Red" to enough help gardeners. As gardening became the No. 1 hobby in America, garden centers were swamped with customers asking questions: How tall does it get? How do I take care of it? Will it survive our winters? How and when do I prune it? "For staffers to look up these answers took too much time and large individual signs did not help, as the customer called back to update the forgotten information," Ledger says. "Now 90 percent of all garden tags are printed with this information on them." As the face cf gardening changed, 60 did the labels. For instance, until about 10 years ago, Hysong eays, "Growers J Jw "The tag will help you decide if you have the right growing conditions, and whether you have the time and energy to devote to that plant's care." Kay Kawashima, Sunshine Nursery resisted photos on tags, rationalizing that the plant is sold in bloom and looks better than any photo, and the extra cost subtracted from the growers' bottom line. However, greenhouse production has made d product. plants a Consumers demand more care information. Increased perennial plant sales typically not sold in bloom have made photos as common on labels as air conditioning in new cars." year-roun- Today, the largest pur- chasers of labels are wholesale growers, those who typically grow and ship between 5 million and 100 million plants annually, Hysong says. Growers usually tag plants during potting or transplanting and ship the tags with the plants direct to the retail stores (and their customers). The tags are typically made from recyclable materials including polystyrene, vinyl and stacon, in a rainbow of colors and shapes. Computerized technology allows label makers to scan any photo onto any tag shape, in full color. The problems For all their sophisticated looks and detailed information, one problem with labels, of course, is keeping track of them, says Don Dillon Jr. of Four Winds Growers in Fremont, Calif., a wholesale citrus grower. "WVve tried a number of systems to find a way to keep the labels with the citrus trees. This is especially important with citrus because they live so long 10 years from now how will you remember what kind of citrus you planted?" Four Winds uses a plastic label with elastic string attached to each tree. The tag includes planting instructions, long-tercare details and growth information. Previously Four Winds use a label attached with copper wire to the tree trunk. But people left the wire in place, and as the tree grew, the wire cut through the bark. Now elastic is used. Everyone, it seems, has suggestions on how to "save" labels for future reference. Keeping a label with the plant outside is a trip. Hysong, at MasterTag, Bays the best way is to punch a hole in each label and save them on a key ring or nail in the garage. Or, you could use the tags as book marks. Some teachers use s for the tags as reading, a colorful way to interest kids in reading and gardenm one-seaso- n Home designed to maximize view of the great outdoors The interior spaces for this home were designed to maximize a commanding view. The window detailing encourages the homeowners to make the most of the outdoors and outdoor activities. Entrance is from a covered stoop into a foyer which opens into the activity room and kitchen area of the home. The great room is truly great in size and incorporates a fireplace and book shelves into one wall of the room. The rear wall is almost entirely glass, overlooking a unique sun deck. The kitchen is a creative design which allows the cook to enjoy the view while doing kitchen duty. A unique counter houses the stove and a small "bar" sink. An eating counter is attached which enables quick service. A full size sink overlooks the front yard through an enormous round top window, while a corner oven is conveniently placed, This area is tailored for entertaining. Adjacent is the full laundry room with freezer space, sink and of course room for the washer and dryer. Stairs to the basement are tucked away in this area, as well as entry into the double garage. The garage is slightly oversized and includes a storage area and a disappearing stair to attic stor- feS - SCREENED PORCH H- 16'0'xia'O' I BEDROQM - J ; rr-- 1 COVERED DECK : mi M'B'xlZ'o S J ll ;SSr.gt A I5'4'xl6'8' " JS'B'xU'Q' BED ROOM ACTIVITY age. Two bedrooms flank the center portion of the home. The master bedroom has a private entry nook which embellishes froJ the splendid isolation of the suite. The huge bedroom puts space precisely where it's needed most, and also includes a large amount of glass. A large second bedroom is on the other side of the home, with private access to a screened porch. This bedroom includes a fireplace, book shelves, and excellent bath. Downstairs are two additional bedrooms, each with a private bath and large closet. Plan includes 1,826 square feet of heated space on the first floor and an additional 1,471 square feet of finished space in the basement. To receive an information packet on this plan, call W.D. Farmer Residence Designer, Inc. at or in GA. You can write to request the information at P.O. Box 450025, Atlanta, Georgia 31145. Visit our Web site: www wdfarmerplans.com. UKITCHENEU um i I IKS FIRST FLOOR PLAN G ABASE 20'0'xK'O' S2- -4 BED I I L RED ROOM . ROOM irrxW'e" w 14'7-xlB- Ti FOUNDATION """"" ' ' """""THi PLAN Iccp lasidocap clean, attract ivo vitli proper edging landscaping. Because the product is continuous, it will create a permanent border that will I interested am in Q. buying not move or separate when hit for edging my large landscaping with lawn mowers and trimbeds. I have been looking into mers. the different products availcrete. When comparing the costs of able. What works best? Of these choices, I believe A. Proper edging is necescustom extruded concrete is the using the different edging prodmust take the followsary in maintaining a clean and best option for value, durability ucts, you consideration. into ing attractive landscape bed. and attractiveness. Extruded edging is a service Extruded concrete edging is Keeping the mulch in and the be performed by an must that grass out is the key. A produced at your home with a experienced professional; you gasoline-powereedge can be produced with small can buy the other products at consistent routine lawn mainte- machine. nance. is The machine guided the hardware store and install However, there are products around your beds, creating a them yourself. available to border landscape small continuous curb. Using Although wood can be attracbeds that create an attractive different styles and colors, you tive, it will attract insects and edge that also will reduce time- - can customize the look of your eventually deteriorate. Precast consuming yard work. Those products include plastic strips, cut wood, metal strips, precast concrete sections and custom-mad- e extruded con- The Orlando Sentinel nice-looki- d (801)393-933W 1A1 concrete sections are great for straight lines and right angles, but you can't get soft, flowing curves. Plastic and metal strips are low profile but often need adjustment to keep them providing an effective border. Many commercial property managers are opting for extruded concrete edging for its longevity, low maintenance and low cost. relatively Homeowners are seeing the benefits to this type of border and are contracting installation more and more. Remember when dealing with any contractor to get the necessary credentials and ask for referrals in your area. 9 AAA 5 1' I v.. SpscleHzing in The Gerard "Stone - Coated Steel" Hoofs prize-award- ' ing. 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