I am in no way any kind of gardening expert, just a hobbyist that has done it a few years and learned from reading or doing. However, something I noticed and seem to think is getting worse over time is conflicting information on the identical plants. I mean the same common and technical named plants - ie, exactly the same, not just offshoots or slightly different species, but identical :). I am located in SE Wisconsin. I rely on tags, nurseries, experience, books, mags, the net, etc for what I want to plant and where. The information on size if very conflicting though I notice. So, overall I am very much a gardening newbie.
For example, a few years back when I really knew nothing :) - I bought some green velvet boxwoods and I still have the tag that came with that that says grow 3 ft tall and 3 ft wide.. Both at local nurseries and on the net, I have found the same plant with descriptions of the following:
1) 2-3 ft tall and wide 2) 3 ft tall and wide 3) 4ft tall and wide 4) 5 ft tall and wide 5) 3-5 ft tall and wideI've seen many plants like this - another example is a Blue Muffin Vibirnum that I've seen at:
1) 4-5 ft 2) 5-6 ft 3) 4-6 ft 4) 6-8 ft 5) 8-10 ft 6) 10-12 ftAll of these are from tags at various nurseries in my area over a few years or even the same nursery at different times. I'm not so concerned when you're talking 3 ft vs 4 ft or even 3 ft vs 5 ft - but 2 ft vs 5 ft and
4-5ft vs 10-12ft is a significant difference and affects what I plant and where.I've asked nursery owners locally and across the net on these and how I can determine what to expect, but their answers conflict as well. Some example explanations:
1) The tags from Oregon where the climate lets them get larger 2) The tags is based on no pruning 3) I've never seen one that (large, small - pick one) 4) On the boxwood at different nurseries - "It will stay around 3 ft" or "It will definately get to 5 ft" 5) On the Blue Muffin - "those are small versions, only 5-6 ft tops" or "those get 8-10 ft or larger" 6) "They say there so small because they grow slow, but they'll be much larger over a few years"I understand that climate, location, etc, etc will have an impact. I also understand pruning is a way to keep size to desirable. How I look at it though is that I don't want to unnecessarily create more work so if I have a location that would fit a 5 ft plant nicely then I don't want to drop in a plant I should expect to get to 10ft and then require 2x's the maintenance. If I have a 5ft space to fill, I seek out a plant I like around that size, not twice as large.
Any tips, advice, or resources where ones gets reliable information on plant charateristics? Is the only way to figure this out by experience when something becomes way overgrown for its spot and you have to dig it up? I suppose its like our Wisconsin forecast though - 1 to 4 inches of snow in the morning, 3 to 6 inches in the afternoon, and 4 to 8 inches overnight - adds up to 8 to 18 inches! If only paychecks were the same where I make my normal rate this week and then 60% more next week! :)