They will also say that plants need shade when they love sun, and vice versa! Great tip.

... and all bets are off when you live in Metro Phoenix. When ever I read the "care and feeding" of a plant at the nursery I assume they are talking about conditions in San Diego. You live and learn in Phoenix. Unfortunately nearly all of us live in a state of denial. .... like DesertDenial most heroically admits.

Gotta love the photo accompanying this tip!

Yea! I do appreciate the photo, woof! Brilliant, Calif_Sue!

Good tip. Funny pic. Nice pot. What's Frances Williams doing in there?

Ah yes, either they lie or just not enough relevant info ..like the actual name of the plant! Just got a nice houseplant from HD and it does not say its name..but I could not resist her, so am trying to get its name from our plant ID thread to further know about its culture etc..

That is clever ..I just use a baggie full of the plants tags.
I was surprised to see a Proven Winner type of lilac at Sams. What? In Texas...I certainly would research that.

Yes, the nurseries and such don't want you to know very much. Heat tolerance and drought tolerance would be good in this area, but they usually don't even mention cold tolerance. Caliche tolerance...well, that's never included.

I took that photo on a garden tour, the owner had a sense of humor, this was just one of the things that gave us a chuckle.

Another misconseption is color. I never trust the photo in the catalogue or the website. Google the plant for a variety of shades and check database for gardeners photos of plants in their zone.

Now that's the truth!

HeHeHe Caliche tolerance, good one Linda. Where we live in AR it might as well be caliche -- 1" down and you hit solid rock. Never thought a pick axe would be my primary planting tool.

Nurseries probably have an assembly line and they throw out a bunch of tags and say, "Stick 'em in the plants." Full sun for a plant in Wisconsin might be something entirely different than full sun in Arizona.

Great photo Sue.

Haha! Shovel digging isn't for wimps in this place either. Some use pick axe or such. Ya know those tools for post-hole digging?...better come with a very strong handyman on the top end...doesn't work for me! Rocks galore and caliche, which hardens into caliche cement sometimes. This is why we need REAL quality local nurseries with knowledgeable employees. Tell them what kinds of plants you'd like and what soils you're dealing with, say the word "hill country" and they can help you. Big box stores? Don't ask them anything but what the price is...they MIGHT know that!

Great tip Toni. I've had that happen. Not anymore though. : )

Love the photo, it make me smile.