Unsolicited or not, garden catalogues eventually appear in every Muskoka gardener’s mailbox. It’s hard to resist the eloquent descriptions of the plants offered, but the better ones also have a wealth of valuable information hidden in the flowery jargon.

Deciphering the jargon may seem a little intimidating, especially to novice gardeners. Ordering from a catalogue where you can’t see or touch the plants is a handicap to begin with, so it’s wise to be as informed as possible before making your selections. Here’s a primer to help translate cataloguese, the hidden language of garden catalogues.

Latin names: Using the Latin names for plants may seem bothersome but it’s the best way to ensure you’re getting the exact plant you want, particularly with the proliferation of new varieties coming onto the market these days. Beware of catalogues that use only common names.

Cultural information: Avoid ordering from a catalogue that doesn’t offer even minimal growing information such as sun exposure and water requirements (moist, well drained, drought tolerant). Full sun means at least six full hours of direct sunlight during the middle part of the day. Partial sun means three to six hours of sun each day. Full shade means less than three hours of sun. More advanced information such as soil requirements (loam, sand, clay) and pH levels would be helpful to the more experienced gardener and can be found in some of the better-quality catalogues.

Hardiness: All plants are rated for hardiness to cold and heat and this is given as a number, which relates to zones on a map. Muskoka is generally rated as zone 4b to 5, depending on proximity to a water body. Because of Muskoka’s dependable snow cover, it’s possible to grow perennials from warmer zones but be prepared to lose some during a cold winter with little snow. It’s important to follow the zone rating for shrubs and trees, especially when ordering from a nursery far from your area.

Sizes: It’s a good idea to know that the shrub you’re going to buy is not going to grow so big that it will take over your front yard. Catalogues should include the height and spread of each plant at maturity, but sometimes they will list the shipping size instead. Read carefully to be sure.

The ultimate size may vary depending on the growing conditions in your garden, but here are some clues to help determine how your plant will grow.

Compact means it will grow fairly tight and uniform as opposed to sprawly and gangly. Dwarf plants are not necessarily tiny plants, just smaller versions of the standard variety. Ground cover is also not necessarily a low-growing plant, just an enthusiastic spreader.

Days to maturity: This is found in seed catalogues and refers to the days it will take for the plant to yield fruit or vegetables. For transplants it starts from the time the plants are set outdoors. For seeds it starts at seeding time.

Species, heirloom, hybrid, open pollinated: These terms are most often found in seed catalogues. Hybrid plants are bred from two or more plants to obtain certain desired characteristics such as increased flowering or scent. New plants or seeds need to be purchased each year because seeds from these plants will not necessarily yield the same characteristics. Open pollinated plants breed readily with plants of their own species and yield seeds that produce plants identical to the parents. Species and heirloom plants are both plants that have been around for generations without changing and are open pollinated as well.

Bare root/container grown: When ordering live plants from a catalogue, it’s helpful to know how they will be shipped. If your plants will be shipped bare root be prepared to have your dormant plant arrive looking like a dead stick with stringy roots. As long as the stick isn’t broken, rotted or dried out, it should do fine.

Container grown plants are shipped in the pots they were grown in, thus reducing any stress they would suffer from digging. There is the chance of root-bound plants though. Hopefully the shipper has enough experience to package your plants so they survive the journey to your house. I’ve never tried ordering this way.

Bloom-speak: The blooming time or season of bloom given in catalogues is only a broadly ranging guide. Your plant should bloom within the given time but not necessarily the whole time. Blooms all season means your plant will have a blooming period of two to three weeks, have a short rest, then send out sporadic blooms for the rest of the season, with a possible second flush of blooms later in the season. Repeat bloomers have a good initial bloom, then later in the season may have one or two more minor flushes of bloom.

Next time a gardening catalogue arrives in your mailbox, remember the fundamentals of cataloguese and the world of catalogue shopping should be less intimidating.

Elaine Vida is a horticulturist and a landscape designer with an Ontario Diploma of Horticulture from the University of Guelph. She can be reached at evdesign@vianet.ca.