From the Ground Up: Be sure to evaluate mail order purchases

When shopping online or in catalogs for plants, it's important to understand what you are buying. Know both common and botanical names of plants so you can do some comparison shopping. Your local plant source may have the same product minus shipping costs and delivery time.

Also understand the symbols used to describe plant products. Make sure what you purchase is appropriate for your zone. If you don't know your zone, check with your extension service as some of the zoning classifications have changed. If in doubt choose a plant in a zone one zone hardier than the one you live in.

Another factor to know is the light preference. A symbol indicating sun generally means eight hours or more of sun, whereas partial shade symbol means four to six hours of sun.

Along with the light preference symbol know the moisture requirement of the plant. If the shade you provide is under a tree the plant should be drought resistant because the tree will pull most of the moisture from the area. A shade tolerant plant that requires lots of moisture will probably be better suited to an area shaded by a building.

Another item to understand is how plant products are shipped. If the product is seeds, the company should indicate the number of seeds you can expect in a package.

If the plant is to be shipped bare root, some suppliers will indicate the height of the bare root plants, other suppliers will only state that it is bare root with no indication of how tall the plant will be.

Some plants will be shipped potted. Suppliers should indicate the size of the pots so you know what to expect.

Another consideration is when the shipment will be delivered. Most vendors will have a delivery schedule based on your zone. Whether your plant is a seed, a bulb, potted or bare root it will need some attention when it arrives. Will you be available and will the selected planting site be ready?

Select vendors from your region. If the vendor has grown the plants themselves, perhaps plants from a region other than yours may not be hardy for you. Also, check the return policy. If a product arrives damaged or unacceptable will the vendor refund your money or replace the product?

Before placing the order, check shipping costs, which can get expensive due to plants needing fast shipping and special packing requirements. In any case keep all your paperwork and emails including date ordered, what you ordered and shipping deadlines.

Becoming enamored with beautiful pictures is easy; doing the research is more difficult but must be done to obtain results which meet your expectations.

Happy shopping!

' Judy Stevens is a Linn County Master Gardener.