Plant Tag and Seed Storage

Plant Tag Container/MyShadyGarden

When I purchase a new plant, I am usually up to speed on the name and growing conditions that are required for best performance by reading the plant tag.  But after a year goes by, I find that I do forget things.  Maybe it is age…?  But I have decided to help myself by keeping those plant tags – and I don’t mean on the bushes or planted in the ground next to the perennial.

Instead I have a Tupperware container with a lid that I keep in the garage.  As I make a purchase, I place the tags in the container.  I also put my leftover seeds in there as well.  Otherwise mice have a way of getting into them and eating them up.  Not the most sophisticated garden file organization system, but it is easy and it works!

I knew  what the shrub species of the Kerria japonica I posted about earlier,  because I had stored their plant tags in the container.  All interesting, expensive, unfamiliar new purchases with tags make it into the container.  Keeping the container out in the garage makes it easy to collect.  I would say if you were really good about keeping a paper file you could do the same, but I know for myself that would not be reality.  The container is easier.   So if I ever need to see what the exact name was, or the planting conditions, height etc, I can reference the plant tags easily.