“Get Your Labels Right”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana
Ahhhhh! It has happened again! When will I learn? I am talking about buying plants, bulbs, corms, etc. when they are not in bloom, and then when the plants start to bloom they turn out to be mismarked. I have just got to stop buying things when they are not blooming.
The latest mismarked plant has turned out to be the Madame Butterfly canna. It is supposed to be a soft pink that would go very well with the gladiolus I planted this year in the “pink” garden. Well, one has started blooming and look what showed up.
If you are interested in seeing what Madame Butterfly canna is supposed to look like click here. This is just the color I wanted and was the color shown on the packaging.
I didn’t even know this canna had a bloom stalk until I saw a flash of bright yellow while watering the garden. I was so puzzled until I got closer and saw what it was. Now, this is a lovely canna, and I will be moving it to the “yellow” garden where it will fit in very nicely, even though I already have enough yellow cannas there. But what about the height I was planning on a pink canna giving to that side of the garden? I have two more of these cannas left to bloom, but I am sure they will turn out to be the same as this one.
I don’t feel like having to contact the company, try and get the right canna, if it is even available now, and then replant or, worse yet, wait until next year when it would be available. It is too late for things to be shipped here even if it would be available. The temperatures are already in the 90’s the last few day.
I just don’t understand how companies can consistently mislabel these things. Don’t label them at all with a named variety. Just call the contents of the package “Canna” or “Lily” or “Daylily”, but don’t put a name on it unless your quality control is working. I can understand an occasional slip up, but this is happening too often with too many plants from too many different sources. Sometimes it is important that a flower be a particular color, and the packaging and the contents should match up. From now on, unless it is blooming, I’m not buying it. Some companies need to get their labels right.
Always Growing 
Sandy said,
June 13, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Oh, I know what you mean. This has happened to me too, and it seems to be getting worse. I especially find this happens with bedding plants. They tell you not to buy the ones with flowers, but if you don’t, you often get several wrong colors mixed in. I am so tired of trying to buy white impatiens but getting other colors even though the label says “white”
Jan said,
June 14, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Sandy, this has happened to me with bedding plants, too. I wanted white Katie ruella, and ended up with purple. Annoying.
artistsgarden said,
June 14, 2009 at 3:54 am
So frustrating – fingers crossed that at least one of the others may be pink!?
K
Jan said,
June 14, 2009 at 7:58 pm
I am hoping, but the leaves are the same color, so I don’t know.
Janet said,
June 14, 2009 at 5:34 am
Oh Jan, that is so frustrating. I did click on the pink canna photo link. What a beautiful color pink and it would have been a great addition to the pink garden. You have gotten me thinking about planning a pink bed. There is a bubblegum pink Hemerocallis that I keep seeing in my neighborhood that is just popping with pink color! (without coffee I can’t come up with the other pink blooms I was thinking of…will let you know)
Jan said,
June 14, 2009 at 8:00 pm
My pink garden started out because of some pink azaleas that are nearby. I didn’t want any thing blooming at the same time as they were to clash. I do have several shades of pink with some purple mixed in. Since I have some purple all over the garden, it does tie the entire garden together.
donna said,
June 14, 2009 at 6:24 am
Frustrating that they can’t get the colors straight, isn’t it? My yard is a mishmash of different colors all over the place so it wouldn’t matter much.
Jan said,
June 14, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Donna, what I find most frustrating is that the mislabeled colors clash so much with what is already planted. It never seems to be something that goes with what is nearby.
Janet said,
June 14, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Another nice pink is a new variety of Crape Myrtle…Rhapsody in Pink. Burgundy leaves and bubble gum pink blooms. A neighbor has this variety and it is nice. Can’t find a good picture online, guess I will have to bring my camera on my walk in the morning and post it.
Jan said,
June 14, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Janet, a bed with that Crapemyrtle and other pink flowers would be lovely. I have lorepetlum with the burgundy leaves interspresed in my pink bed, and when they are in bloom, it is nice.