The answer to this question will, of course, vary depending on who is writing the articles and how much homework they did. I have picked up a couple of periodicals this spring to review springtime garden ideas and to see current trends. I cannot claim to to be a queen of knowledge, but I have come across two perplexing examples of misinformation recently. Read on to find out!
These two images were taken with my phone and are of the two troublesome pages.
I have chosen not to share publicly here where I found these two examples, for the sake of the companies, but can provide proof privately if anyone is particularly curious. It just strikes me as a good reminder to do your own research when you are working with plants and not to necessarily take what others say as gospel.
Example 1: I came across a magazine page with a basket planted with mini daffodils (Narcissus flowers) and with rabbits exploring the basket. The caption even suggests adding bunnies to the basket if you have them on hand. I will spare you my Easter bunny rant, but will say DAFFODILS ARE POISONOUS. You should never be encouraging foraging animals or pets to spend time around daffodils or any other poisonous plant. A well-known home & garden magazine has rabbits and daffodils together in a full-page photo… yikes!
Example 2: I actually laughed out loud at this one. There was an information segment for “Do’s and Don’ts” in your garden. Very logically, it reads, “Consider the ultimate size of plants before installation….. leave ample space between plants…” I agree with this advice. But literally four pages later, this advice is completely ignored in a segment about window boxes and sun-loving plants. In their photo of a window box, they have petunias, false dracaena, vinca vine, sweet potato vine, and marigold tightly planted together. For starters, the vinca vine and sweet potato vine plants both need A LOT of space and a window box is short on that. Vines notoriously take up tons of space if they are well kept. Both of the vines chosen for this window box example could each easily fill five foot wide and square spaces a piece. The other plant varieties would also appreciate “ample space between plants,” – especially that false dracaena, which can grow to SIX FEET tall depending on the variety. Whomever planted the window box apparently did not do their homework or heed the advice four pages earlier. [face palm]
I really encourage you to do your own research and ask local gardeners what to expect. I do not know everything, but I can share what I have learned over the years through my own garden pursuits. And I hope today’s post is a reminder that even very successful and revered companies with garden-themed periodicals can make mistakes too.
Have a wonderful weekend and thank you much for reading today’s post! I hope you will come again.
SARAH DERR 
Good to know! Hey, Sarah, I have a question about making cuttings from fruit trees (because I had to cut a long branch from our peach tree, which produces wonderful sweet peaches). And also I have an apple tree that needs a new home (short story long, the association of my neighborhood asked us to move it from its actual spot from the last 2 years in our flower bed near the road… and I do not have a place now where to put it in our tiny small garden)
Thanks for the info that you post, Sarah. By the way, I have another question about keeping the birds away from the garden, the blueberry bushes and grape vines. I love their beautiful colors in the fall, winter and spring, and even the summer with all the gold finches getting the seeds from my Black-Eyed-Susans, but at the end of the summer I found out the my fruit thief was not only the kid next door (who steals peaches from other neighbors too; and he blamed a little old lady… when I told him that Jaume saw him…), when I finally saw a bird eating my last coveted grapes!!