NurseryGuide's Online Help
Welcome to NurseryGuide. This site is produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries and is based on its Directory & Buyers Guide publication. This page is designed to help you use this powerful and informative site quickly and easily. Here's how:
In the "Plant Name" text box, simply type either the botanical or common name of the plant you are looking for and click the "Search Now" button. Results will designate the companies in our database listed as growing that plant, and you can click on the company link for contact information.
If an error message is returned, the plant may not be listed in the database. Of course, not all plants grown commercially are listed, and it may be that the plant you're looking for has not been listed by a grower. Also, check to ensure the plant name was spelled correctly. A misspelled name could invalidate any search results.
You also can type in only a portion of the plant name; however, doing so will widen your search and present you with more options. For example: if you are looking for listings of "Blue Atlas Cedar" and simply type in the word "blue," you also will retrieve listings for plants with "blue" in its name, such as "China Blue," "Blue Light," and "Blue Star Creeper."
Plant Search Options
By default, all forms in which the plant is available will be listed. Optionally, you can narrow your search to include only those growers who list a particular form of the plant. For example, if you want to see plants grown only as liners, simply check the "Liners" checkbox. (Note: if a grower also lists the plant in some other form, that will be listed as well.)
Optional search choices include Balled & Burlapped, Liners, Bareroot, Bulbs, Container, Cut and Seedling. It also is possible to combine choices -- retrieve listings for Liners or Containers, for example, by checking both checkboxes. (Note: if you select more than one search option, results include all selections from within those options, in addition to other forms listed by each grower whose display appears.)
This search allows you to find service providers or product suppliers by the service or supply you designate. Our database contains at least 435 service and supply categories, and the listings indicate whether the service or supply is targeted to the landscape, retail or wholesale sectors.
Simply type the name of the service or product you want to find in the textbox and click the "Search Now" button.
For best results, be general in your search request, for example, "containers," "pots," "fertilizer," "brokers," etc. Avoid brand names, trade names or specific product names, as entries are not listed in this manner.
If an error message is returned, the product or service may not be listed in the database. Of course, not all products or services available to the commercial nursery, landscape and retail garden center industry are listed, and it may be that the item or service you're looking for has not been listed by a company. Also, check to ensure the name was spelled correctly. A misspelled name could invalidate any search results.
This search allows you to locate companies that are current members of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, or that list or advertise on NurseryGuide. Contact details will be returned on a separate company profile page.
Simply enter the name of the company you are looking for in the "Company Name" text field.
If an error message is returned, the company may not be listed in the database. The company may not be one of the current 1,600-plus OAN members. Also, check to ensure the name was spelled correctly. A misspelled name could invalidate any search results. Hint: You do not need to enter the company's entire name. You can enter part of a name or even several letters of a name. The latter will increase your search results by displaying all other companies that have the same combination of letters in their name.
Company Search Options
If you want to do a more general company search, you can do so by selecting any of the options presented, alone or in combination:
- Find a list of companies that are located in or around a city by entering the city name in the text field.
- Find a list of companies located in a specific state or province. (Most companies are in Oregon.)
- Find a list of companies in a specific industry sector, such as a wholesale grower, landscape contractor, sales yard, florist, etc.
- Find a list of companies whose names start with a specific letter of the alphabet
The Browse feature allows you to search hierarchically, similar to using a table of contents. This option is not as fast as the Search feature, but it is more effective for seeing the "big picture" of plant, products and services offered in NurseryGuide. You have two options:
Browse for Plants
This will allow you to browse through our plant listings, from genus to the variety and cultivar level. The "Plant Category" column contains listings of NurseryGuide's 13 major plant categories. Select Browse the Genera, which is linked and shows the number of genus levels available for each plant category. Simply click the category you are interested in browsing. You then will have the option of viewing all of the general listings for the genera you have specified or you can browse further to reach the species level.
At the species level, you have the same two options: view the general listings for the species you have selected or browse further to reach the cultivar level (note: not all species will have cultivars listed).
When you reach the cultivar level, you will see a column that lists the plant name as well as all of the growers who have listed that particular plant. To view more information about a grower, simply click on the link and you will see an information box that displays that grower's contact details. If you would rather see a detailed list of all of the companies supplying the cultivar, click the plant name instead of the company name.
Browse for Products and Services
This category works much the same as Browse for Plants feature. Simply click the category you are interested in browsing. You can then click one of the service headings or one of the supply headings to see listings for those products or services.
In most cases, the listings will appear as soon as you click on one of the service or supply headings. However, some headings have another level that further divides that particular heading. "Consulting," for example, has a number of different sub-headings listed under it (Arborist, Design Consultant, Lab Services, etc.).
When you open a heading that contains another level of sub-headings, you will be given the option of viewing the general listings under that heading or seeing the listings for a specific sub-level. If you choose to see the sub-level listings, you will see a column that lists the services/supplies name as well as all of the companies listing that particular service or supply. If you want to go directly to one of the companies, simply click on the company's link for complete contact details. If you would rather see a detailed list of all of the companies supplying the service or supply, click the services-supplies name instead of the company name.
Whether you use the Search or Browse features, eventually you will wind up with a detailed listing of all growers who provide a particular plant, or companies that provide a particular service or supply. These listings are designed to look much like they do in the printed version of the Directory & Buyers Guide. They will show: how the plant is produced (liner, bareroot, seedling, container, etc.); the quantity in production; and the company's name, city, phone number, link to the company's profile page, and e-mail link, if applicable.
In short, this provides all the information you need to reach the company to make a purchase or find out more information.
Profile Pages. All OAN members and all companies that have products or services listed in NurseryGuide have a profile page that displays its name, mailing address, phone and fax numbers, OAN membership status, type of business, e-mail address and web site address. E-mail and web site addresses are "active," meaning the user can send an e-mail or go directly to that company's web site simply by clicking the appropriate link. In addition, these pages also have a unique feature that will let you browse all of the listings of this particular company with one simple mouse click - an example of one-stop shopping at its best!
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