Unassigned Tags
You can see your unassigned tags when you are adding or editing a plant record. You select a plant from the Garden Records Page by clicking on the red pencil. That will take you to the plant edit screen. On the plant edit screen you’ll see a box labeled Plant Tag. When you click on that you can see all of the available tag numbers in your account that are not yet assigned to a plant.
Assigned Plant Tags
You can easily see the plant tags that you have assigned to plants through the Garden Records screen. While viewing the Garden Record screen, click on the heading of the Plant Tag column to sort by Plant Tag. Plants without a plant tag assigned will show first, followed by plants with plant tags assigned.
Assign a Tag
You can assign any available tag in your account to a plant record in your account. You can do this when you’re adding the plant or if you’re editing the plant. You select a plant from the Garden Records page by clicking on the red pencil. That will take you to the plant edit screen. On the plant edit screen you’ll see a box labeled Plant Tag. When you click on that you can see all of the available tag numbers in your account and select one from the drop-down box.
EDITING THE PLANT
In this example, there was no plant tag assigned.
In this example, the same plant has had a plant tag assigned. After selecting the tag, click Update This Plant.
How Can I get My Data Out of Muddy Boots Plant Tags?
On the My Account page, below the PLANT AND PICTURE SUMMARY, you will see four EXPORT options.
By clicking on the ‘HERE’ link next to each of the four exports, you may download all of your data.
Plant Records, Journal Notes and Photo Captions are downloaded as CSV text files. CSV files may then be uploaded into almost any spreadsheet product such as Excel. The records in each of these files can be linked together with a unique Plant ID. Keep in mind you must have a level of basic skill with some spreadsheet tool to connect these things together. But the data is all there.
Photos are exported into a compressed zip file. The individual photo files are named after the unique Plant ID so you can link Photo Captions with the actual image files. If you have a lot of photos in your Muddy Boots Plant Tags account, this may take a several minutes to download.
The downloads are handled based on the settings of your browser. By default, some browsers put download files into a specific folder, such as ‘Downloads’. Those who tend to do more downloading adjust their browser settings so that they are prompted to select a folder for the download rather than accepting the default download folder. The bottom line is that it will export and where it goes when it’s exported is based on your browser settings.
NOTE: Remember, when you upload photos to Muddy Boot Plant Tags, the image file is resized so it loads quickly when viewed. Your original file on your computer does not change. When you EXPORT photos, you will get back the RESIZED image, not the original size. Keep in mind, you uploaded the photos into Muddy Boots Plant Tags so you should still have the originally sized photos on your computer, phone or tablet.
THE EXPORT LINKS AT MY ACCOUNT
Delete a Plant Record
If you want to completely remove a record, at the Garden Records Page click the Red Pencil. This will take you to the Edit A Plant page. At the bottom of this page you may click DELETE THIS PLANT. You will be asked if you are SURE you want to delete this Plant Record with all its associated PHOTOS and JOURNAL notes. Be careful with this!
SCREEN SHOT PRIOR TO DELETING
Edit a Plant Record
If you have created a record for a plant, but would like to modify or add to the information, click the Red Pencil for this record on the Garden Records page. This will take you to a screen that will allow you to change or add information to the basic Plant Record.
- Once you’ve made your changes or additions, click UPDATE THIS PLANT at the bottom of the page.
- If you don’t want to save these changes, click NEVER MIND, and your Plant Record will stay as it was.
EDIT A PLANT SCREEN
Add a Plant Record
At the Garden Records page, you will see on the left side of the page ADD A RECORD. Click this to add a plant. Fields are optional; just include at least a common name or botanical name.
- Enter either a Common Name or Botanical Name, or both if you like.
- Enter the Garden Location – where the plant is in your garden.
- Enter the Source – where you got the plant.
- Enter the Date Planted.
- Enter a link to a Data Sheet for that plant. NOTE: To find a data sheet, Google your plant name and you’ll see search results that link to arboretums, nurseries, etc. Find one you like and copy that URL into the field call Data Sheet.
- Assign a Plant Tag. NOTE: If you’ve purchased Muddy Boots Plant Tags, the available tag numbers will show up in your account. Click inside the Plant Tag box and you may assign one of your available tag numbers to this plant.
- Once you’ve entered your information, click ADD THIS PLANT at the bottom of the page.
ADD A PLANT SCREEN
Features of Muddy Boots Plant Tags
All About Garden Records
All About Garden Journal
All About Photo Gallery
Working with our Interactive Plant Tags
Access Your Garden Records from Anywhere
GARDEN RECORDS
Garden Records is essentially the home page for your garden records at Muddy Boots Plant Tags. This is the first page you’ll see when you log in and it is where you will add plants and other records to your Garden Records. The Menu in the top right corner takes you to various functions of Muddy Boots Plant Tags.
GARDEN RECORDS SCREEN
On this page you’ll see the fields below. Except for one Name field, you do not have to fill in all of these, but they are available to you.
| Plant Tag | If you have assigned a Plant Tag to this record it will be displayed. |
| Common Name | If you have entered a Common Name it will display here. You do not have to fill this in, but you must enter either a Common Name or a Botanical Name. |
| Botanical Name | The Botanical Name you have entered for this plant. You do not have to fill this in, but you must enter either a Botanical Name or a Common Name. |
| Garden Location | This is the area of your garden that this plant is in. For example, you might have a garden location of “Front Yard” or “Perennial Border”. |
| Date Planted | The date you put it in the ground. |
| Edit | When you click the red pencil, you’ll see a page to edit the data you’ve entered. |
| Data Sheet | This is a place to copy a link to a plant data sheet from an external site. For example, you may frequently look at plant data at Missouri Botanical Garden or a specific plant producer. A data sheet typically gives information about plant size, growing conditions, and hardiness zones. To see an example datasheet for Dogwood, click here. |
Once you’ve entered information about several plants you can SORT your Garden Records by all of these columns except Edit and Data Sheet. You may also SEARCH the text fields – either Name, Garden Location, Source – using one or more search words.
SEARCH RESULTS SCREEN
PLANT VIEW
In your Garden Records, both the Common and Botanical Names link to a Plant View page that displays all of the information you’ve input about that plant. This includes the basic Garden Record data, PLUS Journal Notes you’ve made about the plant and Photos that you’ve uploaded for this plant. This is a page that you can share on social media. See a live example of Plant View for Cornus controversa Variegata.
The top of the page displays the Garden Record data and the most recent picture that you’ve uploaded. It is here that you may ASSIGN a Plant Tag by clicking the Edit Pencil and scrolling to the bottom of the page.
PLANT VIEW SCREEN
On the Plant View page you may ADD a Journal Note for this plant, and any previous notes you’ve made will be displayed in date order from most recent to the oldest entry. You may wish to record notes about when you pruned or fertilized this plant or comment on its bloom. You may assign a Keyword to the note on which you may SORT Journal Notes, so for example you can easily find all of your notes on Pruning.
PLANT VIEW SCREEN – JOURNAL SECTION
You may also ADD a Photo for this plant, along with a Title, Caption and Date the Photo was taken. Photos – slightly reduced for Gallery View – are displayed in descending order by most recent data with the plant name. By clicking on the Photo, you see a larger image along with the plant Name, Title, Caption and Date and other details about this plant.
PLANT VIEW – PHOTO GALLERY SECTION
INDIVIDUAL PHOTO VIEW
The Photo upload may take a minute or two if your photos are 3 MB or larger. This also depends on the bandwidth of your internet connection. The size of the image file is reduced when uploaded to Muddy Boots Plant Tags so that they load relatively quickly when you view them. The size of the original image file on your phone or computer doesn’t change.
You may edit the data you’re looking at where ever you see the red pencil! 
You may also record information about an area of your garden or a garden project. By adding a plant named Pond Project, I documented the development of our fish pond. To see a live example click here.
GARDEN JOURNAL
The Garden Journal (Journal in the menu top right corner) displays ALL of your Journal Notes about your plants and garden in one place, rather than showing them on an individual plant page. The notes are displayed in descending order by date with the most recent entry first. A portion of the text is displayed, but you will see a link to “more” which will display the entire Journal Note and all other data about the plant. This is a page that can be shared on social media.
You may SORT Journal Notes by the Keyword you assigned to the entry when you made it. You may SEARCH your Journal Notes for one or more search words. The search will scan Plant Names, the content of the entry, Garden Location, Source, and Keyword.
JOURNAL NOTES
To record general notes about your garden, you simply ADD a Garden Record for your garden rather than a specific plant. We named our garden Acorn Hill, so that is our garden’s Plant Name. You may choose something like “Duffy Garden” or something more fanciful. Then you can make notes and add photos about your garden in general. Click here for a live link to our Acorn Hill Garden.
CLICK THE PICTURE BELOW TO SEE ACORN HILL LIVE
PHOTO GALLERY
The Photo Gallery (Photos in the menu top right corner) displays ALL of your pictures of your plants and garden in one place, rather than showing them on an individual plant page. The notes are displayed in descending order by most recent date. The Plant Name and Photo Date are displayed along with the picture, but you may click on the photo to see a larger image, the Title and Caption you have entered, and all other Garden Record data about the plant. This is a page that can be shared on social media.
PHOTO GALLERY SCREEN
INDIVIDUAL PHOTO VIEW
You may SEARCH your Photo Gallery for one or more search words. The search will scan the Plant Names, Garden Location, Source, Title and Caption fields.
INTERACTIVE TAGS
Muddy Boots Plant Tags are interactive tags that, when scanned with a smart phone, display information that YOU have entered about YOUR plant. The tag itself is about 1” x 2” made of thick aluminum with a black UV-resistant coating. The tag is just large enough to be easy to find, but won’t interrupt up the look of your garden. A tag may be hung from a branch or pinned to the ground with a landscape pin.
The tag is etched with a QR Code that carries a tag number and web address to your page in your account at Muddy Boots Plant Tags. No two tags will ever have the same QR Code.
To SCAN a Muddy Boots Plant Tag you must have a QR Code Reader on your smart phone. Many are available FREE for both Android and iPhone. We recommend the i-nigma reader for speed and ease of use, and it is available for both Android and iPhone and you download it like any other app.
Get the i-nigma for iPhone/iPad here.
Get the i-nigma for Android here.
To see a live Plant View of Dwarf Fothergilla, use your phone to SCAN this tag:
Note: QR Codes are becoming increasingly prevalent in commerce. Once you know what one is, you’ll start seeing them everywhere.
Visitors to your garden may also SCAN your Muddy Boots Plant Tags. Because you must be logged in to your account to make any changes, your visitors will only view Plant View Pages, but will not be able to add or change anything. The Plant View Page displays the information you’ve entered about your plant.
To SCAN a tag, open your QR Code Reader on your phone – it uses your phone’s camera – and align the tag in the frame on your phone. You should be able to read it from about 18” or closer. Your Plant View Page for that tag will display on your phone and you’ll see all your information including Names, Garden Location, Source, Date Planted, a link to a Data Sheet PLUS your Journal Notes and your Photos.
ASSIGN A TAG
Not all of your Garden Records will have a Plant Tag. You may create Garden Records for all your plants, but only tag certain ones such as important specimen plants or new plants that you’re still becoming familiar with. Of course, you may tag all of your plants if you like.
When you buy Muddy Boots Plant Tags – available in bundles of 5 tags – your account will be assigned a unique block of tag numbers. As soon as you’ve bought them, you’ll see them in your account and you may begin assigning them – even before they’ve come in the mail.
To ASSIGN a tag to a plant, you will ADD A RECORD. At the bottom of this screen is a field called PLANT TAG. You will click inside this box, and the plant tags that you’ve purchased will display. You simply select one and that’s it! You may also ASSIGN a tag to a record you’ve already created using the EDIT function.
Once you’ve assigned one of your tag numbers to a record, it will no longer show as available to assign. You may, however, re-assign one of your tag numbers, say for instance you’re plant died. You EDIT the original garden record and click in the Plant Tag box. It will let you REMOVE THIS TAG. Once done, that tag number is released back into your available tag numbers and you may ASSIGN it to another plant, perhaps its replacement.
TAG A PLANT
It is easiest to ADD your Garden Records and ASSIGN your tags at the computer or tablet, then take your physical tags to the garden. You do not need to keep track of which tag goes with which plant … simply take your smart phone to the garden with you, scan a tag you’ve assigned, and attach it to that plant with either a wire or landscape pin.
TAG PRICING
Tags are sold in bundles of five. You may buy several bundles at once, or add more later on. The more bundles you buy at once, the lower the price per bundle. Once you’ve subscribed, you may order tags from your My Account Page.
| 1 – 5 bundles | $9.95 per bundle |
| 6 – 10 bundles | $9.45 per bundle |
| 11 – 15 bundles | $8.96 per bundle |
| 16+ bundles | $8.46 per bundle |
EASY ACCESS
Muddy Boots Plant Tags is online which means you can get to it anywhere you have an internet connection AND you can log in with your smart phone, tablet, or computer. Your phone is great for SCANNING the tags and VIEWING your Garden Records in the garden. Your tablet or computer is great for ADDING Garden Records, Journal Notes and Photos.
Remember, you can share on social media many pages from your Muddy Boots Plant Tags account, including Plant View Pages, My Garden Page, Journal Note Pages, and Photo Gallery Pages. You may also email a link to these pages to a friend. It’s simple and a fun way to share your garden!
To see a live Plant View page for our Pond Project, click here!