“We Are Gardens” (WAG) is a major mail order distributor of hardy perennial plants in Canada.
The general manager of WAG gave you the following description of the downstream side of the
business (i.e., for the time being, the business is not interested in developing databases to support
the sourcing of plants from suppliers):
• WAG sells its products to both recreational gardeners and garden professionals
(landscape architects, designers, and contractors). Recreational gardeners pay prices as listed
in WAG’s annual catalogue, while professionals are entitled to varying discounts depending
on the historical volume of business they have generated.
• Plants are sold in various fixed quantities (e.g., 1 for $4.95, 3 for $12.95, 5 for $19.95).
Both price and order quantity vary depending on the plant.
• To facilitate catalogue creation and customer orders, the following information must be
kept about each plant: product number, Latin name, variety name, common name (if there is
one), height, spread, hardiness rating, density (plants per square meter), preferred location
(sun, partial shade, shade - a given plant may have more than one preferred location), when
they bloom, quantity on hand. Some, but not all, plants fall into one or more of the following
categories: climbing, rockery, fragrant, easy-to-grow, can be grown in a patio container, good
for cutting. Each plant also has a general verbal description which appears as a catalogue
entry. The attached catalogue pages show examples of this information.
• Orders are broken into one or more shipments. Order component are shipped early, mid-
season, or late depending on the type of plant, availability, and date ordered.
To Do
1. Draw an Entity-Relationship diagram showing the data requirements for WAG.
2. List any assumptions you made in designing the diagram.
