Glossary of Terms

Acid Soil: any soil with a pH reading below 7.0 on a scale from 1 to 14.

Alkaline Soil: any soil with a pH reading above 7.0 on a scale from 1 to 14

Berry: a fleshy indehiscent pulpy multi-seeded fruit resulting from a single pistil.

Branchlet: a smaller division of a branch

Broadly Conical: widest at the top and tapering toward the bottom.

Bush: a low with several stems without a single trunk

Climbing Plant: a plant which raises its foliage by supporting itself on surrounding objects such as fences, trellises, or walls.

Compact: arranged in a small amount of space, a plant that has a dense habit.

Compost: fully decayed vegetable matter that is used to improve both fertility and texture of the soil.

Conical: cone shaped

Coniferous: cone bearing

Corymb: a flat-topped or convex open flower cluster, in which the outer flowers opening first.

Cottage Garden: usually a small informal garden making optimal use of the available space.

Cross Pollination: the fertilization of the ovary of one plant with pollen of another plant.

Crown: the part of a plant at the surface of the ground from which new shoots are produced.

Cultivar: a cultivated variety; a variety strictly raised through horticultural process rather than in nature.

Cut Flower Garden: an area set aside for growing plants that can be used for producing flowers used in arrangement inside the house.

Cutting Garden: a garden of flowers that can be cut and used in arrangements.

Deciduous: all of the leaves fall off during the winter months and return in the spring.

Drip Irrigation: the process of applying a calculated amount of water slowly and evenly over the plant's root area.

Dwarf: a plant that, due to an inherited characteristic is shorter or slower growing then other forms.

Erect: upright habit of growth

Evergreen: having green foliage throughout the year.

Floriferous: flower-bearing; blooming profusely

Flower: the part of the plant containing the reproductive organs.

Flower Head: a group of florets.

Foliage: leaves

Forcing: to bring a plant into earlier growth, generally by raising temperatures in it's environment or transplanting it into a warmer situation.

Foundation Planting: those shrubs and flowers that are planted close to the house, which makes a smooth transition to the surrounding landscape.

Fragrance Garden: a garden consisting of plants and roses that have a pleasant fragrance.

Frond: the leaf of ferns, usually having many divisions

Fruit: the mature ovary of a seed plant.

Genus: a group of species with fundamental traits in common, but differ in other characteristics.

Globular: circular

Grafted Plants: the process of joining two or more different plants and permitting them to grow into one.

Ground Cover: a plant with a low growing, spreading habit, grown specifically to cover the ground.

Habit: the general aspect or mode of growth of a plant.

Habitat: the natural dwelling place of an animal or plant.

Hedge: a fence or boundary formed by a dense row of shrubs or low trees. This hedge can be formal and frequently trimmed or left to grow naturally. In informal or natural gardens it can be left to grow naturally.

Herbaceous Perennial: type of perennial that generally dies to the ground at the end of the growing season but sends up new shoots the following spring.

Hybrid: a plant resulting from a cross between two or more other plants, which are more or less alike.

Inflorescence: the flowering part of the plant.

Mature Plant: a plant that is old enough to produce blooms and seeds.

Mound: a plant having a massive form, that is full to the ground.

Mulch: a protective spread over the soil and around the plants used to control temperature and weeds. It also gives a nice finished look to a landscape.

Native: inherent and original to an area

NPK: acronym for the three major plant nutrients contained in manure, compost and fertilizers. 'N' is for nitrogen, 'P' is for phosphorous, and 'K' is for potassium.

Nutrient: any substance in the soil or fertilizer that is essential for promoting the growth of plants.

Panicle: a loose irregularly compound inflorescence with pedicellate flowers.

Pedicel: the stalk of a flower or fruit.

Pendulous: more or less hanging or declined.

Perennial: A plant that lives for more than one growing season. There are two types of perennials, herbaceous and woody.

Petal: one unit of the inner floral or bloom.

Prostrate: lying flat on the ground.

Pyramidal: conical with flat angular sides.

Raceme: a simple indeterminate inflorescence with pedicel led flowers.

Raised Garden: raised bed; a bed or garden created by adding soil on top of the soil that is already present.

Rock Garden: a garden laid out among rocks and adapted for the growth of a particular kind of plants.

Root: the descending part of the plant, usually underground.

Scorch: the drying and browning of leaves usually caused by unfavorable environmental conditions.

Screen: a single plant or grouping of plants used to hide certain parts of the landscape from view.

Shrub: a woody plant that is never tree-like in habit; produces branches or shoots from or near the base.

Species: a natural group of plants composed of similar individuals that can produce similar offspring.

Specimen Plant: a plant placed where is will give the greatest enjoyment from the color, texture, or scent.

Spicate: with spikes

Stalk: a supporting structure of a leaf, flower, or fruit.

Stem: the primary axis of the plant having foliage and flowers.

Spray: a branchlet with foliage

Spreading: growing outward or horizontally.

Tree: a woody plant with one main stem at least 12-15 feet tall.

Twig: the shoot of a woody plant representing the new growth of the season.

Variegated: striped or margined with a color other than green..

Variety: a strain of plant that has a distinctive feature which persists over generations without human intervention.

Weeping: dropping

Wilt: to become limp due to a lack of water.

Woody Perennial: do not die back down to the ground like herbaceous perennials but rather they get larger each year.

Zone: your climate/hardiness zone. Knowing your zone will help you to identify the climate in your area. Use this zone map to determine which plants will thrive in your garden.