Dictionary of gardening names and terms
Mimosa Wattle. Yellow flowered evergreen needs greenhouse protection in temperate and cool areas. Acanthus Bear's Foot. Perennial. Chocolate and white flowers on tall stalks thistle-like foliage. Aeration Hoeing ridging soil in winter and deep digging to open soil to the air and 'sweeten' it also making holes in a lawn to encourage growth. Maple. Japanese maples are delicate feathery leaved and often give spectacular autumn colour. Acid soil Soils with high content of peat or high levels other types of decayed vegetable matter and low in chalk are said to be 'acid'. Good for growing 'lime haters' such as rhododendrons and heather. Monkshood. Perennial. Blue purple and bicoloured flowers on tall spikes. Air Layering Way of rooting stiff branches or shoots attached to a parent plant. Stem is sliced under a joint sprinkled with hormone rooting powder area wrapped in compost filled polythene strip. Alluvial soil Soils formed from the sediment of rivers Alkaline Soil see Calcareous Soil Allium Perennials hardy bulb rooted. Includes onions leeks and decorative types. Aloe Vera Succulent. Tender can be grown outdoors in warm climates houseplant in temperate zones that can be put outside in sheltered sunny spot in summer. Alpine House Unheated greenhouse used for rock and alpine plants needs good ventilation and light. Love Lies Bleeding. Half hardy annual. Striking seed tassels. Some varieties produce edible leaves and seeds. Jersey Lily. Tender bulbous plants with striking lily type flower. Usually grown indoors to flower in early winter. American Blight see Woolly Aphis. Anise Annual herb. Pimpinella anisum. Grown for aniseed tasting seeds. Annual Plant that only lives for one year. Apple Mildew Powdery mildew producing stunted growth caused by Podosphaera leucotricha. Anemone Windflower. Perennial. Hardy. Both Tuberous rooted and Herbaceous species. Angel's Trumpet see Datura. Aquatics Plants that are grown in water. Arbour Shaded and/or sitting area made from wood wicker or metal that plants climb over. Artemesia Perennial herb. Artemisia spicata. Used fresh or dried leaves. Axil Angle between the base of a leaf and the stem of a plant. Balm Perennial herb. Melissa offininalis. Lemon tasting leaves used fresh or dried. Bark Outer layer of the branch or trunk of a tree or shrub. Basil Sweet Annual herb. Ocimium basilicum. Bast Inner bark of a Lime Tree. Bay Sweet Perennial herb. Laurus nobilis. Leaves used fresh or dried. Bear's Foot see Acanthus. Bell Glass Bell shaped cloche made from glass (with knob on top) or plastic. Bergamot Perennial herb. Monarda didyma. Leaves and flowers are used. Berry True berry has seeds inside pulp e.g. currant false berry has seeds outside pulp eg strawberry. Biennial Plant that grows flowers and dies within 2 years e.g. foxglove. Blanching Keeping light from vegetables to produce a specific crop e.g. forcing chicory in the dark. Bleeding Oozing sap from a surface wound eg grape vines pruned too early can 'bleed' to death. Bleeding Heart see Dicentra. Blight Fungal disease that attacks potatoes and tomatoes. Borage Annual herb. Borago officinalis. Leaves and flowers are used. Bottom Heat Heat from decaying manure heap or heated propagator used to warm compost under seeds or cuttings. Break First shoots from the main stem of chrysanthemums. Breastwood Shoots that grow out from the main branches of espalier or fruit trained fruit trees. Briar Stock Rootstock from wild Dog Rose Broadcast Seeds sown by scattering widely often by hand. Budding Inserting the bud of a plant into the shoot of a stock plant. Buds Baby' future shoots or flowers that form on shoots in axils or on tubers. Bulb Swollen underground stem of a plant made up of scales e.g. onion. Bulbils Miniature bulb type growths that develop in the axils of lily leaves. Chalky soil. Callus Tissue that forms on the base of a cutting before new roots form. Calyx Outer leaves surrounding the petals of a flower Cambrium Tissue between the bark and inner wood of a stem. Canker Decaying part of stems branches or trunk of a tree. Cararway Annual herb. Carum carvi. Seeds are used for flavouring. Catch Crop Quickly grown vegetables cropped between slower or permanent crops e.g. radishes between peas. Chamomile Perennial herb. Anthemis nobilis. Flowers are used. Charcoal Wood is slowly burnt without air to make charcoal - garden uses are as a 'sweetener' in potting compost can be used to help drain pots. Chervil Annual herb. Anthriscus cerefolium. Leaves are used. Chives Perennial herb. Allium schoenoprasum. Leaves are used. Clamp A way of storing potatoes swedes beetroot and other root crops that are put in a heap and covered with soil. Climbers Rambling plants used to cover walls fences sheds pergolas etc. Cloves Baby' bulbs of garlic or shallots. Coleward Dwarf variety of cabbage. Coriander Annual herb. Coriandrum sativum. Seeds and leaves are used. Corm Swollen bulb-like base of plants such as Cyclamen. Cotyledons First leaves of seedlings. Couch Grass Fleshy rooted invasive grass. Botanical name Triticum repens. Crab Apple Native wild apple sometimes used as root stock. Creeper Plant with flexible shoots used as wall fence or shed covering e.g. ivy. Crocks Broken pieces of flower pots used for draining flower pots. Crop Rotation Growing different types of vegetable crop year after year to prevent disease build up. Crown Bud Top flower bud of a chrysanthemum Crown Grafting Putting scions under the raised bark of a branch that has been cut back. Damping Off Seedling collapse caused by excess moisture and a fungus. Datura Angel's Trumpet. Half hardy annual. Shrubs/trees with large scented trumpet shaped flowers. Deciduous Trees and shrubs that lose their leaves in winter. Delphinium Perennial. Hardy. Tall spikes of white blue lavender or purple. Needs staking and protecting from slugs. Sweet William and other varieties including border carnations and annual pinks. Dibber Tool used for making holes for seedlings e.g. pencil sized piece of dowel or cut down fork handle with sharpened end. Dicentra Bleeding Heart. Perennial. Hardy. Pink or white flowers in early summer. Dicotyledons Plants with 2 seed leaves e.g. courgette. Dill Annual herb. Peucedanum graveolens. Seeds and leaves are used. Disbudding Removing unwatnted shoot or flower buds. Drill Shallow trench for sowing seeds in. Drying off Not watering plants and bulbs during the winter. Earthing up Drawing soil up the sides of plants such as potatoes and celery. Evergreen Plants that keep their leaves all year e.g. Holly. Eye A dormant wood bud. Fennel Annual - but can overwinter in shetered areas herb. Foeniculum vulgare. Fresh or dried seeds and leaves are used thick stalks eaten raw or cooked. Fumigating Using a poisonous smoke to kill insects in a greenhouse. Garlic Bulb grown from cloves. Allium sativum.Used fresh. Gooseberry Mildew Fungal disease attacking leaves stems and fruits. Mildew that turns from white to brown.. Gourd Round and other shaped fruit of the genus Curcurbita. Graft Shoot prepared to be inserted into the branch of a tree. Green Fly An aphid - natural predator is the ladybird. Greenhouse Place to grow plants in a controlled environment. Green manure Quick growing bulk producing crops such as mustard and vetches dug into the earth when a few centimetres high. Grit Small stoney particles used to lighten heavy soil or as a medium for growing Alpines. Habitat Natural home of a plant or a specially created area suited to specific plants e.g. a gravel bed for drought loving plants. Half Hardy Plants that need protection in winter. Hardening Off Gradually acclimatising plants raised in cover before planting them outside. Heeling in Temporarily planting plants trees and shrubs close together in a trench until they can go in their permanent position. Herbaceous Plants that lose stems and leaves in winter e.g. Lupins. Honeydew Sugary honey-type sap on the surface of leaves. Hotbed Decomposing manure topped with soil and covered with a frame - used to grow plants needing heat. Humus Natural compost or well rotted manure. Hybrid Plant reared from cross between 2 species e.g. Loganberry. Hyssop Perennial herb. Hyssopus officinalis. Used fresh. Inarching Grafting together 2 branches of separate plants. Jersey Lily see Amaryllis. Lateral Side shoot growing from main stem of a plant. Lavender Perennial herb. Lavandula spica. Flower heads used dried. Layering Way of propagating plants by buring a growing part in the soil. Leaf Mould Decayed leaves. Lichen A symbiosis between an algae and a fungus. Loam Soil made up of sand clay and decayed grass and plants. Love Lies Bleeding see Amaranthus. Maiden Tree Trees roses etc 1 year old. Maple see Acer. Marjoram Perennial herb. Origanum onites. Leaves used fresh or dried. Marl Chalky soil made up of clay and carbonate of lime used to be used as a fertiliser on farmland. Mimosa see Acacia. Mint Perennial herb. Mentha spicata. Fresh and dried leaves used. Monkshood see Aconite. Monocotyledon Plant with 1 leaf e.g. onion. Mulching Covering the surface of soil with layer of leaves grass cutting etc to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Nasturtium Annual herb. Tropaeolum. Leaves flowers and seeds are used. Offsets Bulblets or plants still attached to parent plant. Osier Young shoots of Osier Willow (Salix viminalis) used for making baskets etc. Ovary Where seeds develop in a flower Parsley Perennial herb. Petroselinum crispum. Leaves are used. Pegging Down Fixing parts of long shoots of plants close to the soil to help propagation. Peppermint Perennial herb. Mentha piperita. Mainly used dried but can be used fresh. Pennyroyal. Perennial herb. Used fresh in small amounts. Perennial Plant that can live for many years. Pergola Structure - usually wooden often over a path used as a support for climbing plants. Picotee Type of carnation with flower edges a different colour from the main part. Pinching Removing the growing points of plants to encourage them to develop more bushy growth. Pinks see Dianthus. Annual and Perennial varieties. Piping Shoot of a carnation ready to use as a cutting. Pistil Female organ of a flower. Plunging Sinking a pot to its rim in earth or other medium. Pollination The action - windborn insect carried or manual - of taking pollen from the anthers to the stigma of a flower. Pricking out Transplanting young seedlings. Pruning Cutting off unwanting parts of a tree or plant. Puddling Putting clay in the bottom of a pond ramming it down to make a waterproof base. Radicle Embryo root of a germinated seed. Retarding Keeping plants in a cool environment to retard their growth - e.g. controlling flowering plant for Flower Shows. Rhizome Underground stem. Ridging Making soil into ridges to expose to the air during winter or pulling earth up around potatoes or celery. Root Pruning Pruning roots to check growth. Rosemary Perennial herb. Rosmarinus officinalis. Used fresh and dried. Rue Perrenial herb. Ruta graveolens.Mainly used in herbal remedies for animals. Runners Stems coming from the base of a plant that develop a 'baby' plant at the tip e.g. starwberry runners. Sage Perennial herb. Salvia officinalis. Used fresh or dried. Savory Summer Savory is an annual Winter Savory a perennial herb. Used fresh. Scion Shoot used for grafting onto the stem of a tree. Second crown bud Bud that develops on a new shoot after the crown bud has been removed e.g. on a chrysanthemum Sets Onion bulbs and potato tubers to plant. Shanking Shrivelling of the stalks holding bunches of grapes to the vine. Shoddy Waste wool used as a long lasting nitrogen rich fertiliser. Shrub Woody stemmed perennial. Silver Sand Very pale fine sand used in potting compost. Sorrel Perennial but can be grown as an annual herb. Rumex acetosa. Used fresh. Southernwood Perennial herb. Artemisia abrotanum. Used in pot-pourri. Spawn Mycelium of mushrooms also used as name for 'cakes' of straw earth etc impregnated with mycelium. Spit A spadeful of soil. Spore Fern cell that will germinate and produce a plant. Spur Short shoot - naturally produced or formed by pruning. Standard Tree with a clear stem of around 2 metres Standard roses have a clear stem of around 1 metre Stigma Top of the pistil (female part) of a flower. Stock Stem onto which scion is grafted Stopping also known as Pinching Removing the growing points of plants to encourage them to develop more bushy growth. Striking Putting cuttings into soil. Subsoil Lower layer of soil. Succulents Fleshy leafed plants e.g. Sempervivum commonly known as House Leek. Sucker Shoot or branch from the underground part of a plant. Sweet Williams see Dianthus. Generally treated as a biennial but is perennial in sheltered places. Tansy Perennial herb. Tanacetum vulgare. Used to be used as a herb for flavouring but now grown decoratively. Tarragon Perennial herb - needs protection in exposed areas. Artemisia dracunulus. Fresh and dried leaves are used. Tap-root Main root that goes vertically down into the soil. Tendril Thin growth a plant uses to attach itself to a support. Terminal Bud Flower bud that develops at the end of a lateral shoot. Thyme Perennial herb. Used fresh and dried. Topdressing Layer of compost or manure applied to surface of soil or pots. Topiary Cutting and shaping suitable plants to make shapes e.g. yew box. Transplanting Moving plants from one area to another. Trenching Method of deep digging soil. Tuber Swollen underground stem e.g. Begonia. Truss Number of flowers in a cluster e.g. tomatoes Violet Sweet Annual herb. Viola odorata. Used fresh. Wattle see Acacia. Woolly Aphis Also known as American Blight. An aphis that attacks apple trees killing buds and swelling shoots.