Terms for Plant Selection
If you are researching plant X to determine whether it is something you would like to grow, and you find a description that says it is a “biennial,” you will get more out of the plant description if you understand what that term means, so you can make the right plant selection. Once you know what a biennial is, you may decide that it’s not the right plant for you to grow in a particular spot.
annual plants bedding plants biennial plants broadleaf climber conifer corm cotyledon leaves cover crop creeper cultivar deciduous dioecious evergreen ground cover herbaceous indigenous or native plant invasive plant naturalized plant perennial plants plant taxonomy or botanical nomenclature rhizome specimen plants stolon tree (as opposed to a shrub) variegated plants woody plants zones (USDA)
Terms About Soil and Composting
Having some knowledge of soil science will help you grow your plants more successfully after you have selected them. But soil science has its own distinct vocabulary. At a bare minimum, you will need to become comfortable with terms having to do with soil pH and soil amendments (compost, etc.).
acidity (in soil) aerobic (composting term) alkalinity (in soil) amendments for the soil (including compost) anaerobic (composting term) compost bin friable lime (used in the garden) loam manure tea nitrogen-fixing plants pH (of the soil) soil solarization
Terms About Plant and Tree Care
Getting plants to grow well is one thing; caring for them is another. Learning terms such as “girdling” will help you avoid costly mistakes when caring for your trees. When hiring professionals to do such work, it is important to realize the difference between pollarding and topping.
arboriculture arborist balled and burlapped plants buck cabling chicken wire chilling requirement complete fertilizer and NPK core aeration deadhead dethatching forcing girdling green manure crop hardening off heading back integrated pest management leader limbing living mulch pollarding rootstock thatch (in a lawn)
Landscape Design Terms
Once you have become adept at growing plants successfully and caring for them, you may wish to try your hand at designing with them. For that, you will want to become familiar with the terms used in landscape design, such as “focal point” and “texture.”
aesthetic balance color theory edging plant focal point landscape design landscape gardening landscaping mulch softscape texture (of plants) topiary art work xeriscape landscaping or xeriscaping
Terms for Hardscaping
Moreover, when researching hardscape projects, you will come across specialized terms. Do you know how an arbor differs from a pergola? In building a concrete patio or walkway, you will need to find out why a “control joint” is essential and what a “float” tool is used for. Before trying your hand at building a deck, learn about girders and header boards.
basket weave brick pattern control joint decking edging float gazebo girder hardscape header board herringbone jointer mortar pergolas (as opposed to arbors and similar structures) PVC (used in fencing) screed
