Glossary of Gardening
Terms
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Many people
are put off gardening because it sounds too complicated
and technical. However a beautiful garden can easily be
produced and maintained with the minimum of knowledge.
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To start you
off below is a glossary of some of the most common
terms. To learn how to carry out gardening tasks from
the most simple to the more complicated have a look at
our
articles section. Here you can learn how to
prune your plants, how to
look after your lawn and for the more adventurous
you can learn how to
propagate your own plants.
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Annual
Plants that complete their
lifecycle in one season and require planting
again next year. Often used to produce
seasonal displays in borders and containers.
Examples: Sweet Peas, Nigella, Nasturtiums,
Pot Marigolds |
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Aspect
This is the direction your
garden faces and it affects the amount of
light received. North-facing gardens get
least light and can be damp, while
south-facing gardens get most light but can
be dry |
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Biennial
Plants that produce leafy
growth in the first year and then flower,
set seed and die in the second year.
Examples: Wallflowers, Sweet William,
Foxgloves |
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Blubs, corms and tubers
These are all underground
storage organs formed from either the plant
leaves, stems or roots. New plants emerge
from buds within these organs. Examples:
Snowdrop, Gladioli, Hyacinths, Iris,
Daffodil, Tulip |
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Climbers
Require some other means of
support, such as another plant, wall or
trellis in order to grow. Examples:
Clematis, Sweet Pea,
Hedera (Ivy), Honeysuckle, Wisteria |
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Deciduous
Plants that shed their leaves
at the end of the growing season, producing
new leaves the following spring |
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Ericaceous
Relates to plants that need
soil with a low Ph or 6 or less. Such plants
should be potted up with ericaceous compost |
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Evergreen
Plants that retain their
leaves through the year. Examples:
Ceanothus, Hebe, Holly,
Skimmia |
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Hardiness
Described in three categories
- tender, half-hardy and hardy - hardiness
refers to a plant's ability to withstand
winter frosts |
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Perennial
Woody or herbaceous (fleshy)
plants which grow and flower for a number of
years and have stems that die down at the
end of the growing season. Examples:
Delphiniums, Hostas, Geraniums,
Achillea, Helebores |
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Soil Ph
This refers to the soil's
acidity or alkalinity and is a vital factor
in good plant growth. Acid soils are
considered to have a Ph below 6.5, 7 is
neutral and alkaline is greater than 7 |
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Shrubs
Woody-stemmed plants with
multiple branches that grow from near the
base. Examples: Ribes, Forsythia,
Pieris, Cistus,
Weigela, Cotoneaster,
Pyracantha |
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