leaf cutting a technique used to propagate a plant. A leaf is cut from a parent plant and placed in ver- miculite or perlite to create new plants.
leggy descriptive term for tall, spindly growth with little vegetation, due to a deficiency of sunlight.
lime a soil amendment containing calcium.
loam a mixture of sand, clay, organic matter, and silt, found in the topmost layer of soil.
manure tea a mix of water with manure, used as fertilizer.
microclimate in a small area, temperatures and moisture levels that differ from those of surrounding areas, and in which a plant with specific needs may be grown.
mixed border a border garden with a blend of perennials, annuals, shrubs, and grasses.
moon garden a garden planted with night-flowering plants, such as moonflowers.
mowing strip a narrow cement, brick, or other pavement that separates a garden from the lawn, and which can easily be mowed over without damaging the garden's plants.
mulch shredded or chipped material, often organic, placed around plants to help control weeds and to prevent roots from freezing.
naturalized designating plants that have been acclimated to a region other than their native one.
nursery a gardening center that grows and tends plants, shrubs, and trees.
organic natural and previously living, not synthesized by humans.
ornamental a plant grown for the beauty of its flowers or foliage rather than as a food.
parterre as French garden laid out in a pattern.
patte d'ole three avenues branching out from a central location.
perennial a plant that lives three years or more and may reflower again and again.
pergola a trelliswork arbor on which climbing vines or roses are trained to grow.
perlite granular volcanic rock, used to aerate potting soil.
pH a measure of a soil's level of acidity and alkalinity. A level of 1 is the most acid, whereas 14 is the most alkaline.
piscina a fish pool in a garden, especially Roman.
pleached alley a sheltered walk formed by the interlacing branches of two rows of trees.
pleaching plaiting trees or shrubs together, sometimes to form a wall.
pocket garden a small niche garden or a garden planted with dwarf varieties.
propagation any one of several methods of creating new plants.
prune to trim.
raised bed a vegetable or flower garden in soil that is mounded or raised above the surrounding land, often held together by wood.
reseeders any plants or flowers that drop seeds on the ground to grow next season.
retaining wall any wall built into a hill or slope to control erosion.
revert to turn back into its original species, an occurrence of some cultivars.
ricami see broderie.
rock garden a small landscaped garden featuring various small plants and rocks. Also known as a rockery.
root-bound designating a potted plant whose roots have outgrown their containment, thwarting new growth.
rosarian a rose expert or hobbyist.
rotation switching the location of plants in the garden each year to cut down on soil-borne spread of disease.
row covers any transparent cover used to trap heat and protect plants from harsh weather.
sen-tei a Japanese water garden.
scion a shoot or bud of a woody plant, used in grafting.
side-dress to place fertilizer on the soil around plants but not work it into the ground.
soaker hose a hose with hundreds of tiny holes from which water trickles gradually into a garden.
soil amendment any fertilizer or organic or inorganic matter added to soil to improve it for optimum plant growth.
spading fork a long-handled implement with long tines, used for loosening up hardened ground.
specimen plant any striking plant, often used in a landscape as a focal point.
staking tying plants, especially tall-growing ones, to wooden stakes sunken in the ground, to prevent blowdowns from strong winds.
succession planting to plant and replant on a weekly basis in order to keep a steady supply of crops or flowers later in the season.
sucker a shoot that grows out of the roots of a plant.
sunken garden a garden that is recessed below ground level, for visual interest.
sweet soil see alkaline soil.
terrace a raised portion of earth, like a step, on which plants are grown, often part of a series of such on a hill.
terra-cotta a type of fired clay commonly used for pots in gardens.
terrarium a glass or plastic box or bottle for growing small plants.
thicket tangled undergrowth consisting of various shrubs, vines, and plants.
thinning the removal of smaller seedlings between larger ones to improve growth.
tokonoma a flowered alcove in a Japanese garden. Also, topiary hedges, shrubs, or trees pruned into fantastic or animal-like shapes.
top-dress to spread fertilizer or compost along the surface of the ground.
top soil the top layer of soil, which is usually the most fertile.
transplant to uproot and move a plant from one location to another.
trellis a lattice frame for climbing plants.
trowel a small scooplike implement used for digging holes for planting.
truck garden a garden from which vegetables, herbs, and flowers are sold at a market.
vernalization the extended period of cold climate some plants, such as apple trees, must be exposed to in order to bear buds in the spring.
victory garden a home or community garden grown to bolster the food supply during World War II.
vineyard a plantation of grapes, kiwi, or other vine crops.
volunteer a plant that spreads to an adjacent property, by wind, birds, or other means.
Garden Pests and Diseases
aphid a tiny greenish, sap-sucking insect that leaves behind a sugary dewlike substance that attracts ants.
black spot a fungal disease caused by moisture, most often seen on roses.
brown rot a common fungus that infects fruit.
canker a disease found on soft or rotten stems, caused by bacteria and fungi.
cutworm any of various caterpillars that cut down and feed on the tender new shoots of cabbage, corn, and other plants.
damping off fungal decay of a young seedling, often caused by overwatering or a soil-borne disease.
dieback the death of the tips of branches and shoots, caused by pests or disease.
dormant oil an oil used to coat fruit trees and kill insects and their eggs. Also known as horticultural oil.
fungicide a chemical solution used to control fungi and the diseases it causes.
fusarium a fungal disease of herbaceous plants.
gypsy moths destructive caterpillars which in the larval stage can defoliate entire trees.