Aerobic decomposition: the process of decomposing in the presence of oxygen
Annuals: a plant that completes its life cycle in one year or less
Bolt: go to seed quickly
Brown garden materials: compost materials that are high in carbon and typically brown in color, including dry leaves and twigs
Companion planting: the practice of planting two or more plants together to enhance the growth and quality of nearby plants; to provide maximum ground cover; and, when possible, to improve the soil
Compost tea: a mixture that results from steeping compost in a large bucket of water, essentially providing a diluted, liquid form of compost you can spray over gardens and plant beds
Container gardening: the process of growing plants in pots or containers instead of in the ground; the advantage to this system is gardeners can easily move plants if they are not growing well or plants can be grown indoors
Corm: a swollen, underground plant stem
Cottage garden: an informal, lighthearted garden that contains perennials, herbs, and rosebushes; there are often fences, trellises, arbors, or seating areas that will give a vertical aspect to the garden without detracting from it
Country garden: a form of garden that is a mix between the mixed border garden and the cottage garden style; it may incorporate trellises, arches, perennials, hedges, trees, and elements that are both formal and informal
Cover crop: a crop planted to improve the function of a primary plant
Crop plants: plants that are grown primarily for human and animal feed
Crop rotation: relocating crops to a different part of the garden every year
Cut-and-come-again salads: salad greens that do not need to reach maturity before harvesting and can be cut to grow again
Dampening off: when young seedlings suddenly die, most likely from rot
Deadheading: the process of plucking dead blooms off flowers; also called pinching off
Digging a plant under: the practice of leaving a plant in the ground and turning the dirt and soil over, chopping the plant and roots as you do so
Division: the process of separating a plant into several smaller versions of the original to keep the plant healthy
Dolly: a small platform with wheels used to move heavy objects
Dwarf trees: versions of trees that have been kept artificially small through horticultural practice
Floret: a tiny grouping of flowers centered together on a series petal-like bracts
Flowering shrubs: shrubs grown primarily for their flowery show
Formal garden: a garden that features defined shape and structure, often featuring clearly outlined beds and strong, geometric shapes
Frost heaves: when the freezing and thawing process plants go through causes the soil to expand and contract, which can break roots and force plants out of the ground
Fruit bushes/trees: trees and/or shrubs that bear edible fruit
Full-shade garden: a garden when no direct sunlight reaches the ground at any time of the day
Full-sun garden: a garden that can grow in the hottest and driest conditions; fruit trees, vines, and shrubs grow well in this type of environment
Garden insectory: a type of garden designed to attract or harbor beneficial insects
Grafting: attaching a plant from a differing type of fruit or tree onto another tree
Grasses: plants that have jointed stems, leaves, and produce seed-like grain
Green garden materials: compost materials that are high in nitrogen, including grass clippings and annuals pulled from the garden
Green manure: a form of organic compost that benefits a garden
Hardening off: the process used to acclimate seedlings to an outdoor environment; it usually entails setting seedlings outdoors during the day and bringing them in at night until they are used to the temperature
Hardiness: the temperature range in which a plant will survive
Hardiness zones: the different zones, as determined by the USDA, where various trees, shrubs, and flowers will most likely survive
Hardscape: aspects of a garden that do not grow; for example, driveways, walkways, and fountains
Herbaceous border gardens: a form of garden that is backed by a high stone wall or a picket fence and features summer perennials of various heights and foliage varieties
Herbaceous plants: plants that their tops die down while the roots or bulbs remain alive
Herbs: small, seed-bearing plants that are most noted for their aromatic, medicinal, healthful, and cooking qualities
Intercropping: another term for companion planting
Lawn dressing: a 1- to 3-inch layer of compost that is added on top of existing grass
Level interactions: planting tall plants with short plants to provide shade and structure
Light shade: a garden’s lighting condition where filtered sunlight comes through the leaves of trees, still allowing some light to hit the plants beneath the tree
Loamy: a form of soil that is a mixture of sand, clay, and organic matter; this is an ideal form of soil
Microclimate: a mini-climate or a small, specific place found within a larger climate area; this results from different types of exposures to the elements
Minimalist garden: a garden that features a clean, crisp look and incorporates clean lines, simple spaces, and are often used in conjunction with contemporary architecture
Mixed border garden: a simple form of garden that include perennials, annuals, and bulbs
Monoculture: when only one plant is used in a garden
Naturalized garden: a garden that strives to recreate a balance that is often seen in nature; this garden welcomes wildlife and seeds and bulbs are scattered throughout the bed, allowing nature to scatter the plants instead of planting them in rows
Nitrogen fixation: when plants such as peas, beans, and clover excrete excess nitrogen into the soil, allowing other plants to absorb the nitrogen
Nut bushes: bushes grown for the nuts they produce
Ornamental shrubs: these shrubs are grown purely for looks
Overwinter: surviving the winter season
Perennials: plants that live longer than one year
Polyculture: a method of planting species of plants together for mutual benefit, usually in agricultural situations
Prairie garden: a mix of perennials and grasses that are grown together
Rhizome: a horizontal plant stem with shoots above ground and roots below ground
Run to seed: when a plant matures too quickly and produces seeds more quickly than they can be eaten
Scorching: when leaves burn and dry up because of too little water
Seeding: sowing seeds of plants you want to appear in spring and summer
Side dressing: fertilizing mid-way through a growing season
Soaker hose: a hose with small holes throughout the tubing that allows the hose to equally distribute water among plants
Taproot: one long, single root
Thinning: pulling out plants that are growing too close together and moving them to different areas of the garden
Trap cropping: using a specific plant in a garden to trap or attract a pest, keeping it away from another plant in the garden
Tuber: a thickened portion of an underground stem
Vegetable: plants that are edible or part of the plant is edible
Vertical gardening: using plants that will climb taller than standard plants so gathering vegetables, fruit, or herbs is done at a higher level
Wildflower packets: a wide variety of plant seeds mixed together and used to throw into fields to achieve a natural look
Winter burn: damage that winter temperatures cause
Woodlands garden: a garden style that typically incorporates a canopy of trees, a layer of shrubs, and the woodland floor