Additionally, some amendments are designed to alter the pH of the soil, making it more acidic or alkaline.
ANAEROBIC
Without oxygen. (See: Aerobic/Anaerobic)
ANGIOSPERM
A flowering plant whose seeds are housed within an ovary.
Not a word you are likely to see on a plant tag or in a beginner’s gardening book, huh? Angiosperms run the full gamut of garden plants, from trees and shrubs to annuals and perennials, even grasses. Gardeners do not say, “I am off to find new angiosperms for the garden!” Rather, the term is most helpful when reading advanced garden books or keying out plants.
Asimina triloba (Pawpaw)
In contrast to angiosperm is a gymnosperm, a plant whose seeds are not protected in an ovary. Examples of gymnosperm plants include conifers such as pine, spruce, hemlock, and Ginkgo.
ANNUALS
Plants that complete their life cycle within one growing season.
For gardeners, mainly in northern colder winter climates, annuals are planted after spring’s final frost and last until they are killed by the first frost of autumn. This is different than perennials, whose growth from the soil line above is also killed by the frost, but will re-grow from the root system the following spring.
Zinnias are one example of an annual.
ANTHER
(See: Flower)
ARBOR
A permanent garden structure, often made of wood and enhanced with lattice or other material fashioned from cut branches or strips of lumber to create an open and airy yet shady spot in the garden.
Passing under an arbor, one often feels as if they are transitioning from one area of the garden to another, from the sidewalk to the front yard or into another garden space – or, if the arbor is large enough, it can be a shady spot in the garden to sit and rest a while. As a year-round, visually interesting element in the garden, arbors are priceless. As structures on which to grow vining plants such as Wisteria, Clematis or climbing roses, arbors are a gardener’s delight.
Arbors can be rustic and casual, like those in a cottage garden, or more refined and architectural in nature. They can be made of wood or even metal. More ornate arbors are often meant to stand alone without plants that may obstruct the arbor’s detail work.
ARBORIST
An individual trained in the art and science of planting, caring for, and maintaining individual trees.
ARCHING
(See: Habit)
AROMATIC/FRAGRANT
Having a pleasing scent from a plant and/or its parts.
What is that wonderful scent wafting through the garden? When we think fragrance, flowers immediately come to mind. Entire gardens have been designed around fragrant plants. But not all blooms have a lovely scent to them. In fact, some flowers have a terrible smell; skunk cabbage for instance, smells like rotted meat in order to attract pollinators such as flies.
Additionally, other plants and/or certain plant parts can have a unique smell. For instance, just think of bayberry candles during the holidays. This aromatic scent is derived from the berries found on Myrica pensylvanica. In fact, if you employ scratch and sniff horticulture, you discover that the stem of this plant is also very fragrant. Lindera benzoin, commonly known as spicebush, has wood which is exactly that: spice scented. Crush Viburnum setigerum leaves and you’ll be reminded of green peppers.
ASCENDING
Another term to describe the upright growth habit of a plant.
Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’
ASEXUAL
Propagation without pollination, maintaining the identity of the parent plant. (See: Clone)
AXIL
The upper angle between the leaf and stem.
B
BACTERIA to BUSH
BACTERIA
Single-celled organisms that cannot be seen with the unaided eye. Bacteria can be both beneficial and detrimental to plants.
BALLED & BURLAPPED
Sometimes called B&B for short – a method used for harvesting large, mature trees and shrubs where a round root ball is dug out and held intact by a large piece of burlap, which is held in place by wire, twine and/or pins, allowing the plant to safely be dug, transported and replanted in another location.
Unlike widgets, plants can’t simply be pulled down off a shelf anytime you want. When it comes to digging and moving in-ground plant material from one location to another, one of the most important things you need to know is there’s a small window of opportunity to accomplish this task with the highest degree of success. Most commonly, wholesale nurseries harvest plant material dug from the field in the spring and fall; in the spring before deciduous plants break bud and in the fall after a killing frost as the plants become dormant. Evergreens and conifers are harvested before they push new growth in the spring.
Yes, you can dig plants during the growing season but it requires planning and a multitude of precautions both before digging, after harvest and again after transplanting. The probability of plant loss is increased when not done in the spring or fall – even for professional growers, let alone homeowners. You can have success with summer digging and transplanting of field dug plant material; just know it is a precise process and you’ll need to provide extra planning, time, and a little extra TLC.
BARE ROOT