Some Helpful Definitions
Biennial
- A plant that germinates and grows leaves for one growing season, lives through the winter and then flowers, produces seeds and dies the second year.
Conifer
- A cone-bearing tree or shrub, often evergreen, usually with needle like leaves.
Deciduous
- Dropping all its leaves in one season.
Flora
- All the kinds of plants that grow wild in an area
Formal Garden
- A garden laid out in regular geometric patterns with defined paths and pruned hedges.
Foundation Planting
- A narrow border of evergreen shrubs planted around the foundation of a house.
Full Sun
- Receiving a minimum of six hours of direct sun each day during the growing season.
Half Hardy
- Able to withstand a few degrees of frost, but not extreme cold.
Hardening Off
- Gradually exposing a plant that has been growing under sheltered conditions to cold, heat, sun, and wind.
Herbaceous Perennial
- A non-woody plant that produces new shoots each year. Some are evergreen, but most go dormant and die down to the ground for part of the year.
Horticultural Oil
- A light, highly refined mineral oil, mixed with water and used as an insecticide spray.
Humus
- Organic matter derived from decomposed plant and animal remains.
Hybrid
- A plant resulting from a cross between two parents that belong to different varieties or species.
Lime
- White mineral compounds used to combat soil acidity and to supply calcium for plant growth.
Loam
- An ideal soil for gardening, containing plenty of organic matter and a balanced range of smaller to larger mineral particles.
Mulch
- A layer of bark, peat moss, compost, shredded leaves, hay, lawn clippings, gravel or other material spread over soil around the base of plants to help retard evaporation, inhibit weeds and regulate soil temperature.
Nematode
- A microscopic round worm that lives in the soil. Some are beneficial and prey on harmful insect larvae, but many are serious pests that weaken plants by damaging their roots.
Peat Moss
- Partially decomposed mosses and sedges, mined from boggy areas and used to improve garden soil.
PH Scale
- A system of describing acidity or alkalinity, ranging from PH 0 to 14. PH 7 is neutral. Values lower than 7 indicate acidity.
Self Sow
- To produce seeds that germinate and grow with no care from the Gardner.
Succulent
- A plant with thick fleshy leaves or stems that can store water.
60 Turnpike Road
Ipswich, MA 01938
978-356-6342 Phone
978-356-4476 Fax
104 Eastern Avenue
Gloucester, MA 01930
978-281-4480 Phone
978-282-0619 Fax
Providing QUALITY PRODUCTS, VALUE, AND SERVICE to Residential and Commercial customers for over 30 Years!
SIGN UP FOR OUR
