Tired of reading the technical and confusing how-to's of gardening? You are not alone. For those who find themselves desperately seeking a handbook to decode the gardening manual, this section is for you.

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  • Annual Annual a plant that completes it's lifecycle (growth, seeds for next year, death) in one year
  • Anther Anther Anther the pollen-bearing end of the male organ (stamen) of a flower; the anther usually protrudes from the center of the flower Anther
  • Bare Root Plant Bare Root Plant Bare Root Plant a plant that is sold with the roots exposed, rather than already potted in soil Bare Root Plant
  • Basal Plate Basal Plate Basal Plate the lower, usually round surface of a bulb from which the roots grow Basal Plate
  • Biennial Biennial a plant that completes it's lifecycle in two years (e.g. - sweet william, parsley)
  • Bolting Bolting a plant that flowers and produces seeds too soon
  • Bracts Bracts Bracts on some plants, these are the colorful leaves that attract attention instead of a blossom (e.g. - poinsettias) Bracts
  • Broadcast Broadcast to scatter seed and fertilizer
  • Bulblet Bulblet Bulblet a small, offset bulb, usually produced on the underground stem of the parent bulb Bulblet
  • Calyx Calyx refers collectively to all the sepals together that enclose and protect the flower in bud; typically found beneath the open flower
  • Corm Corm Corm type of bulbs that is solid and hard in substance and usually rounded and slightly flattened (e.g. - crocus, gladiolus) Corm
  • Corolla Corolla Corolla a collective word for the union of all petals together that form part of the flower structure Corolla
  • Corona Corona Corona an interior flower structure, found between the corolla (all petals together) and the stamens, that resembles a crown or, as it is called for daffodils, a cup Corona
  • Crown Crown Crown a plant's crown is the spot where it's roots and stem meet Crown
  • Cultivar Cultivar an artificially created variety (through breeding or hybridization), like all of the different varieties of roses that exist today; the word comes from combining "cultivated variety"
  • Cup Cup Cup a part of a flower that exists between all the petals (corolla) and stamens of daffodils for instance; quite often the color of the cup is different from the petals; sometimes also called ‘corona’ Cup
  • Cutting Cutting a section of a stem that is cut off; it's lower leaves are removed, and it is partly buried in the soil so it will form roots
  • Deadhead Deadhead Deadhead to increase the number of flowerbuds and extend the blooming time of an annual or perennial by snipping off the flowers after they fade but before they go to seed; the growers in Holland do this well to enhance the growth of the bulbs themselves (e.g. - impatiens, petunias) Deadhead
  • Dibble Dibble a small tool used for transplanting or pricking out seedlings
  • Disbud Disbud to remove flower buds from clusters so that the remaining flowers grow larger
  • Divide Divide Divide to separate overcrowded clumps of bulbs or plants into smaller, plantable pieces to stimulate new growth and more flowers Divide
  • Dormancy Dormancy the yearly cycle in a plant's life when growth slows and the plant rests (do not fertilize during this time)
  • Double Flower Double Flower Double Flower a flower with many overlapping petals which gives it a very full appearance Double Flower
  • Drainage Drainage the movement of water downward through the soil. If soil is saturated with water air is forced out and roots perish from lack of oxygen. Good drainage is essential for all bulbs
  • Drift Drift Drift a long, natural irregular free form planting (like a drift of daffodils that imitate the look of bulbs in the wild) Drift
  • Eye Eye Eye a not-yet-active and barely visible bud Eye
  • Filament Filament Filament the stalk of the male organ (stamen) of a flower Filament
  • Flat Flat a shallow box used to start cuttings or seedlings
  • Foliage Foliage Foliage a fancy term for leaves Foliage
  • Forcing Forcing Forcing the process of speeding up a plant's growth to maturity or bloom Forcing
  • Full Shade Full Shade refers to a location that receives no direct sunlight
  • Full Sun Full Sun refers to a location that receives six or more hours of direct sunlight
  • Genus Genus a group of plant/bulb species that are structurally related (e.g. - Tulipa / 'tulips')
  • Hardening Off Hardening Off acclimating a plant to an outdoor climate after growing them indoors; should be done gradually and with protection from the sun
  • Hardiness Hardiness the ability of a plant to withstand specific environmental conditions like low temperatures or frost without artificial protection
  • Hardiness Zone Map Hardiness Zone Map gardeners need a way to compare their garden climates with the climate where a plant is known to grow well; that's why climate zone maps were created. Zone maps are tools that show where various permanent landscape plants can adapt
  • Hardpan Hardpan the impervious layer of soil or clay that lies beneath the topsoil
  • Hybrid Hybrid the result of a cross (breeding) of two parent plants (often of two different species)
  • Inflorescence Inflorescence Inflorescence the flowering structure: the complete overall arrangement of flowers on a plant Inflorescence
  • Inter-planting Inter-planting Inter-planting mixing and matching different types of plants to create depth, height, structure, a certain color scheme and to ensure something different is in bloom almost all season long. For instance planting tulips scattered amongst your perennials Inter-planting
  • Invasive Plants Invasive Plants such trees, shrubs, and vines can spread quickly; left unchecked, this growth can end up choking out all other desirable plantings
  • Involute Involute Involute a flower petal that is turned inward. Sufficient involution will create a tubular petal which may be referred to as Fully involute or Quilled (e.g. - Ball-type dahlias) Involute
  • Leaf Molding Leaf Molding decomposed leaves valuable for mulching and improving soil quality
  • Lifting Lifting digging up a bulb from the ground gently
  • Loam Loam a relatively equal mix of sand, silt, and clay that keeps a garden healthy; loam soil is high in organic matter and usually has good drainage
  • Microclimate Microclimate variations of the climate within a given area (such as when it's raining at your house but the sun is shining across the street)
  • Mulch Mulch depending on your budget, effectiveness of intended purpose, appearance, and availability a wide variety of materials can be used: compost, leaves, straw, bark nuggets, shredded wood, pine needles, crushed stones and even animal manure
  • Mulching Mulching placing a layer of mulch across your flower beds with the multiple purpose of fertilizing , preventing erosion and maintaining a more balanced moisture level (less evaporation), improving soil quality
  • N-P-K N-P-K you will find this term used in fertilizer formulas to indicate the ratios of certain elements; the letters stand for nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. How do you know what is beneficial for what? Just remember "Little Red Flower": L stands for leaves, R for roots and F for, well yes, flowers; nitrogen enhances the growth of the leaves, Phosphorous the roots and Potassium the flowers; NPK = LRF
  • Naturalizing Naturalizing when bulbs and plants in the right environment (usually something close to their native habitat) multiply and return each year in randomly changing patterns, making it appear as if they grew naturally like wildflowers
  • Offset Offset small bulb that is produced from a mature bulb. They can be separated and planted on their own. Larger offsets will bloom the first year after separation, smaller ones may take a year or two
  • Percolate Percolate to filter through a porous substance like soil, gravel, or sand
  • Perennial Perennial a plant is considered perennial if it lives for two or more seasons (e.g. - hostas, daffodils, daylilies)
  • Perianth Perianth Perianth the outer, non-sexual parts of a flower, including the petals or sepals both; used to attract pollinators such as bees Perianth
  • Petal Petal Petal the often brightly colored, individual leaves that surround the reproductive parts of a plant’s flower Petal
  • pH pH a chemistry term, the value of which indicates whether your soil is 'Acid' (pH value between 4.0 and 6.9) or 'Alkaline' (pH value between 7.1 and 9.0); the latter is common in chalky or lime soils which are best for many bulbs
  • Pinching Pinching to encourage a fuller form or bigger blooms, pinch off (remove) growing tips or shoots of young plants or flower bulbs
  • Pistil Pistil Pistil the female part of the flower that accepts pollen. It is made up of ovary, style and stigma Pistil
  • Plant Habit Plant Habit the form a plant naturally takes as it grows, such as spreading or climbing
  • Reflexed Reflexed Reflexed a flower petal that is bent outward or backward (e.g. - tigridias, tiger lilies) Reflexed
  • Rhizome Rhizome Rhizome a type of bulb with solid tissue and usually elongated in shape (e.g. - cannas, callas) Rhizome
  • Root Ball Root Ball Root Ball the network of roots along with the attached soil, of any given plant Root Ball
  • Sepal Sepal Sepal individual leaf-like structures, usually green, that enclose the flower in bud stage Sepal
  • Spadix Spadix Spadix an inflorescence of many tiny flowers clustered on a central stalk (e.g. - Calla lilies, Jack-in-the-pulpit) Spadix
  • Spathe Spathe Spathe also called a ‘bract’ at times: a showy, modified leaf that has developed in what almost looks like a flower and encloses a spadix (e.g. - Calla lilies, caladiums, Jack-in-the-pulpit) Spathe
  • Species Species a group of plants/bulbs having similar distinctive characteristics; a species is a subordinate member of a genus (e.g. - 'Darwin hybrid')
  • Sport Sport a plant/bulb that is distinctly different from its parents, resulting from a natural mutation
  • Staking Staking providing support to a taller-growing plant with a stick, rod or ring and some wire, twist ties, or rope
  • Stamen Stamen Stamen the male organ of the flower, which produces and bears pollen at the end of a stalk (filament) Stamen
  • Stigma Stigma Stigma the top of the female organ (pistil) of a flower; when sticky, it receives pollen from the anther Stigma
  • Strain Strain a group of hybrid plants producing offspring that are more or less true to their parents
  • Style Style Style a part of the female organ (pistil) of a flower; it is the elongated section upon which the stigma rests Style
  • Tepals Tepals so called when the petals and sepals of a flower look similar
  • Top-dress Top-dress to evenly spread fertilizers or other soil amendments (mulch, compost) over the surface of the soil
  • Transplanting Transplanting Transplanting digging up a plant and moving it to another location Transplanting
  • (True) Bulbs (True) Bulbs (True) Bulbs think of them as very big seeds: an underground stem with a growing point surrounded by fleshy scales which store their food (e.g. - tulips, snowdrops, onions) (True) Bulbs
  • Tuber Tuber Tuber a type of bulb which varies widely in shape and size (e.g. - begonias, dahlias) Tuber
  • Umbel Umbel Umbel a ball-like flower cluster with individual flower stems sprouting from a common point at the top of the stem Umbel
  • Underplanting Underplanting Underplanting deliberately creating or introducing a canopy or garden layers by planting taller-growing species alongside shorter-growing species, particularly with bulbs near or under trees and shrubs Underplanting
  • Variegated Variegated Variegated foliage that is striped or marked with a color other than the basic green leaf Variegated
  • Variety Variety variations in species that occur in nature or that have been cultivated by man (e.g. - 'Pink Impression')
  • Wet feet Wet feet a garden location with poor drainage that leaves plants in constant moisture, which may end up suffocating and rotting their roots