Acidic fertilizer/plant food: Plant food used to maintain the soil acidity (low pH) preferred by acid-loving plants. Ex. rhododendrons, azaleas, citrus.
Acidic soil: A soil with a pH level below 7 (neutral). Acidity in soil can be due to organic material breaking down (as in a forest), water leaching through the soil (as in the rainy Pacific Northwest), or the rock underlying the area (such as granite).
Adventitious roots: Roots that develop from stem tissue. Ex. prop roots of corn, air roots of orchids.
Aeration: Most plants need some level of air in the soil. Cactus and succulents need a soil with lots of air spaces/aeration. Stream bank plants can thrive in a soil with low aeration.
Aerial root/Air root: Roots that develop from stem tissue that generally do not grow into the soil. They are used to support or prop up the plant and will absorb moisture from the air. Ex. aerial roots of philodendron, air roots of orchids.
Air layering: A method of propagating a plant where rooting is encouraged before the "cutting" is removed from the plant.
Air plant/Epiphyte: A plant that does not have roots in the ground and uses another plant for support, but is not a parasite of that plant. They get moisture and nutrients primarily from rainwater. Ex. tillandsias, licorice ferns.
Alkaline soil: A soil with a pH level above 7 (neutral). These soils are generally high in calcium, sodium, and magnesium, but low in many other nutrients. They are most common in low rainfall areas.
Allelopathy: The roots and leaf debris of some plants produce chemicals that limit the growth of other plants in the area and make it difficult for seeds to germinate under or near that plant.
Alternate leaves: A leaf arrangement in which there is only one leaf at a node. An important characteristic in plant identification. See Opposite leaves.
Amendment: A material (such as compost or pumice) added to garden soil to improve the root environment - better drainage, more water retention, increased aeration, etc.
Anaerobic state: In conditions without available oxygen (containers without drainage holes, consistently soggy soil, overwatered pots, wet compost heaps), plant roots can drown, and certain bacteria will thrive, which may produce bad-smelling or plant-toxic chemicals.
Annual: A true annual survives for only one growing season. Some annuals reseed, and those seeds may come up the following year, with the right conditions.
Arborist chips: The shredded wood and leaf mix that arborists end up with after chipping material from jobs. Often made from mixed types of tree/shrubs. They are a functionally beneficial, but can be an aesthetically inconsistent mulch.
Arillate seed: Characterized by a fleshy coating of the seed; found in yew, castor beans, or pomegranate.
Ball and Burlap (B&B): A method of harvesting and transporting trees - the tree is dug out of the ground with its root ball intact, which is then wrapped in burlap.
Bare root: A method of harvesting and transporting trees - the tree is dug out of the ground and the soil is washed away. Also, perennials and bulbs are sold in bare root form. Ex. lily of the valley and daffodils.
Bedding plant: Flowering, low-growing plants, generally mass-planted for visual appeal. Ex. petunias, impatiens, alyssum.
Beneficial insect: An insect that enhances plant health, such as a pollinator (bees) or pest predator (ladybugs).
Biennial: A plant that flowers in its second year, produces seeds, and then dies. Ex. carrots, leeks, hollyhocks, foxgloves.
Biological pest control: The practice of using living things to help control garden pests. Ex. ladybugs against aphids, nematodes against root weevils, bacteria against caterpillars.
Biodegradable: A material that can be broken down by the actions of living things, such as bacteria and fungi.
Bog plants: Plants that can tolerate having little air in the soil or that thrive in consistently wet soil. Ex. canna lily, willow, native pitcher plants, Venus flytrap, acorus, gunnera, juncus.
Bolt/Bolting: When a vegetable plant produces a flowering spike before the best harvest time, it is said to be "bolting". This frequently reduces the quality of the plant. Ex. lettuce, broccoli, other greens.
Bone meal: Fertilizer high in phosphorus, made from pig or fish bones.
Bonsai: The craft of keeping a potted tree or shrub very small through the pruning of branches and roots. Staking and wiring are also used for aesthetics.
Brassica: A family of plants also referred to as Crucifers, or officially, the Brassicaceae. They typically have flowers with four petals and attract early insect pollinators. This group of plants includes vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, and arugula. Flowering perennials and annuals in Brassicaceae include Aurinia (Basket of Gold), Matthiola (stocks), and Erysimum (wallflower). It is important to remember plants in the same family are often prone to the same diseases and insects.
Broadleaf evergreens: Plants whose leaves do not fall off in winter, but are also not conifers - rhododendrons, camellias, pieris, bay laurel, and others.
Bulb: One of a number of underground storage structures capable of producing a plant. Usually sold in a dormant state.
Calyx: All the sepals of a flower. Sepals cover the petals of a flower before it opens. For example, roses have green sepals, when they unfurl the petals are revealed. Some plants have gorgeous calyxes such as Abelia and Fuchsia.
Chelated element: A plant-available form of a plant food element that is otherwise poorly available or slowly available.
Chlorosis: A yellowing of leaves; this may be a symptom of several different problems, including nutrient imbalances and overwatering.
Clay soil: Soils that have a high clay content. Soils with as little as 30% actual clay can have a slippery clay feel. Though they supply plant nutrients, these soils have small pores that hold lots of water and will stay cooler in spring than other soils. Clay soil is also quite susceptible to compaction.
Cold frame: Any unheated structure used to protect plants. Used to start seeds, harden off seedlings, propagate cuttings, overwinter tender plants, etc.
Cole crop: A category of vegetables descended from wild cabbage. Representatives of the Brassicaceae family, they typically have flowers with four petals and attract early insect pollinators. This group of plants includes vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, and arugula.
Common name: The name a plant is widely known by, may be whimsical (turtle head/Chelone), historical (Joe Pye weed/Eupatorium) or just easier to remember (heather/Calluna).
Companion planting: The practice of incorporating plants that have a beneficial effect on a primary crop. Ex. growing flowers in an orchard to attract bees and other pollinators.
Complete fertilizer: A plant food that contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (the "macronutrients" shown in the fertilizer analysis numbers) is said to be "complete," though it does not contain all the essential elements for plant growth.
Compost: The final product of the decomposition of organic material. The source of the organic matter can be food scraps, manure, yard debris, etc. In British publications, compost = potting soil.
Conifers: Trees or shrubs having needles (pines) or scale-like leaves (cypress) with cones (pines) or arillate fruit (yews). Most are evergreen, but some drop their needles in autumn (larch).
Cool season crop: Vegetables that prefer the cooler soil of early spring to grow; as warm weather comes on, eating quality is reduced and flowering (aka bolting) may begin. Ex. lettuce, cabbage, kale.
Cover Crop: Plants seeded (usually in the fall) to build soil organic matter, add plant nutrients, prevent erosion and compaction, or provide cover for beneficial insects. Ex. rye grain, winter peas, buckwheat, clover.
Crop rotation: The practice of growing crops in different areas of the garden each season, in order to prevent the depletion of nutrients or build-up of specific insects or diseases.
Cross pollination: The practice of pollinating a specific female plant with a specific male plant. The seed from this cross will have different characteristics from either parent.
Crucifer: A family of plants, officially, the Brassicaceae. They typically have flowers with four petals and attract early insect pollinators. This group of plants includes vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, and arugula. Flowering perennials and annuals in this family include Aurinia (Basket of Gold), Matthiola (stocks), and Erysimum (wallflower). It is important to remember plants in the same family are often prone to the same diseases and insects.
Cucurbit: The plant family, Cucurbitaceae or the gourd family, that includes all the cucumbers, melon, and squash. Members of this family enjoy the same growing conditions and are prone to the same diseases.
Cultivar: From Cultivated Variety. A plant that is different from the original species, due to a gardener's intervention—a different color, variegation, or form. See Variety.
Cut and come again: A harvesting method that removes outer or upper leaves of vegetable plants, but preserves the growing tip. This allows the plant to continue to produce additional leaves for a longer harvest period. Common in lettuce, spinach. Also, used for cut flowers, to encourage longer floral display. Examples include: sunflowers, zinnias, asters, and snapdragons.
Damping off: A disease of young seedlings usually occurring when humidity is high and air circulation is low.
Day neutral: (most often of strawberries or onions) A plant whose flowering or other development is not triggered by day length change (time of year), but instead by the plant's individual maturity. Day-neutral strawberries fruit over a longer period of time than June-bearing strawberries.
Days to Harvest: The time it takes for the plant to go from germinating seed to harvestable fruit/vegetable.
Deadheading: The practice of removing spent flowers in order to encourage additional flowers or to clean up the plant's appearance.
Deciduous: A plant that naturally loses its leaves as protection from harsh conditions. Many familiar plants are winter-deciduous (maple, pear); plants in dry-summer climates may be summer-deciduous (licorice fern, bleeding heart).
Desiccate: Desiccation happens when water is removed from a plant, resulting in extreme dryness. Wind desiccates (dries out) leaves and needles, so plants need extra watering on dry windy days, any time of the year, but particularly when temperatures are extreme in summer or winter.
Determinate/Indeterminate tomatoes: Determinate tomatoes are shorter plants (bush tomatoes) and tend to ripen all their fruit in a short period of time. Indeterminate tomatoes (vining type) continue to grow, flower, and ripen fruit throughout the season.
Direct seed/Direct sow: The practice of planting seeds directly in the garden soil where they are to grow, in contrast to growing them in pots or a nurse bed first and then planting out.
Disease resistance/tolerance: A plant characteristic that makes it less vulnerable to the diseases common to most of its type, though not completely immune to them.
Dividing plants: A type of propagation. Some plants can be dug up, and cut into sections, each section containing a portion of roots and stems.
Dormant: The state in which plant growth slows or ceases in response to seasonal or other environmental conditions—high temperatures, freezing temperatures, low light, dryness.
Double digging: A method of adding organic matter to soil. Now discredited, due to its disruption of soil microbial life and soil structure.
Double flower: Flowers with more than a single row of petals; may be so full of petals that the center is hidden.
Dwarf: A cultivar that grows smaller or slower than the standard expected in that species. Note: dwarfing is relative to the usual size or growth rate of the plant, it is not an absolute "final" size definition. Ex. in conifers, this is 1" - 6" of growth per year.
Espalier: A pruning and training method used to create a plant with a two-dimensional appearance.
Everbearing: Plants that bear fruit repeatedly throughout the season. Ex. Albion strawberries, Latham raspberries.
Evergreen: Shrubs, trees, and leafy plants that do not drop their leaves in winter. Ex. Rhododendrons, pines, camellia, coral bells, wintergreen.
Family (plant family): A group of plants that share similar characteristics for botanical classification. Ex. the Nightshade family includes tomatoes, peppers, ground cherries, petunias, nicotiana, and many others.
Fertilizer/Plant food: Any material that contains plant essential nutrients. Can be granular, liquid, natural, synthetic, organic, slow-release, etc.
Foliar feeding: An unconventional method of fertilizing plants where a liquid fertilizer is sprayed directly on the leaves. Use with care.
Formal double flower: (Of camellias) Multiple rows of petals arranged in tight neat symmetrical pattern. Ex. Camellia japonica 'Nuccio's Pearl'.
Frost dates: Last frost date - The date after which a frost is unlikely (though not unknown).
Full Sun/Partial Sun: Plants that require full sun need 6-8 hours of sun each day. Plants that require partial sun can thrive in 4-6 hours of sun each day.
Fungicide: Any material is applied to a plant or to the soil to reduce the damage from a fungus disease attack.
Genus: A group of plants with more-similar characteristics than a plant family. Ex. the Solanum genus includes tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants.
Germinate: When seeds sprout, they germinate.
GMO (genetically modified organism): A plant variety whose genetic material has been edited using laboratory processes for things such as productivity, color, and disease or herbicide resistance. Most commonly, these are major crops such as corn and soy. GMO seeds are not available at the consumer level.
Grafting: Joining the upper part of one plant (the scion) to the root system of another plant (rootstock) of the same type. This technique is used to quickly produce more plants that are genetically identical to the scion. The choice of rootstock may also increase disease resistance, improve the root structure, or reduce the size of the upper portion.
Green manure: A cover crop that is seeded, grown (usually over the winter), then turned into the soil, providing organic matter and nutrients.
Gypsum: A mineral providing calcium and sulfur. It does not change the pH or improve clay soils in the PNW.
Harden off: Gradually introducing a plant, which has been growing in a sheltered place such as a greenhouse, to outdoor conditions.
Hardiness zone: Plant growing areas defined by the lowest temperature plants are likely to encounter. A number of systems can be consulted - US Department of Agriculture (most commonly used), Sunset Magazine, UK Royal Horticultural Society, and others.
Hardy: In horticultural practice, hardy means the plant can withstand winter cold. This is generally expressed as a minimum temperature or USDA zone in which the plant will likely survive.
Heavy soil: A soil that may have a high water content or high clay content and lacks the necessary aeration for most plant roots. These soils hold lots of water, will stay cooler in spring than other soils, and are quite susceptible to compaction.
Heirloom seed variety: A plant that was introduced into the trade more than 50 years ago. They are generally open-pollinated.
Herbaceous plants: Those plants that do not have a woody stem. Ex. Hosta, peony, aster, salvia.
Humus: Material that has undergone composting and can be broken down no further. It holds water and nutrients, contributes to good soil structure, and is extremely stable.
Hybrid plant or seed: A variety produced by pollinating/crossing a specific female plant with a specific male plant. The seed from this cross will have different characteristics from either parent. The seeds from a hybrid will not produce that same variety, when planted.
Indeterminant/Determinant tomatoes: Indeterminate tomatoes (vining type) continue to grow, flower, and ripen fruit throughout the season. Determinate tomatoes are shorter plants (bush tomatoes) and tend to ripen all their fruit in a short period of time.
Inoculant - Pea/bean/legumes: A mixture of soil bacteria that can form symbiotic relationships with the roots of certain plants. The bacteria take in nitrogen from the air that would be otherwise unusable to plants, reducing the crop need for added plant food.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A method of controlling garden pests that considers preventive practices, and accurate pest identification, as well as all physical, biological and chemical control options.
Invasive vs. Exuberant: Invasive plants spread into native areas and often out-compete native plants. They have the potential to destroy native habitats, which in turn affects wildlife poorly. Exuberant or aggressive plants spread freely in a localized area and aren't a threat to native populations. Ex. Lesser celandine is invasive. Douglas aster is exuberant.
June-bearing: Plants that produce one large crop of fruit in early summer. Ex. Hood strawberry, Munger raspberry.
Landscape fabric/Weed cloth: A range of plastic materials either woven or non-woven, generally used to reduce weed infestation.
Latin name/Scientific name/Botanical name: The plant naming standard to specifically identify each plant type and variety for the most accurate communication.
Leggy: If a plant does not get enough light, it can get spindly, with large spaces between leaves. The plant is said to be "leggy".
Legumes: Plants that combine with a soil bacteria to take in nitrogen from the air, reducing the need for added plant food. True of some vegetables (beans, peas), ornamental plants (lupins), shrubs (California lilac, Elaeagnus), and trees (mimosa, alder).
Lime - dolomitic/calcitic: A mineral used to reduce the acidity of soil (raise the pH). Calcitic lime provides the nutrient calcium. Dolomitic lime supplies both calcium and magnesium.
Loam: A soil that has a specific range of sand, silt, and clay. Commonly, a soil that is easy to work.
Long-day/Short-day plants: Refers to the amount of light needed to induce a plant to set flowers. Short-day strawberries set all of their flowers when days are shorter. Then when spring comes, their flowers bloom and fruits ripen in a burst of activity, usually in June.
Macronutrients/Primary nutrients: Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium are those essential nutrients used in the largest amounts by plants.
Micronutrients: Essential plant food elements needed in very small amounts by plants. Ex. boron, molybdenum, iron.
Mulch: Any material applied to the soil surface (not mixed in) to keep weeds down, reduce moisture loss, protect roots from summer heat or winter freezing, release organic compounds to the soil, etc.
Mycorrhiza: A plant-fungus relationship in which particular types of soil-dwelling fungi colonize a plant's roots in a mutually beneficial way, extending the reach and ability of plant roots to access water and nutrients and feeding the fungus with plant sugars. (Myco- fungal. Rhiza- root).
Nativar: Cultivars of native plants.
Native plant: A plant that evolved in a local region.
Natural or Organic (plant food): Natural - consisting of chemically-unaltered material found in nature. Ex. mined potassium sulfate. Organic - consisting of organic material from living or formerly living animals or plants. Ex. compost, worm castings.
Nitrogen-fixing plants: Plants that combine with a soil bacteria to take in nitrogen from the air, reducing the need for added plant food. True of some vegetables, ornamental plants, shrubs, and trees.
No-till gardening: A practice that seeks to protect the soil's microbial community by reducing disturbance.
N-P-K: Stands for Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium. This three number "analysis" will be on all fertilizers, letting you know the concentration and ratio of these essential "macronutrients."
OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute): A company that certifies that agricultural products and business practices fall under federal and state Organic Standards.
OMRI certification/logo: A product that has been certified to adhere to federal and state Organic Standards.
Open pollinated: (usually of vegetables) A variety in which seeds resulting from uncontrolled pollination of the plants (by bees or other pollinators). Seeds from such plants will grow the same variety the next year.
Opposite leaves: A leaf arrangement in which there are two leaves at each node. Important characteristic in plant identification. See Alternate leaves.
Organic or Natural (plant food): Organic - consisting of unaltered organic material from living or formerly living animals or plants. Ex. compost, worm castings. Natural - consisting of chemically-unaltered material found in nature. Ex. mined potassium sulfate.
Organic matter: Materials produced by plants or animals.
Organic gardening: Generally considered to be a gardening practice that uses design and growing practices that do not depend on synthetic inputs (pesticides or synthetic fertilizers).
Patio tree: Most frequently, a shrub that has been trained or grafted into a tree form.
Perennials: Generally thought of as a flowering plant that dies down (usually in the winter), then comes back the following season. Ex. hosta, salvia, dahlias. However, many perennial plants (along with evergreen trees and shrubs) retain their leaves throughout the year. Ex. hellebore, liriope, heuchera.
Permaculture: A garden design practice that seeks to mimic a self-sustaining, self-sufficient, closed loop ecosystem.
PH: A measure of the acidity of a soil, which can influence the ability of plants to use nutrients. pH testers/kits are usually meant for natural soil, rather than potting soil or raised bed mixes. Plants have evolved to have varying pH needs. For instance, forest plants often do better in acidic soil (lower pH number) and desert plants in basic soil (higher pH number).
Pistil: The female part of a flower, which accepts pollen and develops seeds.
Plant food/Fertilizer: Any material that contains plant essential nutrients. Can be granular, liquid, natural, synthetic, organic, slow-release, etc.
Planting compost: A soil amendment for improving the structure of soil. May contain compost, aged wood products, peat moss, coir, rice hulls, or other organic materials.
Pollination: The process of moving pollen from the male part of the flower to the female part of the flower.
Pollinator: An insect or other agent that moves pollen from the male part of the flower to the female part of the plant.
Potting soil: A material used for planting in containers. Make-up varies from cactus mix, to African violet mix, to seed starting mix, and more.
Primary nutrients/Macronutrients: Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium are those essential nutrients used in the largest amounts by plants.
Propagate/Propagation: Any technique to increase the number of plants of a particular type. Starting seeds, rooting cuttings, and grafting are all methods of propagation.
Pruning: Removing branches from a shrub or tree with the aim of improving structure, increasing bloom or fruit production, aesthetic appeal (bonsai, hedging, etc.), or reducing height or width.
Raised bed: A planting bed higher than the surrounding soil. Can be used to increase drainage, provide warmer soil in spring, avoid planting in poor or suspect soil, or make a garden more accessible.
Reflexed petals: Flower petals that bend sharply backward. Often seen in daffodils.
Reverting: Branches or whole plants that develop growth that matches the original form rather than the desired form. Ex. a green branch growing on a variegated plant, a robust branch growing on a dwarf plant.
Rhizome: An underground stem, capable of producing leaves and roots.
Root bound: The state of a container plant where the roots occupy a majority of the space. This generally causes reduced growth and damage to the leaves.
Rooting hormone: A powder, liquid, or gel that encourages roots to form on a cutting.
Root stock: Roots used in grafting. Root stocks can affect overall size of a plant, disease resistance, and anchoring ability, particularly in trees.
Row covers: Light-weight, woven or spun-bond fabric. Lighter weights, often called floating (.4 to .5 oz/sq.yd.), are used to protect germinating seeds, retain moisture in a plant bed, exclude insects, and increase soil warmth up to 2 degrees. Able to transmit light and rain/irrigation. Heavier weights, often called frost blanket (1.5 to 2 oz/sq.yd.), are used spring and fall to protect plants from colder temperatures, adding 6 to 10 degrees.
Scion: Wood from a desired plant that is grafted to roots of a different plant that shares similar genetics.
Season Extender: Any material or structure that keeps plants warmer than the surrounding temperature. Ex. cold frame, row cover, hoop structure, cloche, hot cap, Kozy Coat.
Secondary nutrients: Sulfur, magnesium, and calcium are essential plant food elements, though needed in lesser amounts than the macronutrients.
Seedling: A small plant, with just a few leaves, that has been grown from a seed.
Self-pollinated/Self-fruitful: A plant that does not need another plant's pollen in order to produce fruit or seeds. Ex. plums, figs, tomatoes, squash, beans.
Semi-double flower: Flowers with more than one row of petals, and prominent stamens in the center. Semi-double flowers are looser and more open than double flowers.
Semi-dwarf: A cultivar that grows smaller or slower than the standard expected in that species, but larger or faster than varieties considered dwarfing. In conifers, a plant growing 6" to 12" per year.
Shade - Partial/Full/Deep: Plants that require part shade can handle up to 6 hours of sun per day, but are often happiest in sun during the coolest part of the day. Plants requiring full shade thrive with no direct sun, but still need brightness, and can handle up to 3 hours of morning sun or dappled light. Plants for deep shade are happy with very little light.
Sheet mulching: The practice of layering organic materials in an area and allowing them to compost in place.
Shrub: A perennial plant that usually has several woody stems; not generally as tall as a tree.
Side-dressing: Placing plant food along the side of a crop row, generally in a shallow trench.
Single flower: Flowers with a single row of petals around their center, such as a wild rose.
Soil Test: A chemical analysis that assists gardeners in knowing what nutrients or amendments may be needed for best plant growth.
Solanums: Members of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family. Vegetables in this family include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, tomatillo, and eggplant. These vegetable crops all enjoy warm, dry weather, and similar cultural practices. They are also prone to the same diseases, so for best success their location should be rotated within the garden if possible. Ornamental plants in this family include Chinese lantern (Physalis), and Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia and Datura).
Species: A group of plants that can interbreed and produce viable seeds. Ex. Tomatoes (genus Solanum; species lycopersicum) can be crossed with one another to create new varieties, but tomatoes and eggplants (genus Solanum; species melongena) cannot.
Stamen: The male or pollen-producing part of a flower.
Succession planting: The vegetable or flower gardening practice of planting parts of a bed or row before other parts. The crop matures over time rather than all at once, extending the harvest period.
Summer dormant: Describes a plant that will drop its leaves or die back in the summer; often a characteristic of plants that evolved in dry-summer climates. They regrow (come out of dormancy) when rains restart. Examples: licorice fern, bleeding hearts, cyclamen.
Tender plant: A plant that generally will not survive the winter outdoors in your hardiness zone.
Thinning (of a plant): The practice of removing some parts of the plant in order to allow light into the interior, reduce weight, increase air circulation, or improve aesthetics.
Thinning (of seedlings): The practice of removing some seedlings in order for the remainder to have increased access to space, light, water, and nutrients.
Tilth: A descriptive term for how well a soil will be able to grow productive crops.
Top dressing/Broadcast: Spreading plant food on the surface of the soil and allowing irrigation or rain to take the nutrients to the roots.
Topdressing: A method of applying fertilizer or organic matter onto the surface of the soil. Not mixed in.
Topsoil: In most instances, this is considered to be soil that was taken out of the ground, a natural soil, native soil. Not something that comes in a bag.
Training: The practice of pruning, wiring, or staking a plant to maintain a shape or form other than its natural one.
Transplanting: Moving a plant from one spot to another - pot to garden, pot to pot, garden spot to garden spot.
Tree: A perennial plant that usually has a single woody stem or trunk; generally of significant height.
Up-potting: The practice of transplanting a container-grown plant into a larger size pot to accommodate root growth.
Variegated/Variegation: A petal or leaf pattern combining several colors. Ex. Hosta 'Blue Ivory', most Gaillardia/blanket flowers.
Variety: A plant that is different from the original species, due to a natural process - a different color, variegation, or form. See Cultivar.
Vermicomposting: A method of converting organic material into a soil amendment that contains plant-available nutrients, using worms.
Weed cloth/Landscape fabric: A range of plastic materials either woven or non-woven, generally used to reduce weed infestation.
Winter hardy: A plant whose roots will not die over a normal, regional winter, when planted in the ground.
Worm castings: Worm manure, produced in home worm bins or commercially. Provides plant nutrients (especially nitrogen) and organic matter to the garden.
Xeriscaping: The practice of using plants that require a low amount of water, once they are established.
