ABOUT US
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TERMS & DEFINITIONS - A - Acidic soil - Soil with a pH value of less than 7.0. Acre - A unit of area in the U.S. customary system, used in land measurement and equal to 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet. Alkaline soil - Soil with a pH value of more than 7.0. Annual - A flowering plant that lasts only one season. Arbor - A shady garden shelter or bower, often made of rustic wood or latticework on which vines, roses, etc. are grown. - B - Ball & burlap - The wrapping of the root ball of a field-grown tree or shrub in a single piece of burlap usually held together with twine. The organic nature of burlap allows it to be left in the hole when planted. BALUSTRADE - A complete railing system consisting of a top handrail supported on balusters (which sometimes rest on a bottom rail). Bark - The surface layer of the trunk and branches of woody plants. Biennial - A plant that grows one year, produces flowers, fruits, and seeds the next year, and then dies. Bulb - A fleshy underground plant structure that contains the nutrients, energy, and seed to produce a plant. Bulbs are typically buried in the ground at least one season before they emerge. Daffodils, lilies, and tulips are common examples of bulbs. - C - CLASS 2 PERMEABLE BASE - Consists of 70% 3/4" gravel, 20% plaster sand, and 10% pea gravel. Conifer - Cone bearing tree of the pine family, usually evergreen. COURSE - A horizontal range of stone units (bricks or blocks) running the length of a wall. - D - Deadheading - The removal of spent flowers to tidy up a plant and force it to put its energy into producing more flowers. Deciduous - Shedding or losing foliage at the end of the growing season. Detention pond - A lined or unlined hole in which surface drainage is captured, held temporarily, and then released steadily. Dieback - The death of tips of shoots caused by damage or disease. Drainage - The movement of water across a piece of property. Drainage is divided into two basic types: surface drainage, which is visible and above the ground or on top of surfaces such as a roof, patio, or drive; and subsurface drainage, which occurs below ground. Drain field - The configuration of surface swales and subsurface drain lines necessary to adequately gather and direct all the drainage on a piece of property. Drip irrigation - An irrigation system that uses low volumes of low-pressure water emitted drip by drip at the base of a plant. This is the most economical and efficient way to water. - E - Easement - The right-of-way claimed by a municipality or utility, usually described as a number of feet from the edge of a road or property line within which the owner of the easement has certain rights and limitations. Edging - A crisp edge between areas of the garden. Most typically used between a lawn and a flowerbed. Evergreen - Persisting and remains green throughout the year. - F - - G - Ground cover - Plants that are used to cover bare ground; they usually spread to form dense colonies that coke out weeds. - H - - I - IPM (Integrated pest management) - IPM is a decision making process using accumulated plant and pest knowledge to detect, monitor and predict out breaks. - J - - K - - L - Landscape fabric - A synthetic material that allows water to pass through but block light, soil, and weed roots from penetrating. Low-voltage light - A light fixture (or system of fixtures) that operates on 12-volts instead of the standard 120-volt household current. Low-voltage systems use less wattage yet provide comparable performance to many 120-volt, higher wattage light bulbs. - M - Mulch - A layer of organic or inorganic material placed around plants to hold in moisture and reduce weeds. Multi-stemmed - A tree or shrub with several main stems arising from the ground. - N - Nitrogen - One of three essential nutrients (phosphorus and potassium are the others) for healthy plants. Nitrogen fuels vegetative growth. On fertilizer packages, it is the N in N-P-K. - O - - P - PARQUETRY - A flat inlay of stone floors in closely fitted geometrical or other patterns, often including two or more colors or materials. Peat moss - A usually weed-free form of organic matter created by the partial decomposition of sphagnum moss. It increases soil acidity and retains moisture. Perennial - A flowering plant that comes back every year. Pergola - A free standing structure with a roof or lath canopy designed to cast shade. pH - The reciprocal of the hydrogen ion concentration of a medium. A value on a scale of 0 to 14 gives a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a medium; pH values of 0 to 6.5 indicate acidic conditions, a pH value of 7.0 is neutral and pH values of greater than 7.0 are alkaline. Phosphorus - One of the three essential nutrients plants require. Phosphorus promotes fruiting and flowering. On fertilizer packages, it is the P in N-P-K. Photosynthesis - The production of organic compounds required for growth in plants by a complex process involving chlorophyll, light energy, carbon dioxide and water. Pinching - Snipping out (or using fingernails to literally pinch out) the growing point of a plant to promote fuller, bushier plants. Pollen - The fine, powder-like material produced by the anthers of flowering plants, and functioning as the male element in fertilization. Potassium - One of three essential nutrients required for plant growth. Potassium promotes root growth and disease resistance. Also know as potash. On fertilizer packages, it is the K in N-P-K. Propagate - To create new plants. Pruning - Removing growth from a plant or tree to maintain its health, regulate its shape and control flowering. - Q - - R - Raised bed - A bed that is higher than the surrounding area, often contained within a low retaining wall. Renewal pruning - A system in which older wood is regularly removed in favor of younger growth. Retaining wall - A structure made of masonry, stone or wood used to hold back soil, usually for the purpose of creating a level area in front or behind the wall. Retention pond - A hole dug to capture and hold surface drainage. REVETMENT WALL - A wall made of concrete, stone, wood, or other materials which is built against a stream bank or a steep slope to prevent erosion. Rise - The term used to describe the height of an individual step in a set of stairs. Root pruning - The removal of part of the root system of a tree to restrict growth and in fruit trees induce fruiting. Run - The term used to describe the length from the front edge of a step to the back edge of a step in a set of stairs. RIPRAP - Irregular broken and randomly sized pieces of rock used for facing bridge abutments and fills; stone thrown together without order to form a foundation, breakwater or sustaining wall. - S - Slope - The difference in height between two points, usually given in a ratio such as 1:4, which means the ground drops 1 vertical foot for every 4 feet of horizontal distance. Soil - Soil is a living breathing complex mixture of minerals, organic matter and living organisms. It provides support for plant roots, and is a source of water and nutrients essential for plant growth. Soil compaction - Compaction from foot traffic, construction or other activities crushes small roots and makes soil impervious to invasion by new roots. Soil structure - The physical texture and content of the soil independent of nutrition. Structure impacts the way a soil drains and holds onto moisture. Soil test - A simple process by which the basic nutrients, elements and pH of a soil can be determined. Specimen plant - An individual tree or shrub that is selected, tended and placed to be viewed as a sculptural form. Sucker - A shoot that arises at or below ground level from a plant's root or underground stem. - T - Thinning out - The selective cutting away of individual branches to create open spaces within the plant, remove dead limbs or branches, produce symmetry and train a plant to look more natural. It also aids in better fruit production. - U - - V - Variegated leaves - Leaves that are patterned in a different color. VENEER STONE - Any stone used as a decorative facing material which is not meant to be load bearing. - W - - X - - Y - - Z - |
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