A Glossary of Garden Terms

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Posted by admin | Posted in Annuals, Bulbs, Gardening Tips, Heirloom Seed, Herbs, Hybrid Seed, Organic, Perennials, Tips and Techniques | Posted on 13-02-2012

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A Glossary of Garden Terms

How many times have you read a gardening article, looked at a website or catalog and wondered, “What does that mean?” Thanks to NGB Member Park Seed, we’ve excerpted their list of garden terms for your referral during the upcoming garden season.

Acidic Soil     
A soil that has a pH below 7, typical of clay soils. Azaleas, camellias, dogwoods and roses like acidic soils.
Alkaline Soil     
A soil that has a pH of 7 or higher.
Annual Plant     
A plant living one year or less, usually planted in the spring after the last frost. During this time, the plant grows, blooms, produces seeds, and dies.
Balled & Burlapped     
The roots of the plant have soil attached and are held in place with burlap or some other material.
Bare Root     
The roots of the plant are bare, with no soil.
Biennial     
Of two seasons duration, from germination to maturity and death, usually developing vegetative growth the first year and flowering, fruiting, and dying the second year.  Biennials need exposure to winter temperatures to trigger flowering or fruit production the second year.
Bulb     
A resting stage of a plant that is usually formed underground and consists of a short stem base bearing one or more buds enclosed in fleshy leaves and buds (tulip, daffodil, etc).
Corm     
A rounded, thick modified underground stem base bearing membranous or scaly leaves and buds (gladiolus, crocus, etc).
Crown     
The base of the plant, where the stem and root meet.
Cultivar     
A cultivated variety or strain that originated and has persisted under human cultivation.
Deadheading     
Removing the dead blossoms.  If a plant is termed “self cleaning,” the blossoms fall off on their own.  Deadheading usually extends the blooming season.
Deciduous     
A plant that loses its leaves seasonally, usually in the fall.
Determinate     
The growth of a plant stops at a certain height (usually in reference to tomatoes).
Dormancy     
A period in the life cycle of a plant where it is “asleep” and not actively growing.  Dormancy is brought about by cool temperatures and shorter day length.
Evergreen     
A plant that stays green year-round.
Floriferous     
Bearing flowers/blooming freely.
Germination     
The sprouting of a seed and the commencement of growth.  Also used to describe the starting of plants from seeds.
Grafted Plant     
The top (desirable) part of the plant is grafted onto rootstock, usually of a hardier or less rare plant.
Heirloom Seed     
Mostly open-pollinated seed that have been planted and passed down for generations. Most lack disease resistance.
Herbaceous     
A plant that dies back to the ground in winter and returns again in the spring.
Herbicide     
A chemical used to destroy undesirable plants and vegetation.
Hybrid Seed     
The result of cross-pollination of parents that differ in size, color, taste, or other traits.  Seeds from hybrid plants cannot be saved and used again, as they will revert back to one of the parents.
Indeterminate     
The plant continues growing until pinched or killed by frost (opposite of determinate). These plants usually require staking.
Organic Seed     
A seed that has been grown and harvested without being exposed to any inorganic chemicals, fertilizers, hormones, etc.Pelleted Seed     
Small seed, such as petunias or pentas, that have been coated with an inert material such as clay to make them easier to handle.
Perennial     
A plant that lives for three or more seasons. Perennials may not bloom the first season planted, especially ones that are shipped bareroot.
Rhizome     
A somewhat elongated, usually horizontal subterranean plant stem that is often thickened by deposits of reserved food material that produces shoots above and below the roots (bearded iris).
Rootstock     
Root system of a more common or hardy variety that is used to graft a more desirable variety onto, usually roses and/or standard forms.
Self-Pollinating     
Plants that do not require pollen from another plant in order to produce fruit.
Semi-Evergreen     
A plant that drops its leaves in cold areas but keeps at least some of them in milder zones (typically zones 7~11).
Standard     
A shrub or herb grown with an erect main stem so that it forms or resembles a tree.
Sucker     
Undesirable growth coming from the rootstock of a grafted plant.
Treated Seed     
Seed that have been treated with an insecticide or fungicide to aid in preventing soil insects or disease from destroying the seed prior to germination.
Tuber     
A short, fleshy, usually underground stem bearing minute scaly leaves, each of which bears a bud in its axil and is potentially able to produce a new plant (iris potato, caladium, tuberose begonia).

Cool Colors for Hot Summers

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Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Cut Flowers, Perennials | Posted on 05-09-2011

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I love the reds, oranges, pinks, and whites of many great sun gardens.  There’s something about cool blues, greens, and lavenders, though, that just seems to explode in a bright, hot summer garden.  Cool colors draw the eye and add fantastic contrast, especially in hotter areas.  They have a pleasant calming effect, and they very often shimmer beautifully in the low light of a summer evening, be it moon or fire.

Sacbiosa Fama Deep Blue

Pincushion Flower Fama Deep Blue

For brilliant blues that stand up to serious heat, you can’t beat Pincushion Flower Fama Deep Blue.  It’s a heavy bloomer with large, bright blue flowers that make long-lasting cuts.  It grows well in full sun, and thrives all summer, even into zone 9. 

Pair it with it’s white counterpart Pincushion Flower Fama White , or let the blue play off the vivid yellow of Rudbeckia Goldsturm Strain.

Hydrangea Starlight: One of Many Great New Fall Items

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Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Perennials | Posted on 26-06-2009

Hydrangea Let's Dance Starlight

Hydrangea Let's DanceTM Starlight is the first ever-blooming macrophylla Hydrangea. Starlight is unique because it blooms on both new and old wood. So, if you happen to have a late frost that kills off your early blooms, your hydrangea will still have a goo showing later in the season. The bloom color is dynamic, aging from their usual pink or blue to a fun minty green as the season progresses.

This hydrangea provides three season interest, blooming through the summer into the fall. The fluffy blooms are excellent for cut-flowers, and this shrub can also be tamed for patio or container gardening. This is just one of many new fall planting items from Park Seed.

Coneflower ‘Tomato Soup’: A Hot Summer Echinacea

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Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Perennials | Posted on 18-06-2009

Coneflower 'Tomato Soup'

This is definitely one of the prettiest flowers I've seen in a while, and that is saying a lot working here. Coneflower 'Tomato Soup' has some of the warmest, purest colors you can find in nature. Not only is it pretty – it's tough to. Echinaceas resist heat and drought, and  it will shrug off pests that devastate lesser herbaceous perennials.

These enormous blooms, easily five inches across, will keep you entertained though the whole summer if you deadhead promptly. You can expect blooms from the early spring well into fall. This is a truly beautiful plant that will make an excellent focal point in your perennial beds.

Fall Planting Items Available Now!

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Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Perennials | Posted on 16-06-2009

India Pink

Over 100 fall items have been added to ParkSeed.com, including old favorites as well as many new items. The fall line-up includes bulbs, perennials, shrubs, and trees. Remember, fall is the best time for planting!

A few of the newest items are creating a little buzz, so I will go ahead and share with you three items that I predict will be fairly popular this year:

Blanket Flower 'CommotionTM Tizzy' is a floriferous little full sun perennial with unique crimson and orange blooms that will steal the show. A definite conversation piece, 'Tizzy' is sure to be huge this season. This blanket flower is also drought and heat tolerant, a great summertime perennial.

India Pink is a Spigelia with bright red, upright blooms that have been compared to fireworks for the way they pop against the mat foliage. It's fairly adaptable, thriving in full sun and part shade. India pink loves this rich moist soils of shade borders and along garden paths.

Another item that seems to be picking up steam is our Dynamite Premium Fertilizer. This is an all-purpose concentrated plant food that is so environmentally friendly it has won an award from the EPA.

Cannas: Hardy, Resistant Garden Color

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Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Perennials | Posted on 26-05-2009

Canna 'Valentine'

Cannas or Canna Lilies are a close relative of gingers and bananas, and some varieties
are grown agriculturally for their starchy tubers or their seeds. Most
gardeners love Cannas' large beautiful leaves and their big showy
flowers.The flowers range from deep red to bright yellow, and they are
great for attracting pollinators and pest eaters like bees, birds, and
bats to your garden.

Native varieties of Canna can be found in
the wild from South Carolina to Texas and south through the more
temperate areas of South America. Although they are traditionally a
more tropical plant, cultivated varieties will tolerate milder climates
if given at least half a day of full sun and plenty of moisture. They
are wonderful for containers and patio gardens.

Cannas are
naturally resistant to most pests — slugs and snails may be fond of
the big juicy leaves. The genus Canna is not prone to many diseases. If
you use well-drained soil and deadhead wilted blooms you will prevent
most any fungus that might be tempted to attack your plant.

Bright Blooms For Shade Gardens

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Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Perennials | Posted on 21-05-2009

Gardenscene

Shades gardens are a fun project that forces the gardener to be creative. Most plants that thrive in low light are monotone and maybe even a little drab, but there are a few colorful plants that can really make the darker areas of your garden shine.

Most shade gardens start with an interesting blanket of ground covers and plants grown for foliage interest. Vincas and Clematis make excellent ground covers and climbers and their colorful blooms contrast well with the dark foliage. Heucheras and Hostas comes in many shades and shapes, providing exciting foliage interest.

There are, in fact, a few really beautiful flowers that will thrive in the low light and contrast well with the deep colors of the shade foliage. Here are a few varieties perfect for shade garden blooms:

Aquilegia 'Blackcurrant Ice'
Lenten Rose 'Royal Heritage'
Bellflower 'Samantha'

Check out other plant for Full Shade and Part Shade.

Dahlias: Great Flowers for Warm, Dry Climates

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Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Perennials | Posted on 25-03-2009

Dahlia 'Dark Angels Dragon Ball'

Dahlias are the perfect perennials for those warmer, drier zones. They love full sun and prefer sandy, well-draining soil. They are also fairly versatile in the landscape, ranging in size from the short little border plants to the towering stems and full blossoms of the larger varieties that make great colorful backdrops to the rest of your flower garden.

Park Seed offers a huge variety of Dahlias online, including mixes and collections. Dahlia 'Dark Angels Dragon Ball' is a customer favorite with a really unique look. 'Dragon Ball' has a very surreal look — the brightly colored geometric blooms really stand out against the dark foliage. This is a more compact Dahlia, perfect for containers. Another top seller, Dahlia 'Lucca Johanna', is billed as the "perfect cut flower." The long stems reach up to 4 feet, topped with big beautiful double blooms that gradient from a pink edge to white to a deep primrose center.

Heuchera in the Heat

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Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Perennials | Posted on 19-08-2008

Heuchera Southern Comfort
In the last couple of years we’ve gotten a lot of requests from customers for Coral Bells that perform better in the hotter summers that many of us have been experiencing.  We’re really happy this year to be able to offer two new plants that fit the bill perfectly.  Heuchera ‘Southern Comfort’ and Heuchera ‘Mahogany’ are two of the very best heat-tolerant Coral Bells that we’ve ever seen around here.  Both are products of amazing breeding advances that have been made in recent years.

Heuchera are prized for the full, spectacularly-colored foliage that they bring without too much effort on your part.  They are unusually vigorous plants, growing with full, neat habits that very rarely get straggly or sparse.  They look great in your garden year round, mostHeuchera Mahogany
getting even more beautiful in the cooler weather.  In recent years the red, copper, brown, and yellow colors have become ever more popular as accent plants that can really help everything else in the garden to pop.  They also feature creamy-white blooms on tall stems for part of the year.  They’re especially great in border plantings in part shade (depending on zone), or as a neat accent in mixed containers.

Brunnera Spring Yellow Brightens the Shade

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Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Perennials | Posted on 05-08-2008

Brunnera Spring Yellow
Shade gardening can be tough.  One problem that a lot of gardeners have in their shady areas is that they tend to be a little monochromatic.  The flowers are generally less profuse,and the foliage is mostly a dark green.  There are, of course, Hostas that feature different colors, but why limit yourself?  One other option is Brunnera Spring Yellow, new to Park Seed this fall. 

This Brunnera’s leaves open pure yellow and keep golden tones, mingled with streaks and speckles of chartreuse and green, throughout the summer.  This foliage piles up in a healthy, full mound of gold about 15 inches high.  The best thing about this interesting shade perennial, though, is the sprays of tiny blue flowers that it acquires in mid-spring.

Brunnera Spring Yellow is hardy all the way to zone 3, so it’s a great shady option for more difficult climates.