Basic Landscape Terms

Basic landscape terms can be a helpful tool. Here is a list of simple words used by landscapers, nurseries and anyone in the growing business.

Many of them you may already know. It is important to know some simple terms when planning, prepping, and planting your landscape or garden. Feel free to use this as a reference for all your outdoor projects.

• Deciduous - any plant that lives during the warm months and goes dormant in the winter. It will come back to life in the springtime.



• Semi-Evergreen - if winters are cold, tender plants may not survive, but will come back next season.



• Evergreen - a tree or shrub stays green or maintains its color year around. Evergreen trees provide year around shade or wind breaks. (conifer)



• Annuall - flower lives only one season. ex...a pansy



• Biennial - . A plant that blooms the second year. ex... parsley



• Perennial - flowers die out in the winter and emerge in the spring



• Plugs - once seeds have germinated, they are referred to as plugs



• Flats - a tray of plugs - usually herbs and flowers are put in flats. Flat sizes will vary from nursery to nursery.



• Containers - plants are put in pots or containers. Range in sizes - 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 gallon



• Ball and Burlap - the ball of a tree is round and formed from the mother root and the smaller roots. The ball is wrapped in burlap and a wire cage



• Basic Container Garden - One container can have several plants...a variety of herbs. You can have several containers to form a garden. Good for small areas. Take a look at A Basic Container Garden Project For An Apartment, Patio Or Small Landscape Area. This may give you some ideas for planting in small places.





• Beds - a defined area of plants and outdoor features.



• Mass Planting - ex... a group of the same shrubs planted together. (always use an odd number - rule of thumb in designing.)



• Landscape Fabric - a black fabric is put down before planting. The purpose is to hold down the growth of weeds. This material can be made of mesh, plastic or jute.



• Master Gardener - a person that has gone through a classroom course and hours of service work. A master gardener continues to learn through many different activities.



• Aquatic Plants - plants found on or Ponds and Water Gardens, Landscaping with Aquatic Plants, Koi Fish and Shrubs explains the basic steps of installing a decorative pond.



• Topiary - a shrub or tree that has been given a defined shape and possibly tiered.



• Hard-Scape - installation of walkways, retaining walls, pools, ponds,etc...



• Excavation - removing sod, grass, trees, etc...for a future landscape or hard-scape area. This process is actually moving earth.



• Grading - this is done with a bobcat or a tiller and once the ground is excavated, the bob cat will come in and level the area for construction, landscape, or creating a hard-scape.



• Variegated - two different colors in a branch, leaf, or petal of a tree, shrub, or flower



• Multi Trunk - a tree having more then one trunk. ex...Crepe Myrtle or a River Birch



• Erosion - is usually on a slope or bank. Rain washes the soil downwards causing the ground to crumble and wash away.



• Tiller - a small machine used to break ground and loosen soil. There are hand tillers also available.



• Mushroom Compost - an organic fertilizer - made from organic material. Put in soil around plants when planting. This is good for a year. (it stinks and don't read the ingredients - truly great for all types of plants.)



• Low Maintenance Shrubs - require very little upkeep. Most of them are evergreen.

I hope this list of basic landscape terms can benefit you when planning any project.