To the majority of novice gardeners, gardening terms such as perennial, shrub or pruning, won’t mean much at all. And yet these terms and many others are used abundantly in gardening centres on signs and labels to describe plants, tools and how to look after a garden.
Here are 5 terminologies that you just might have heard of before, but never really checked out what they meant:
- Landscaping
Landscaping involves the manipulation of the natural environment in an area to make it look a particular way. This commonly features heavily on gardening, but landscaping may also involve the building of walls and other features and certain attention to an area and can also include tree removal and the planting of new ones. There are a number of reasonswhy landscaping is so popular in Australia, ranging from a wish to make an area look beautiful to the eyeto making an area functional for recreation, something which arborists in Sydney know all about.
- Stump Removal
This one speaks for itself and you should know that if you have a tree that has been felled, what do you have left? The stump. Stumps are unsightly and may actually be a hazard in the garden, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to get it removed. They can also cause new tree growth, invite insects and use up space, so for most people they are simply a no-no.
- Pruning
This involves the cutting off of leaves or branches within certain limits. Reasons for pruning trees and plants include deadwood removal, shaping, improving or cultivating health, which reduces risks from falling branches, the preparation of nursery specimens for transplanting, and accumulating and improving the yield or quality of flowers and fruits. Pruning also covers the removal of diseased, damaged, dead, non-productive, structurally unwanted tissue from crop and landscape plants.
- Lopping
No, not lobbing, and absolutely nothing to do with cricket! Tree lopping is trimming various parts of a tree and is somewhat similar to pruning, but on a grander scale. Lopping involvesthe removal of branches or limbs, and trunk shortening. Tree lopping exists as part of the landscaping process, where the lopper has the duty of reshaping existing trees so they blend in perfectly with the landscape layout.
- Organic
Nearly everybody has heard the term by now, but what exactly does it mean? Organic gardening means using gardening techniques that use no chemical pesticides, fertilizers or other additives, and sounds pretty good right? Organic gardening depends on natural plant-derived means to control pests and prepare the soil for optimum production, rather than using a fertiliser with ghastly chemical additives. Compost or manure from organically raised animals is also used to improve the condition of the soil, keeping it as Mother Nature intended.
Now You Know!
Now you know a bit about gardening terminology, why not go and learn some more? Gardening is not only great for improving your mental and physical health, it’s been shown to make the happiest form of employment on the planet!