Gardening Words even English Speakers May Not Know

Gardening Words even English Speakers May Not Know

Do you garden in English or another language?

Associated Press writer Jessica Damiano spent 2022 writing about gardening. She wrote about how to prepare your plants and soil for the winter. She also gave advice on gardening in shady places, or areas without much direct sunlight. She gave guidance on issues as different as insect control and saving and storing seeds.

Most recently Damiano wrote about the language of gardening, providing meanings to some unusual words used in the field.

For example, do you know what scarification is? Sounds like what happens when you see a ghost. But there are no ghosts in our gardens! Gardeners scarify seeds by making little cuts, or roughening, their hard outer covers. The act helps the seeds to germinate¹.

When a seed germinates² it begins to grow.

Another technical gardening term that sounds mysterious, even to many native English speakers, is xeriscaping. It simply describes a way to garden with plants that do not need much water.

Damiano's words are even more difficult for people who do not speak English as a first language. Some of the gardening words are more commonly used in other ways.

For example, how about the word broadcast? You might think of the word when you are watching a television program or listening to a report from Voice of America on the radio. However, in the gardening world, broadcast means to spread seeds over a large area instead of planting in single, straight lines.

Damiano also includes the word amendment³ in her list. If you are familiar with VOA stories about the United States Constitution, you may think you know the word amendment. An amendment is a change to the constitution. For example, the first amendment guarantees freedom of speech, religion and the press.

But in gardening, the word amendment has to do with material added to soil as a way to make it more fertile. Compost or animal waste is a soil amendment.

Below, see Damiano's list of 35 "elusive⁴" words all gardeners should know.

Gardening Words to Know

Aerate- v. Poking⁵ holes into compacted soil with a garden fork or aeration⁶ machine to facilitate the flow of oxygen to plant roots.

Amendment- n. Organic matter such as compost or manure⁷ added to soil to improve its fertility, drainage, water retention⁸ or structure.

Annual- n. A plant that completes its lifecycle in one year, regardless of climate.

Bare root- Plants, typically roses, trees and shrubs⁹, that are dug out of the ground and sold without soil or containers.

Biennial- n. A plant that completes its lifecycle in two years.

Bolting- v. Premature¹⁰ flowering of crops like lettuce¹¹ and beets¹² that renders them bitter or otherwise lessens¹³ their quality.

Botanical name- n. The name assigned to a plant using the Latin-based terminology¹⁴ developed by the Swedish botanist¹⁵ Carolus Linnaeus in the 1700s. Using a plant's botanical name (also referred to as its "scientific name") eliminates the risk of confusing it with other plants.

Broadcast- v. Spreading seeds over a large area, either by hand or machine, instead of planting in rows.

Cloche- n. A traditionally bell-shaped item placed over plants to protect them from insect or frost damage.

Cold frame- n. An enclosure placed around plants to create a greenhouse effect and extend the growing season.

Common name- n. A nickname used in certain circles or geographical¹⁶ regions to describe a plant. Because different plants can share a common name -- and one plant can have several -- their use can confuse gardeners.

Companion planting- v. Grouping specific plants together based on the benefits they provide for each other. Those benefits can include attracting pollinators, deterring¹⁷ pests or serving as a living trellis.

Deadheading- v. The practice of removing spent – or dead – flowers from a plant to encourage repeat blooming, prevent self-sowing or simply keep plants looking tidy.

Deciduous- adj. Plants, trees or shrubs that lose their leaves in autumn or winter.

Direct sow- v. Planting seeds directly into the garden rather than starting them in containers indoors and transplanting them outdoors later.

Ephemeral- adj. A plant that emerges and fades relatively¹⁸ quickly, often in spring.

Evergreen¹⁹- n. Plants, trees or shrubs that do not lose their leaves in autumn or winter but remain green year-round.

Foliar feeding- v. Applying liquid fertilizer directly to leaves rather than soil.

Germination²⁰- n. The initial growth of a sprout²¹ from a seed.

Harden off- v. The process of gradually acclimating²² a plant to a different, usually harsher, climate, such as outdoors from indoors, in order to increase its resiliency.

Heirloom: adj. A plant in its original form that has not been hybridized or cross-pollinated with other species or varieties. Heirloom seeds reliably produce plants that "grow true" or hold the same characteristics as the plants from which they were collected.

Hill- v. The practice of mounding soil up against new above-ground growth, as is done with potato plants.

Hybrid- adj. A plant variety that has been deliberately²³ cultivated in a controlled setting, usually by cross-pollinating, in order to acquire new, desirable characteristics such as bloom color, disease resistance, fragrance²⁴, size, hardiness²⁵, taste or shelf life, among others.

Naturalize- v. The practice of scattering²⁶ seeds or bulbs in such a way that they either appear to have spread naturally or, in areas such as the lawn, where they are allowed to spread without boundaries.

Organic matter- n. Non-synthetic material, such as decomposed²⁷ plants and animals, manure, compost and leaf mold, used to improve the fertility, structure and other attributes of soil.

Perennial- adj. Plants with a lifecycle that is longer than two years. Perennials²⁸ may die back to the ground over winter and return year after year or remain evergreen throughout their lifespan.

pH- n. In gardening, the pH scale determines the acidity²⁹ or alkalinity of soil, compost and water. The lower the reading, the more acidic the soil; the higher the reading, the more alkaline. A reading of 7.0 is considered neutral.

Pinching- n. The practice of using your thumb and index finger to remove small shoots and stems, usually to encourage the growth of side shoots.

Scarification- n. The act of scratching, cutting, nicking or otherwise lightly damaging the hard surface of a seed to facilitate germination.

Self-seeding- adj. A term used to describe plants that spread by dropping seeds onto the soil around them. Those seeds germinate, root and grow into more plants. Also called "self-sowing."

Side dress- v. To sprinkle a line of granular, powdered or pelleted fertilizer (or other amendments³⁰) alongside a row of plants rather than incorporate it into the soil or planting hole.

Stratification- n. The process of exposing seeds or bulbs to cold temperatures, typically in a refrigerator or freezer, to emulate³¹ the outdoor winter conditions necessary for successful spring germination.

Top dress- v. To apply fertilizer or amendments like compost or manure directly to the soil above and around plants.

Wet feet- adj. Wet roots, usually resulting from poorly draining or oversaturated soil.

Xeriscaping- v. The use of drought-tolerant plants in the landscape for water-conservation purposes. Also called "water-wise gardening."

1 germinate   

v.发芽；发生；发展

参考例句：

• Seeds will not germinate without water.没有水，种子是不会发芽的。
• Can thin and hollow seeds germinate?瘦瘪的种子能够发芽吗？

2 germinates   

n.（使）发芽( germinate的名词复数 )v.（使）发芽( germinate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Water Chestnut germinates and grows again. 冬天枯萎了的马蹄都再次萌芽生长。 来自互联网
• Once the seed germinates very carefully remove it from the sand, vermiculite, or burlap bags. 种子一旦发芽后，小心从沙地、蛭石或者粗布麻袋把它拿走。 来自互联网

3 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

4 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

5 poking   

n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• He was poking at the rubbish with his stick. 他正用手杖拨动垃圾。
• He spent his weekends poking around dusty old bookshops. 他周末都泡在布满尘埃的旧书店里。

6 aeration   

n. 通气，充气

参考例句：

• Theoretically sludge yield is nil for the extended aeration process. 对延时曝气法而言，理论上污泥生成量应为零。
• Roots must have good aeration in order to function properly. 为了根系机能正常活动，必须有个良好的通气条件。

7 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

8 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

9 shrubs   

灌木( shrub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gardener spent a complete morning in trimming those two shrubs. 园丁花了整个上午的时间修剪那两处灌木林。
• These shrubs will need more light to produce flowering shoots. 这些灌木需要更多的光照才能抽出开花的新枝。

10 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

11 lettuce   

n.莴苣；生菜

参考例句：

• Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿，我好做色拉。
• The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。

12 beets   

甜菜( beet的名词复数 )； 甜菜根； （因愤怒、难堪或觉得热而）脸红

参考例句：

• Beets are Hank's favorite vegetable. 甜菜根是汉克最爱吃的蔬菜。
• In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上，大麦，苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。

13 lessens   

变少( lessen的第三人称单数 )； 减少（某事物）

参考例句：

• Eating a good diet significantly lessens the risk of heart disease. 良好的饮食习惯能大大减少患心脏病的机率。
• Alcohol lessens resistance to diseases. 含有酒精的饮料会减弱对疾病的抵抗力。

14 terminology   

n.术语；专有名词

参考例句：

• He particularly criticized the terminology in the document.他特别批评了文件中使用的术语。
• The article uses rather specialized musical terminology.这篇文章用了相当专业的音乐术语。

15 botanist   

n.植物学家

参考例句：

• The botanist introduced a new species of plant to the region.那位植物学家向该地区引入了一种新植物。
• I had never talked with a botanist before,and I found him fascinating.我从没有接触过植物学那一类的学者，我觉得他说话极有吸引力。

16 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

17 deterring   

v.阻止，制止( deter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• However, investors say are a number of issues deterring business. 然而，投资者表示，有很多问题让他们却步。 来自互联网
• It's an effective way of deterring potential does online, the logic goes. 逻辑上这是抑制潜在线上威胁的有效方法。 来自互联网

18 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

19 evergreen   

n.常青树；adj.四季常青的

参考例句：

• Some trees are evergreen;they are called evergreen.有的树是常青的，被叫做常青树。
• There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。

20 germination   

n.萌芽，发生；萌发；生芽；催芽

参考例句：

• At the onset of germination, the hypocotyl elongates rapidly by cell enlargement. 萌发开始时，下胚轴依靠细胞增大而迅速伸长。 来自辞典例句
• Excessive moisture is unfavourable for soybean germination. 水分过多对于大豆萌发是不利的。 来自辞典例句

21 sprout   

n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条

参考例句：

• When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？
• It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。

22 acclimating   

v.使适应新环境，使服水土服水土，适应( acclimate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

23 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

24 fragrance   

n.芬芳，香味，香气

参考例句：

• The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
• The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。

25 hardiness   

n.耐劳性，强壮；勇气，胆子

参考例句：

• The technician was sent to measure the hardiness of the material. 这位技术员被派去测量材料的硬度。
• It'seems to me that hardiness is the chief essential for success. 看来坚韧是成功的基本要素。

26 scattering   

n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散

参考例句：

• The child felle into a rage and began scattering its toys about. 这孩子突发狂怒，把玩具扔得满地都是。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The farmers are scattering seed. 农夫们在播种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 decomposed   

已分解的，已腐烂的

参考例句：

• A liquid is decomposed when an electric current passes through it. 当电流通过时，液体就分解。
• Water can be resolved [decomposed] into hydrogen and oxygen. 水可分解为氢和氧。

28 perennials   

n.多年生植物( perennial的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Name six perennials and six annuals suitable for indoor flower arrangement. 列出多年生及一年生花朵各六种，它们必须是适合插花的。 来自互联网
• Herbage can be divided into three categories: annuals, biennials, and perennials. 草本植物可分成一年生、二年生和多年生。 来自互联网

29 acidity   

n.酸度，酸性

参考例句：

• This plant prefers alkaline soil,though it will readily tolerate some acidity.这种植物在酸性土壤中也能生存，但硷性土壤更加适宜。
• Gastric acidity would not prevent the organism from passing into the gut.胃的酸度不能防止细菌进入肠道。

30 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

31 emulate   

v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿

参考例句：

• You must work hard to emulate your sister.你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。
• You must look at the film and try to emulate his behavior.你们必须观看这部电影，并尽力模仿他的动作。