David Domoney’s Gardening Glossary

A hybrid plant is the result of two different plants being bred together to produce a new plant. F1 refers to the generation, with 1 meaning that the plant is first generation and has been bred from two original plants, rather than other hybrids.

A hybrid plant is the result of two different plants being bred together to produce a new plant. F2 refers to the generation, with 2 meaning that the plant is second generation and has been bred from two first generation hybrid plants, rather than original plants.

A fairy ring is the term used to describe a group of toadstools that have formed in a circular shape over a grassy area such as a lawn. This can become a problem for lawn owners, as the circles can increase in size over the years as well as causing unsightly brown or mossy patches. The remedy is to dig up and re-turf that area of the lawn, taking care not to spill any toadstools on the new area so as not to spread the fungal infection.

This is soil that has not been culivated or planted in for a certain period of time.

A feathered maiden is the term usually used to describe a young tree (roughly one year old) that has grown side branches.

Refers to the quality of the soil for growing, likely to be rich in nutrients. See also Humus.

Most plants require food known as fertilizer to grow and thrive. This can be applied in a number of ways, and the type of fertilizer you will use depends on the plant and other variables. Your local garden center will stock a wide range of fertilizers to suit your needs.

Fleece or horticultural fleece is a material used to protect plants from cold weather and frosts. It can also be used to protect against insect pests too.

A floating plant is a type of aquatic plant that floats on the surface of the water with its roots trailing and not attached to the bottom of the pond or feature.

Floricane are fruiting-brambles that only produce fruit on second-year canes, unlike primocane brambles, which produce fruit in the first year.

People often call plants grown for decorative purposes ‘flowers’, however this is misleading as the flower is actually the specific part of a plant that carries the plants reproductive organ. Flowers will develop into seeds or fruits containing seeds, and are therefore vital in the lifecycle of the plant itself. The flower of a plant is made up of this seed-bearing reproductive organ, often surrounded by petals.

Foliage is a collective term that generally means a plant’s leaves, but can also include the stems and branches from which the leaves grow.

This is a type of fertilizer that is absorbed by a plant through its leaves rather than through its roots. For this reason, foliar feeds are sprayed onto a plants leaves.

This is a process of manipulating the conditions of a plant in order to get it to produce flowers or fruits before it would normally do so. For example, you might restrict the amount of light that your rhubarb plant is getting in order to produce an early growth of the crop.

Frost is the condensation of moisture in the air, that is caused by temperatures that are below freezing.

Plants are able to survive colder winter temperatures.

Plants that will struggle to survive in colder winter temperatures without adequate protection.

Plants that need to be situated in a location that has no sunlight at all. Placement is usually beneath a canopy of trees or the north-facing wall of a house.

Plants that need to have 6 hours or more of direct sunlight.