Gardening Definitions (N-P)

Naturalising
Growing plants, particularly bulbs, in simulated natural environments, such as grass or woodland conditions.

Node
A stem joint, which is sometimes slightly swollen, from where young leaves and side-shoots arise.

Offset
A young plant that arises naturally on the parent, as with many sorts of bulbs, or on short lateral stems, as with sempervivum.

Opposite
The arrangement of leaves in alternate opposite pairs, as on ligustrum and syringa.

Organic
Any chemical compound containing carbon. The term is applied to substances derived from the decay of living organisms, such as garden compost. It is also applied to a style of gardening that rejects the use of synthetic chemicals and products.

Pedicle
The stalk of an individual flower - applied particularly to branched flowers.

Peduncle
The stem that supports a flowerhead.

Perennial
Any plant that lives for three or more years; usually applied to a non-woody plant.

Perianth
A term used when sepals and petals are indistinguishable from each other. The combined sepals and petals of a tulip or hyacinth flower are known as the perianth.

Perlite
Lightweight expanded volcanic rock in granular form, used in place of sand or grit top open up or lighten composts used for pottings and cuttings etc.

Petiole
The stalk that attaches a leaf to the stem.

Pinching Out
Removing or pinching out the growing point of a stem, either to promote a branching habit or to induce flower buds.

Plunge
To set a pot or any other plant container up to the rim in the soil, or in a special bed of ashes, peat, grit or sand.

Pollard
A tree cut back to the main trunk and maintained in a bushy state by regular pruning at intervals of between one and a few years.

Pollen
The male cells of a plant contained in the anthers or pollen sacs.

Pollination
The transference of pollen grains onto the stigma of a flower. The resulting plantlets are later moved into larger pots, pans or trays, or set out into a nursery bed or into their growing position.

Provenance
The place where seed originated in the wild. Knowing the provenance will have a bearing on this conditions under which the progeny will thrive in cultivation.