Bolt: This is the time of year when plants can bolt, or go to seed early. Annuals and vegetables, if planted too late in the season, or if a heat wave hits, plants can flower early and produce seeds early.

Deadhead:
Pinching or cutting off spent blossoms keeps the plant from going to seed, giving you a longer blooming season. It also keeps the garden tidy by not letting unwanted seedlings emerge. However, if you have an informal garden, like to feed the birds, and are not worried about the length of bloom season, don't deadhead everything. If you want larger blossoms, remove the small side buds along the stems which form in the angles of the leaves. This will allow all of the food reserves to be used for one large flower rather than many smaller ones.

Dormancy:
Once a year a plant's growth slows down. For most plants this is during winter when the days get shorter and temperatures drop. Dormancy keeps
the plant from having tender new growth that would would most likely be damaged by frost.

Growing Season: This is the number of days between the last killing frost of Spring and the first killing frost of Fall. This is when a plant is actively growing, producing new growth or flowers.

Mulching: Mulching is putting down bark, wood chips, compost, leaves, decorative rocks, pebbles and even gravel to conserve moisture in your soil, even out soil temperature and hide anything unsightly in your garden

Perennial: Perennials are plants that grow for more than two years. Some keep their leaves all year long, but many of them die down in winter and return in spring.

Pruning: To shape, clip, shear, pinch off dead blooms and cut back leggy stems. This extends the blooming period of a plant, encourages new growth, increases the vigor and life expectancy of the plant and improves resistance to disease and harsh weather condition. Lastly, to control the height, growth and space a plant or tree takes.

Root Bound:
When a plant has been left is a pot too long, the roots become tangled and matted and grow in circles. Be sure to loosen the roots before planting so they can grow into the soil. Tease the roots apart, and clip off any extra long roots to stimulate new growth.

Stress: Just like people, plants can be stressed. A stressed plant may wilt, lose foliage color or brown at leaf edges. This condition may be caused by wind, too little or too much watering, extreme temperatures--whether high or low--over a long period of time, all which endanger the health of the plant.

Succulents: A succulent is a plant which has the natural ability store water in its body or roots. they usually have fattened leaves or thick stems filled with stored water, which allows them to live through long periods without moisture. Having less leaf or surface area that is exposed to the air where moisture can evaporate, the store the water, using it when needed.

Taproot - Some plants, especially those in dryer climates, have one large central root that digs deep into the ground. In some plants that taproot is a storage facility--such as in carrots and parsnips.

Underplanting: This means to plant one plant under another, like a ground cover under a tree. This can really help some more sensitive plants survive a hot summer or a icy winter, as the tree protects the plant beneath it. It shades during summer, and, if an evergreen, can protect from ice and snow during winter. It is always good to check out whether the two plants can live together first.

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