Glossary of Gardening Terms: A - Z

P

Descriptions of common gardening terms and phrases…

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-[P]-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

PBR:

Plant Breeders' Rights

A type of intellectual property right given to the breeder of a new cultivar for a fixed period.

Pedicel:

The stalk of a flower

The stalk of a single flower or fruit.

Perennial:

A plant living for more than two years

A perennial plant is a plant that has a life cycle of more than two years. From the Latin per, meaning through, and annum meaning year. See our listing of perennial plants.

pH:

The acidity or alkalinity of a solution

pH is a scale of 0 to 14 used to describe the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A pH of 7 is considered neutral and is the pH of pure water. A pH less than 7 represents acidic solutions and more than 7 alkaline. If you're not sure of the pH of your soil, it may be worth purchasing a Soil Testing Kit to accurately asses it.

Photosynthesis:

Plant food production

Greatly simplified, it is the process by which a plant makes it’s own food by using sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to make oxygen and sugars.

Pinnate:

Plant structures arising from multiple points along a common axis

The term pinnate is derived from the Latin word pinna meaning "feather". Pinnate refers to plant structures, particularly leaves, that are feather-like or multi-divided in feature which orginate from both sides of a common axis.

Pleach:

Plait or interlace branches or vines

Pleaching is a method used to train trees into raised hedges, typically with deciduous trees planted in lines, and shaped into a flat plane. Branches are woven together and tied, with the branches in close contact often growing together via natural inosculation (similar to grafting).

Pome:

A type of fruit

A Pome is a type of fruit produced by flowering plants from a sub-family of the Rosaceae family.

The most commonly known example of a pome is the humble apple.