Do you have a gardening or nature word that just rolls off the tongue? I found that once I learn the word for a certain thing, it encourages me to pay even more attention to it.
One of my favorite garden-related words is “catkin.” Did you know its origin is an old Dutch word (Middle Dutch, more specifically) “katteken” meaning kitten? Willows are not the only trees that have catkins, but they’re definitely the most popular. We can find catkins in winter and early spring on sweet chestnuts, alders, beech trees and hazel trees.
Here is a list of other beautiful gardening words that I absolutely love, in no particular order.
Galanthophile = someone who’s passionate about and collects snowdrops.
Apricity = the warmth of sunshine on a winter day;
Floriferous = blooming freely or bearing a lot of flowers;
Primaveral = something that describes or is related to early spring;
Vernalization = exposing a plant to cold temperatures (either outdoors or artificially, indoors) in order to induce it to flower. For example, spring bulbs need a period of vernalization in order to bloom.
Petrichor = the distinctive smell of rain when it falls on dry soil;
Fernery = a collection of ferns, either indoor in a greenhouse or outdoors;
Mossery = a collection of mosses;
Ruderal plant = a plant that is first to colonize land that has been disturbed by human intervention. Rudus means ‘rubble’ in Latin;
Verdant = something that is green and lush;
Berceau = the path that runs under a tree tunnel. Imagine walking down an alley that is bordered by trees or hedges on both sides with the branches meeting overhead. Berceaux (plural) were common in aristocratic gardens because the wealthy ladies needed sun protection even when they were walking outdoors. It was considered improper and unfashionable for the rich classes to get even a light suntan.
I’ll keep adding to the list as I come across or remember other words. So you can get on my newsletter list and I’ll send an update every now and then. (Don’t worry, I don’t email too often.)
