Annual - any plant that completes its life cycle in one growing season.
Biennial - any plant that completes its life cycle over two growing seasons, with initial growth in the first season and reproduction in the second season.
Blanch - From the Old French word blanchir, to whiten. As a gardening term, it is used to describe a process of excluding light so as to make the plant material lighter in color and more tender. For example, this is commonly done with endive.
Bolt - a verb used to describe a plant prematurely producing seed.
Cross-pollination - when pollen is exchanged between flowers from the same or different plants.
Days to Maturity - the number of days between planting and first harvest.
Germination - the sprouting of a seed.
Harden off - Young plant seedlings that were grown either indoors or in a greenhouse will need an adjustment period to acclimate to outdoor conditions before being planted in the garden. This transition period is called "hardening off."
Heirloom - varieties whose seed lines have been maintained and passed down by gardeners and farmers over generations, prized for traits such as appearance, fragrance, and flavor
Hybrid - varieties resulting from natural or artificial pollination between genetically distinct parents. Commercially produced plants are often hybrids bred for specific characteristics. These plants will not breed true-to-type.
(F1)Hybrid - "F" stands for filial or offspring. F1 is the first generation of offspring after cross-pollination. Often F1 hybrids produce sterile offspring or offspring which is unlike the parent.
Inflorescence - a cluster of flowers on a branch or a system of branches.
Open-pollinated - any variety of plant which breeds true even when randomly mated within its own variety.
Organic - produced or involving production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents.
Perennial - any plant that returns each growing season, usually producing flowers and seeds from the same roots year after year.
Self-pollination - when pollination takes place within a single flower. Self-pollinating plants do not require other flowers or plants to pollinate it. Isolation or separation of self-pollinating plants within the garden is not necessary.
Self-seeding/self-sow - Self-sowing annuals are plants that will drop seed in your garden before they die and will germinate on their own the following year
True-to-type - any plant that displays characteristics and qualities that are expected of its variety.
Zones - The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map was created by the United States Department of Agriculture to help gardeners, landscapers, and growers determine the best plants to grow in their area. Growing zones are based on average annual minimum winter temperatures and separated out by a margin of 10 degrees Fahrenheit. See Connecticut map below.