Forcing: Speeding a plant’s growth, or maturity, using artificial heat, cold and/or light to make it bloom earlier than is normal in nature.
Hardening off: Gradually moving seedlings or other indoor plants outside for increasingly longer periods in spring to get them acclimatized to the outdoors.
Pinching back: Using your thumb and forefinger, or pruners to nip back the tip of a branch or stem to promote bushier, fuller growth on a young plant.
Xeriscaping: Landscaping designed to withstand drought, requiring minimal or no irrigation once established; comes from the Greek xeros, meaning “dry.”
Climate and growing conditions
Full shade: Dense shade found underneath some trees or on the north side of a building; an area that generally receives no direct sun.
Full sun: At least six hours of direct sun in the middle of the day.
Hardy: A herbaceous or woody plant that is hardy in your location has the ability to withstand normal frost and winter temperatures without the need for artificial protection.
Part shade: About half a day of sunshine; for example, morning sun and afternoon shade, or vice versa; the term also refers to filtered sun shining through high tree branches.