Advice
September's glossary
Cold frame: An unheated box with a hinged or removable glass lid, which can be used in a similar way as an unheated greenhouse to protect plants from rain and wind and to provide a small amount of insulation from temperature fluctuations. Opening the lid to varying degrees allows adjustment of ventilation by the gardener. Cold frames are used for propagation, hardening off, and winter protection of plants.
Garden hygiene: This refers to everyday clean practices in the garden such as collecting fallen leaves, promptly removing diseased growth and debris, cleaning tools, weeding, and not allowing neglected areas to become breeding grounds for pests and disease. Such methods are key to minimising common problems like rose black spot, and can help generally to reduce pest and disease problems in the garden.
Mulching mower: A mower producing more finely shredded grass clippings than an ordinary rotary lawn mower. The idea is to let the very fine clippings fall into the sward, where they are so fine as to be almost invisible. Mulching mowers are easier and lighter to use than mowers with grass collection boxes. They are suitable for amenity and family lawns - not for fine lawns. The fallen clippings may act beneficially to protect the lawn from drought stress and to return some of the nitrogen lost in the clippings. First cuts of the season (when the grass is very long and lush) may require some raking and removal of excess clippings, unless the model used has an optional grass collection box that can be removed and attached.
Tender perennial: Describes a plant liable to injury or death when subjected to low temperatures (cf. hardy), in this case referring specifically to perennial plants: i.e. those living for several years or more. Tender perennials usually require frost-free conditions, but may survive outdoors. Even if the frost kills off the foliage to ground level, they may re-grow from below ground the following spring.