Glossary

Core Aeration: Core aeration is the process of mechanically removing plugs of soil and thatch from a lawn. Core aeration reduces soil compaction allowing air, water, and fertilizer down into the soil and encourages deeper roots.

Dormant Pruning: The horticultural practice of removing deadwood and crossing branches while pruning for structure and shape during the dormant season.  The Chicago Botanic Garden has a great YouTube video demonstration http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it4mEmH38Is

Espalier: A tree or shrub that is trained to grow in a flat plane against a wall, often in a symmetrical pattern.

Ornamental: A plant that is grown for its ornamental qualities such as color or texture. Serviceberries and crabapples are examples of small flowering trees that are often referred to as ornamentals.

Specimen Plant: Specimen plants are plants grown by themselves in a lawn or garden for ornamental effect, rather than being massed with others as are bedding plants or edging plants. Specimen plants can thus serve as focal points in landscape design. An example of a specimen plant is a flowering tree that has a prominent spot reserved for it on a lawn.