What’s the difference?

Ever wondered if there’s a difference between two gardening terms, tools or plants? Here are three you asked about…

From varieties of artichokes, to cutting tools and types of plants, we clarify common gardening tools and terms

1 ANNUAL vs BIENNIAL vs PERENNIAL

Most vegetables and many flowers are annual plants. Annuals germinate, flower, then set fruit and seed, completing their cycle in one year or less. The plant then dies off completely, and has to be resown again next season. Some flowering annuals, such as petunias, can be coaxed to continue flowering by deadheading; others, such as calibrachoa, do the job themselves; and other annuals such as alyssum and lobelia ensure another season by self-seeding.

Biennial plants, on the other hand, take two years to complete their life cycle, establishing a root system in the first year then flowering in the second year. Hollyhocks and foxgloves are some of the flowers in this category.

Perennials continue their cycle for many years and include vegetables, such as asparagus and rhubarb, as well as trees, shrubs and flowers. They tend to have a shorter flowering season than annuals, but overall, they are less maintenance and can live for a great number of years.

2 GLOBE ARTICHOKE vs JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE

You would have to wonder why these two plants are both called artichokes because, although they both belong in the daisy family, they look nothing like each other.

Globe artichokes are the edible immature flower buds of the plant Cynara scolymus. After cooking, the tough outer petals are removed to reveal the delicious heart. They prefer growing in mild climates with direct sunlight. If harvesting is left too late, the buds develop into magnificent thistle-like blooms.

With Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus), it’s the tubers that are eaten, either raw or cooked. The plant is a bushy, herbaceous perennial species of sunflower that grows to 3m tall, with masses of small daisy blooms. While it tolerates part shade, you will have more flowers and tubers if it’s grown in full sun. The tubers can be harvested 4–6 weeks after flowering.

3 LOPPERS vs HEDGE SHEARS

Most gardeners will have a pair of secateurs in their kit, perfect for big and small pruning jobs. But when branches get thicker than secateurs can handle, it’s time to reach for something with more power. Loppers are like secateurs on steroids, with handles up to 1m long. They are designed to give you more leverage when cutting with their short sturdy blades. As with secateurs, the blades are available as either bypass or anvil, and are capable of cutting a branch up to 5cm in diameter.

Hedge shears, with their much longer, straight or wavy blades, look like they could cut through thick branches, but don’t have the leverage. Instead, they can cut a lot of foliage in one go, which is perfect for quickly shaping a shrub, hedge or topiary. These shears are best limited to cutting twigs and branches less than 2cm in diameter. Trying to cut larger branches may cause the blades to bow out as well as damage the plant.

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