Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Making sense out of the back of seed packets can be difficult. What do all those terms mean? What do all those abbreviations stand for? Here we continue our look at seed terminology, during the Daily Weeder’s extended seed week! If you are interested in more seed terminology, check out Seed Terminology You Need to Know Part 1. Otherwise, if you just want to do a little shopping check out my favorite places to order seeds online!

Okay, here is Seed Terminology You Need to Know– Abbreviations!

A is for annual meaning that it will complete it’s life cycle in one years time.

Annuals include impatients, alyssums, morning glories, zinnias, sunflowers, petunias, and more. Annuals will typically bloom from May until September/October. They are a nice filler for perennials and add a burst of vibrant colors all summer long. Also a few annuals (like Cosmos or Poppies for example) may reseed so you can enjoy them for another season, but this rarely happens so don’t get your hopes up.

Annuals should not be put outside until you are certain that your area will not experience anymore frost. Also, always keep them well watered!

Nope, your seed packet isn’t laughing at you! HA simply means “hardy annuals!”

These plants ain’t no pansy’s! Well…wait a minute, they are! A great example of a hardy annual is a pansy! They usually can take a light frost, and in fact they don’t have to be started indoors, usually growing better when started right in the ground!

Although these are hardy, I would use row covers or cloches if you think the temperature is really going to drop.

You may have started to notice a pattern here! HHA simply means half-hardy annual!

Half Hardy Annuals seeds are very susceptible to the frost. They most likely are native to a warmer climate and will die if you put them out too early!

HP stands for hardy perennials!

Perennials usually last several years. Some plants like monarda or mallow will last almost forever whereas others such as feverfew will only last a couple of years. Hardy perennials are especially great for our climate because they can tolerate deep freeze and our long cold winters! They usually flower the second year after planting, but if you start them inside early enough you may just get them to flower the first year! I love hardy perennials because they are the backbone of a garden!

HHP stands for half-hardy perennials!

Half hardy perennials are a lot more tender than their close cousins the hardy perennials! They include fuchsia, and heliotropes. Half-hardy perennials are very susceptible to frost and therefore are not the best choice for a cold climate garden. However if you can’t live without, you will have to do a bit extra work to keep these tender plants alive. You’ll have to bring them in the house for the winter, changing the soil to insure your not inviting bugs into your home as well, and the following Spring you’ll have to place them back outside after any danger of frost has passed!

B is for biennials!

Biennials include hollyhocks, foxgloves, and other plants that will complete their life cycle in a two year period.

Biennials grow the first year, then reseed themselves and flower for a second year, then they die.

I always make sure to let biennials go to seed. In other words, I do not cut off their stems as soon as they are done flowering, but instead let them go so they can reproduce! I also help them along a bit by planting a few new seeds just in case, as well as starting a few indoors. This helps insure that I will have a beautiful biennial display when expected!

G is for germination!

Germination simply means how much time it will take from germination (or to sprout) to maturity. This is usually stated in days or weeks. This is very important because here in zones 2-5 we have a short gardening season, so if you want to see your plant or vegetable it should have as short as possible germination period! Starting seeds indoors, in a cold frame, or in a greenhouse, can give you a head start on germination, therefore allowing you to choose plants or vegetables with longer germination periods.

Finally, you should be aware of cautionary signs such as these…

The green one (left) means the plant is poisonous and especially harmful if eaten!

The red one (right) means the plant is poisonous and is toxic if eaten!

Always use caution when planting seeds with these symbols! If you have young children or pets, or even have certain health problems, you should really try to avoid these plants altogether. Some plants that typically feature these symbols are angel trumpets (or datura), foxgloves, and delphiniums.

Also keep the emergency poison control number handy in case of accidental contamination!

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, ideas, and inspiration on cold climate gardening from the Daily Weeder!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

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