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Short definition: Baby leaf salads are the young, tender leaves of various vegetables which are harvested early. They are exceptionally tender and aromatic.Botanical classification: Combinations of Lactuca sativa, Spinacia oleracea, Brassica species, Beta vulgaris, Eruca sativa, etc.Typical varieties: Baby spinach, rocket salad, red chard, red oak leaf lettuce.Key features: Great as a quick crop in a polytunnel or outdoors. Can be harvested repeatedly.

Bare frost refers to periods of frost when the ground is frozen but there is no protective snow cover. The term "bare" points to the absence of the insulating snow that normally shields plants from extreme temperature swings.

Short definition: Midway between a butterhead lettuce and a crisphead, with thicker, slightly curly leaves and a firmer structure.Botanical classification: Lactuca sativa var. capitata (batavia type).Typical varieties: Rouge Grenobloise, Maravilla de Verano, Baquieu.Key features: More heat-tolerant than butterhead lettuce. Popular summer crop.

Ein Bauerngarten ist eine traditionelle Gartenform, die Nutz- und Zierpflanzen miteinander kombiniert. Charakteristisch sind geometrisch angelegte Beete, die oft mit niedrigen Buchsbaumhecken eingefasst sind. Neben Kräutern und Gemüse werden auch Blumen ausgesät, um sowohl die Ernte zu bereichern als auch die Optik des Gartens aufzuwerten.

Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two years. In the first year they generally form a basal leaf rosette and develop their root system. Flowering, fruit formation and seed ripening follow in the second year. After this the plants die.

The typical billhook - also known as a pruning hook - has a sickle-shaped blade with a downward-curved tip.

Black bean aphid (generally known as blackfly) is a common aphid that attacks beans, sugar beets, sunflowers and many other plants. You can recognise it by its distinctive rounded, black body shape, clustered in colonies on young shoots and the undersides of leaves.

Blanching is a gardening technique that involves protecting particular parts of a plant from the light in order to inhibit chlorophyll production. As a result they remain lighter in colour, more delicate in flavour and often less bitter. Typical examples are white asparagus, endives and leeks, which are blanched by piling up earth around them or using a cover or wrap to keep out the light. This method improves the texture and makes the vegetables milder in flavour.

Bolting refers to a plant's rapid vertical growth followed by flowering, usually triggered by heat, long days or stress factors. This phenomenon particularly affects leafy and root vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, rocket, coriander or winter radish.

Box shears are ideal for topiary work on bushes and shrubs of all kinds. Best known are probably the often highly intricate topiary shapes cut into box, from which the shears take their name.

Bulbous plants (geophytes) form a bulb as a storage organ. This is usually the lowest shoot of the plant.

Short definition: Soft-leaved lettuce with a loose head and a mild, slightly buttery flavour.Botanical classification: Lactuca sativa var. capitata (Butterhead type).Typical varieties: May Queen, Buttercrunch, Tom Thumb, Marvel of Four Seasons.Key features: Best suited for spring growing – sensitive to heat.

Bypass secateurs are secateurs with two cutting blades that slide past each other.