Quiz Time
This week I’ve put together the Gardening Matters quiz, the perfect antidote to a cold and wet day. So, have a look out of the window and if it’s too rough to venture out to the veggie patch, grab yourself a drink, a sticky bun and see how many of these questions you can answer correctly. There are no prizes but it may just take your mind off the weather for a few minutes.
1) What would a gardener do with a dibber?
a) Scrape mud off spades and trowels
b) Make holes in compost from transplanting seedlings
c) Make flailing hand gestures to neighbours
2) What general term is given to the trees and shrubs whose leaves fall in autumn?
a) Deciduous
b) Evergreen
c) Ambidextrous
3) Why do gardeners practice crop rotation?
a) To grow bigger vegetables and impress their friends
b) To make the garden look pretty
c) To help prevent a build up of pests and diseases in the soil
4) Which part of a tree can be used to make cork?
a) The bark
b) Root tissue
c) Pulped seeds
5) The love apple is the original name for what?
a) Potato
b) Tomato
c) Quince
6) Name the evergreen hedging conifer that has created many a neighbourly dispute?
a) Leylandi
b) Escallonia
c) Oleria
7) Why would you cover carrots with horticultural fleece?
a) To keep them warm in winter
b) To stop them being attacked by carrot root fly
c) To hide them from the dogs
8) What is the name given to the female reproductive organ of a flower?
a) Pistol
b) Pistil
c) Pissedup
9) Which cereal must be grown in water?
a) corn
b) rice
c) wheat
10) How can you tell the age of a tree?
a) Measure the height and divide by two
b) Count the rings
c) Ask the garden centre staff
11) What is a sweet drink for bees?
a) Nectar
b) Honey
c) Morning dew
12) This hairy plant has a sting
a) Nettle
b) Ceonothus
c) Mint 13) What age is the oldest plant fossil found?
a) 20 million years
b) 120 million years
c) 150 million years
14) What are peanuts?
a) Fruit
b) Root
c) Beans
15) Name the popular type of goldfish found in ornamental garden ponds.
a) Kevin
b) Cod
c) Koi
16) A beer trap can help control what type of pest?
a) Slugs
b) Greenfly
c) An errant teenager
17) What special attribute makes lavender ideal for dry conditions?
a) Nice smell
b) Small leaves
c) Pretty colour
18) What is the name for sculpting hedges?
a) Tapestry
b) Tomfoolery
c) Topiary
19) Kale, Cauliflowers, Brussel Sprouts are all what type of vegetable?
a) Brassicas
b) Ornamental
c) Carniverous
20) What is a Shepherds Purse?
a) A sheep farmer’s wallet
b) A weed
c) A pretty annual flower
21) What type of plants can be found in a rock garden?
a) Oxygenating plants
b) Alpines
c) Herbs
Answers :
1b, 2a, 3c, 4a, 5b, 6a, 7b, 8b, 9b, 10b, 11a, 12a, 13b, 14c, 15c, 16a, 17b, 18c, 19a, 20b, 21b.
How did you do?
1-10. Looks like you need to spend a bit more time in the garden. Get those boots on now!
11-15. You are a real all rounder with knowledge to spare. You know your rhizomes from your corms.
16-20. Like soil, you have hidden depths, use your knowledge wisely and spread the word about the wonders of the garden
21. Congratulations! We will soon be seeing you on Gardener’s World
