French Gardening Vocabulary

Gardening is one of the most exciting and fun activities people enjoy during the springtime. On this page you’ll find a complete list of French gardening vocabulary. This list includes general terms, kinds of plants, gardening tools and materials, as well as useful verbs and adjectives.

General terms

l’allée path
l’arrosage watering
la fontaine fountain
la rocaille rock garden
la serre greenhouse
le drainage drainage
le jardin à la française formal garden
le jardin d’eau water garden
le jardin garden
le jardin paysan cottage garden
le jardin sur le toit roof garden
le parterre flowerbed
le patio patio garden
le pavé paving
le potager vegetable garden
le sable sand
le tas de compost compost heap

Plants & Things That Grow

l’arbre tree
l’arbuste à fleurs flowering shrub
l’herbe grass
la fougère fern
la haie hedge
la pelouse lawn
la plante alpine alpine
la plante aquatique water plant
la plante d’ombre shade plant
la plante en pot potted plant
la plante grasse succulent
la plante grimpante climber
la plante rampante creeper
la plante vivace perennial
la topiare topiary
le bambou bamboo
le bulbe bulk
le cactus cactus
le confière confier
le jonc rush
le palmier palm
les mauvaises herbes weeds
les plantes plants

Gardening Tools

l’arroseur sprinkler
l’arrosoir watering can
la bêche spade
la brouette wheelbarrow
la dondeuse trimmer
la fourche fork
la grande cisaille long-handled shears
la houe hoe
la tondeuse lawnmower
le balai à gazon lawn rake
le déplantoir trowel
le gravier gravel
le panier de jardinier trug
le pot à fleurs flower pot
le râteau rake
le sac à l’herbe grass bag
les gants de jardinage gardening gloves
les outils de jardin garden tools

Gardening materials

l’argile clay
l’herbicide weedkiller
la chaux chalk
la terre topsoil
la vase silt
le pesticide pesticide
le sol soil
le sous-sol subsoil
le terreau compost

Verbs

arroser to water
bêcher to trim
biologique organic
cueillir to pick
cultiver to cultivate
désherber to weed
dessiner to landscape
élaguer to prune
fertiliser to fertalize
l’engrais fertalizer
mettre en pot to prop up
pailler to mulch
ratisser to rake
récolter to harvest
retourner airate
semer to sow
soigner to tend
tailler to trim
tamiser to sieve
tondre to mow (the lawn)
transplanter to transplant

Adjectives

à feuilles caduques deciduous
à feuilles persistantes evergreen
annuel annual
bisannuel biennial

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David Issokson

David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.

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