94 Horticulture Today
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Horticulturists often specialize in either edible or ornamental
horticulture. Edible horticulture includes olericulture, pomology, and
viticulture, while ornamental horticulture includes fl oriculture, nursery and
landscape production, interiorscaping, and turfgrass management. These
areas of horticulture are explained in the following sections.
Olericulture
Olericulture is the science, cultivation, processing, storage, and
marketing of herbs and vegetables. People who grow herbs and vegetables
are olericulturists.
Herbs
Herbs are the vegetative parts of the plant (roots,
stems, and leaves) harvested for fl avorings, foods,
perfumes, or medicines. Botanists and horticulturists may
also refer to an herb as an herbaceous plant. In the culinary
world, herbs are referred to as spices. Although chefs often
use the seeds of these plants and consider them herbs, a
true herb is only the root, stem, or leaf of a plant.
Herbs have been cultivated for both medicinal and
culinary purposes since the dawn of gardening. They were
typically grown outdoors and dried for later use. Today,
many people grow herbs in planters and on windowsills
as well as in outdoor gardens for easy access to fresh herbs
for their tea or coffee and for cooking. Lavender, parsley,
chives, chicory, cilantro, lemongrass, oregano, and basil are
some of the most popular herbs cultivated, Figure 4-3.
Vegetables
Consider the age-old debate of the tomato: is it a vegetable or a fruit? The
answer, it seems, varies by profession. Chefs traditionally consider fruits and
vegetables by the course of the meal in which they are eaten. Fruits are typically
sweet and eaten as desserts. Vegetables are typically eaten as appetizers, main
courses, and side dishes. Thus, for chefs, the tomato may be considered a
vegetable. Horticulturists who grow tomatoes for food may also consider them
to be a vegetable. However, botanists consider the tomato to be a fruit because
it develops from the fertilized ovary of a fl ower. Botanists also consider squash,
pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, and pea pods as fruits whereas most
people call them vegetables. As a tomato grower, you may prefer the Supreme
Court’s 1893 ruling in favor of vegetable. It all depends on your perspective.
In horticulture, a vegetable can be the roots, stems, leaves, fl owers, or
fruit of a plant. Therefore, all fruits are vegetables, but not all vegetables are
fruits (to further the fruit/vegetable debate). The roots of sweet potatoes,
carrots, radishes, and parsnips are harvested for eating raw or for cooking.
When you eat celery or asparagus, you are eating the stems of those plants.
The leaves of plants such as spinach, lettuce, cabbage, and kale are eaten.
With some plants, such as onions, leeks, and shallots, both the stem and
thatreec/Shutterstock.com
Figure 4-3. Thai basil is a delightful addition
to many dishes. It is grown by olericulturists.
How many types of basil can you find at local
nurseries or farmers markets?
Corner Question
People have always
linked the affinity for
growing plants to having
a “green thumb.” Where
did this term originate?