While Finland is quite cold, plenty of people love gardening! It gives people a chance to connect with nature. Below you can find a whole bunch of words related to gardening aka puutarhanhoito. You can also check out other articles, for example the one about flowers, or about vegetables.
Tools
| Finnish |
English |
| työkalut |
tools |
| hara |
hoe |
| harava |
rake |
| istutushaarukka |
hand fork |
| istutuslapio |
trowel |
| kastelukannu |
watering can |
| keritsimet |
shears |
| kottikärryt |
wheelbarrow |
| kukkaruukku |
plant pot |
| kumisaappaat |
rubber boots |
| kuokka |
hoe |
| kylvöastia |
seed tray |
| käsisaha |
hand saw |
| lapio |
shovel |
| lehtiharava |
lawn rake |
| letkukela |
hose reel |
| naru |
twine |
| oksasakset |
secateurs |
| pensassakset |
shears |
| puutarhakäsineet |
gardening gloves |
| puutarhalapio |
trowel |
| puutarhaletku |
garden hose |
| raivaussakset |
long-handled shears |
| ruohonleikkuri |
lawn mower |
| sadetin |
sprinkler |
| talikko |
manure fork |
| trimmeri |
trimmer |
| tukikeppi |
stake |
Other tools here!
Gardening elements
| Finnish |
English |
| yrttitarha |
herb garden |
| kattopuutarha |
roof garden |
| pihamaa |
front yard |
| palsta |
patch, plot |
| hedelmätarha |
orchard |
| ruusutarha |
rose garden |
| vihannestarha |
vegetable garden |
| kivikkoistutus |
rock garden |
| patiopuutarha |
patio garden |
| kasvihuone |
greenhouse |
| nurmikko |
lawn |
| lammikko |
pond |
| pensasaita |
hedge |
| aita |
fence |
| portti |
gate |
| kaariportti |
arch |
| vaja |
shed |
| pergola |
pergola |
| perennapenkki |
herbaceous border |
| säleikkö |
trellis |
| amppeli |
hanging basket |
| polku |
path |
| kiveys |
paving |
| sora |
gravel |
| kukkapenkki |
flowerbed |
| suihkulähde |
fountain |
| pohjamaa |
subsoil |
| lannoite |
fertilizer |
| turve |
turf |
| olkipeite |
mulch |
| komposti |
compost heap |
| rikkaruohomyrkky |
weedkiller |
| torjunta-aine |
pesticide |
Gardening verbs
| Finnish |
English |
| haravoida |
to rake |
| hoitaa |
to tend to |
| istuttaa |
to plant |
| istuttaa ruukkuun |
to pot up |
| kaivaa |
to dig |
| karsia |
to prune |
| kastella |
to water |
| kerätä sato |
to harvest |
| kitkeä |
to weed |
| korjata sato |
to harvest |
| kylvää |
to sow |
| kylvää nurmikko |
to sow a lawn |
| lannoittaa |
to fertilize |
| leikata |
to trim |
| maisemoida |
to landscape |
| möyhentää |
to aerate |
| peittää turpeella |
to turf |
| peittää katteella |
to mulch |
| poimia |
to pick |
| sumuttaa |
to spray |
| trimmata |
to trim |
| varttaa |
to graft |
Plant types
| Finnish |
English |
| jokavuotinen kasvi |
annual plant |
| kaksivuotinen kasvi |
biennial plant |
| monivuotinen kasvi |
perennial plant |
| vesikasvi |
water plant |
| sipulikasvi |
bulbous plant |
| mehikasvi |
succulent plant |
| saniainen |
fern |
| bambu |
bamboo |
| rikkaruohot |
weeds |
| taimi |
seedling |
| maustekasvi |
herb plant |
| puu |
tree (more) |
| palmu |
palm tree |
| havupuu |
fir tree |
| lehtipuu |
leaf tree |
| kaktus |
cactus |
| ruoho |
grass |
| pensas |
bush |
| koristepensas |
flowering shrub |
| köynnöskasvi |
climber |
| pohjakasvillisuus |
ground cover |
| maanpeittokasvi |
creeper |
| taimi |
seedling |
Do you know if there is a Finnish word or term for a ‘volunteer plant’ that appears in the garden without you planting it there?
I’d say villikasvi or yllätyskasvi.
But I think the Finnish way is to rather think that a piece of ground will be filled naturally with a wide variety of grass, plants and trees. So the planted spot or garden, a controlled area is something unnatural. Then a surprise plant in the garden is a step to the natural way.
Villikasvi was also suggested by someone in my Discord server.
However, one person who has a Finnish partner had this to say: “Finns from what I’ve seen of gardening groups want to remove everything that isn’t placed by their hand. The idea of volunteer plant sounds funny because their volunteering was never requested. My lady moans about this often because Finns ask a lot on the groups how to remove some pretty plant or giant tree just because they didn’t want it.”
As so often happens, people are individuals. My Finnish ex-in-laws also prefer to fill their garden with planned plants. There’s always a random aggressive “vieraslaji” in summer that they try to get rid of. The difference between a vieraslaji (a foreign species) and a villikasvi (a wild plant) is of course an important distinction.
I can understand that kind of mentality, too!
To exaggerate a bit, those people walk around with a bottle of Roundup and poison everything that they don’t recognise or like. No dandelions allowed.
I agree that no-one accepts pujo (artemisia vulgaris) that tries to colonise every spot.
But at some level, surprise plants are – a nice suprise.