Landscaping Honor

Agricultural Activities

Requirements

What is landscaping?
Answer: Landscaping is the art and science of planning, designing, and organizing outdoor spaces such as gardens, plazas, parks, and yards, combining living elements (plants, grasses, trees) and inert ones (stones, water, furniture) to create functional, aesthetic, and ecologically sustainable environments. — Modern landscaping emerged in the 18th century in England with Capability Brown, who designed English gardens imitating natural landscapes — in Brazil, Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994) is the greatest name, with iconic works such as the Copacabana promenade.
Make a basic list of the materials used in landscaping.
Answer: Essential materials: fertilized soil (topsoil, substrate), plants (seedlings, seeds, grasses), decorative stones (pebbles, basalt), organic and chemical fertilizers (NPK), an irrigation system (hoses, sprinklers), tools (shovel, hoe, watering can, pruning saw, pruning shears), pots and planters, mulch (ground cover), and trellises/supports for climbing plants. — Mulch (ground cover) of pine bark or dry leaves reduces the evaporation of water from the soil by up to 70% according to EMBRAPA — an indispensable material in sustainable tropical landscaping.
What are tropical plants? Give examples.
Answer: Tropical plants are species adapted to the hot, humid climates of the band between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, with average temperatures above 18°C and high humidity. Examples: palms (queen palm, açaí), bromeliads, heliconias, orchids, ferns, anthuriums, frangipanis, ipês, silk floss trees, and banana trees. — The tropical band concentrates more than 60% of the world's plant biodiversity — Brazil, Indonesia, and Colombia lead in the number of native tropical species, with the Amazon home to about 40 thousand species cataloged to date.
What are annual plants? Give examples.
Answer: Annual plants complete their entire life cycle (germinating, growing, flowering, producing seeds, and dying) in a single season or at most one year. Examples: petunia, sunflower, basil, corn, lettuce, tomato, squash, oats, beans, and calendula. They are replanted each cycle from saved seeds. — Annual plants save resources because they invest everything in producing seeds before dying — a characteristic selected by human agriculture about 12 thousand years ago during the Neolithic Revolution to ensure predictable harvests.
What are full-sun, partial-shade, and shade plants? Cite at least two examples of each.
Answer: Full sun: they need more than 6 hours of direct sun per day (roses, lavender, hibiscus, basil). Partial shade: 3 to 6 hours of sun, preferring the morning sun (azalea, hydrangea, gardenia, anthurium). Shade: less than 3 hours of direct sun, they thrive under trees (rex begonia, peace lily, pothos, lipstick plant). — Classification by light level is the basis of landscaping — placing a fern in full sun causes sunburn on the leaves within a few hours, while putting a rosebush in the shade causes etiolation (long stems without flowers).
What are succulent plants? Grow two types of succulents at your home.
Answer: Succulents are plants that store water in modified tissues (thick leaves, stems, or roots) to survive in dry environments. To grow two types (e.g., aloe vera and echeveria), use a pot with drainage holes, a mix of soil + sand + fine gravel, water only when the substrate dries out (1×/week), and keep them in a location with direct sun for a few hours. — Succulents store water through modified parenchyma cells — some, like the saguaro cactus, can retain more than 750 liters of water after rains, surviving up to 2 years without rain in the desert.
What is geotextile fabric (bidim) and what is it used for?
Answer: Bidim fabric is a non-woven synthetic geotextile made of polyester or polypropylene. It is used mainly for drainage (it filters water without letting fine soil particles through), separating layers (between soil and gravel in beds), protecting waterproofing membranes in roof gardens, and stabilizing soil on slopes against erosion. — Bidim was developed in the 1970s by French highway engineering (BIDIM = the original trade name) to protect embankments — its application in domestic landscaping became popular in Brazil starting in the 2000s.
What are ornamental plants?
Answer: Ornamental plants are those cultivated for their aesthetic beauty — flowers, foliage, shape, or color — and not for food, medicinal, or industrial production. They serve to decorate gardens, homes, offices, and public spaces. This includes flowers (roses, orchids), foliage (ferns, dracaenas), shrubs (azaleas), and trees (ipês). — The ornamental plant trade generates about R$8 billion per year in Brazil, according to IBRAFLOR — Holambra (SP) is the largest national hub, supplying more than 80% of the seedlings and flowers sold in the country.
What is a lawn edging used for? Make a small garden using grass, lawn edging, and ornamental plants.
Answer: Lawn edging (steel blades, bent aluminum, PVC plastic, or aligned stones) delimits the grass area, preventing it from invading flower beds or sidewalks. For a small garden: install the edging forming a curve, plant emerald grass in the center, place ornamental plants on the outside such as agapanthus, mini boxwood, or impatiens, and cover with mulch. — Agapanthus and mini boxwood are classic choices for a 'living border' in Brazilian gardens because they have controlled growth and roots that do not invade the lawn — a principle called 'tiered gardening' used by Burle Marx.
Cite 10 species of palm trees used in gardens.
Answer: Ten landscaping palms: queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana), royal palm (Roystonea regia), açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea), coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis), fishtail palm (Caryota mitis), areca palm (Dypsis lutescens), imperial palm (Roystonea oleracea), and Bismarck palm (Bismarckia nobilis). — The imperial palm of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden descends from the first seedling planted by D. João VI in 1809, imported from Mauritius — it is considered the 'grandmother' of all Brazilian imperial palms for its historical value.
What happens to ferns when they are exposed to the sun and wind?
Answer: Ferns yellow, dry out, and burn their leaves (fronds) when exposed to direct sun and strong wind, due to rapid dehydration. The tips of the fronds turn brown and brittle, and the plant can die within a few days. Ferns are tropical understory plants — they prefer humid shade with gentle ventilation. — Ferns have a thin cuticle and very numerous stomata on their fronds — characteristics that accelerate water loss through transpiration when exposed to sun and wind, a phenomenon called 'xylem cavitation' in plant ecophysiology.
What techniques are used in planting grass?
Answer: To plant grass, you can use seeds, grass rolls, or sod mats. Seeds are spread over the soil and need constant watering, while rolls and mats already come with the grass grown and are quicker to install. — The answer is correct because these are the three main grass-planting techniques, each with its own advantages. Grass is one of the most widely cultivated plants in the world for aesthetic and recreational purposes.
What are ornamental plants that have no flowers called? Give examples.
Answer: They are called ornamental foliage — cultivated for the beauty of the leaves (color, shape, size, texture) and not for the flowers. Examples: ferns, pothos, Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), snake plant, dumb cane (Dieffenbachia), peperomias, fittonias, pacová, dracaenas, and lady palms. — Foliage plants are preferred in indoor environments because they tolerate less light than flowering plants — the Swiss cheese plant became a worldwide decorating trend after going viral on Pinterest and Instagram between 2018 and 2022.