gardening

noun

gar·​den·​ing ˈgär-də-niŋ 

ˈgärd-niŋ

: the act, activity, or pastime of planning and cultivating gardens

… America's number-one leisure pursuit remains the gentle, slow-going, idyllic activity of gardening.

—Margaret Langstaff

… there is no shortage this spring of slick and glossy books on gardening that are long on toothsome photography and short of thoughtful text …

—Allen Lacy

Halide lamps are the most popular source of white light available for indoor gardening, providing the best light spectrum for all stages of plant growth.

—Laura L. Kramer

—often used before another noun

gardening gloves

gardening tools

Examples of gardening in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, my mother still hosted family dinners and enjoyed gardening in her back yard until her late 80s. —Steve Vernon, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Known as sheet mulching or lasagna gardening, this method involves layering cardboard with soil, compost, food scraps, mulch, and other biodegradable materials, which break down naturally into the soil. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2026

Few pieces in your closet can keep up with everything from gardening and travel days to long hours at the office and weekend plans, but a white T-shirt is one of them. —Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026

Strawberries are a fantastic choice for container gardening. —Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gardening

• hardening
• pardoning