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

Sam had come to love gardening, too, and every year the couple competed with their neighbor Frank Schroeder, across the street, to see who could produce the season’s first ripe tomato. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

Regularly cleaning and sanitizing your gardening tools will help prevent the spread of plant diseases. — The Spruce, 20 Aug. 2026

This is one reason no-till gardening focuses on disturbing only the soil where plants are placed rather than broadly tilling large areas. — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026

Nonna-maxxing has filled social-media feeds with slow mornings, Sunday dinners, homemade pasta, gardening, knitting, and other routines associated with Italian grandmothers. — Angela Haupt, Time, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gardening

• hardening
• pardoning