Garden

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The Garden can also refer to Madison Square Garden.
Part of a garden in Bristol, England
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Part of a garden in Bristol, England
A flower bed in the gardens of Bristol Zoo, England
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A flower bed in the gardens of Bristol Zoo, England
Checkered flower bed in Tours, France
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Checkered flower bed in Tours, France

A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form is known as a residential garden. Western gardens are almost universally based around plants. Zoos, which display wild animals in simulated natural habitats, were formerly called zoölogical gardens. Some traditional types of eastern gardens, such as Zen gardens, use plants sparsely or not at all. Food-producing gardens are distinguished from farms by their smaller scale, more labor-intensive methods, and their purpose (enjoyment of a hobby rather than produce for sale); this distinction is not always clear-cut, however. The gardening article discusses the differences and similarities between gardens and farms in greater detail.

Gardening is the activity of growing and maintaining the garden. This work is done by an amateur or professional gardener. A gardener might also work in a non-garden setting, such as a park, a roadside embankment, or other public space.

Contents

Relating to the garden

A garden can have many purposes— aesthetic, functional, and recreational. People develop a relationship with the space. That relationship can take many forms; among these are:

  • Cooperation with nature
  • Observance of nature
  • Relaxation
    • Family dinners on the terrace
    • Children playing in the yard
    • Reading and relaxing in the hammock
    • Maintaining the flowerbeds
    • Pottering in the shed
    • Basking in warm sunshine
  • Growing useful produce
    • Flowers to cut and bring inside for indoor beauty
    • Fresh herbs and vegetables for cooking

Other similar spaces

Other outdoor spaces that are similar to gardens include:

  • A landscape is an outdoor natural space of a larger scale, often considered from a distance.
  • A park is a planned outdoor space, usually of a larger size, often for public use.
  • An arboretum is a planned outdoor space, usually large, for the display and study of trees.
  • A farm or orchard is for the production of food stuff.
  • A botanical garden is a type of garden where a wide variety of plants are grown both for scientific purposes and for the enjoyment and education of visitors.
  • A zoological garden, or zoo for short, is a place where wild animals are cared for and exhibited to the public.

Garden planning and design

Garden planning and garden design may be undertaken by a professional. A landscape architect is a trained, certified and registered professional who can plan and realise outdoor spaces. A garden designer is usually trained to plan and realise residential gardens.

The planner must give consideration to many factors:

  • Purpose
  • Existing conditions
  • Financial constraints
  • Maintenance implications

Elements of a garden

A flower garden
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A flower garden
Zen garden at Ryōanji
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Zen garden at Ryōanji
The garden of a Japanese Buddhist temple
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The garden of a Japanese Buddhist temple
French formal garden in the Loire Valley
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French formal garden in the Loire Valley

The elements of a garden consist of natural conditions and materials, as well as man-made elements:

Natural conditions and materials:

Man-made elements:

Types of gardens

Gardens may feature a particular plant or plant type:

Gardens may feature a particular style or aesthetic:

Gardens may function in a particular manner:

History of gardens

See history of gardens page.

Gardens in literature

See also

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