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Gardening is an activity-the art and craft of growing plants
By Michael Sanford
Gardening is an activity¡ªthe art and craft of growing
plants¡ªwith a goal of creating a beautiful environment.
Gardening most often takes place in or about one's
residence, in a space referred to as the garden. A garden
that is in close proximity to one's residence is also known
as a residential garden. Although a garden typically is
located on the land within, surrounding, or adjacent to a
residence, it may also be located in less traditional
locations such as on a roof, in an atrium, on a balcony, in a
windowbox, or on a patio.
Gardening also takes place in non-residential green areas,
such as parks, public or semi-public gardens (botanical
gardens or zoological gardens), amusement and theme
parks, along transportation corridors, and around tourist
attractions and hotels. In these situations, a staff of
gardeners or groundskeepers maintains the gardens.
Indoor gardening is concerned with the growing of what
are essentially houseplants within a residence or building,
in a conservatory, or in a greenhouse. Plants grown in a
conservatory or greenhouse may or may not require more
exacting care and conditions than ordinary houseplants.
Indoor gardens are sometimes incorporated as part of air
conditioning or heating systems.
Water gardening is concerned with growing plants adapted
to pools and ponds. Bog gardens are also considered a
type of water garden. These all require special conditions
and considerations. A simple water garden may consist
solely of a tub containing the water and plant(s).
In cryptanalysis, gardening was a term used at Bletchley
Park during World War II for schemes to entice the
Germans to include known plaintext, which they called
cribs, in their encrypted messages. It is claimed to have
been most effective against messages produced by the
German Navy's Enigma machines
In China, for instance, farmers regularly set up outhouses
on the roads to attract tourists to use them, furnishing the
farmers with "night soil" (human manure) for use as a
fertiliser. These methods make excellent use of calories
and minerals and water, but of course violate the
aesthetics of most Westerners, who would balk at using
stranger's human wastes on their own gardens. There is
thus some conflict between gardening for personal or
aesthetic reasons, and for practical food-raising, even for
one household.
The living wall is an unusual variant of a living machine
and is effectively a vertical garden: water dripping down
feeds a surface growing with moss and vines, other plants,
some insects and bacteria, and captured at the bottom in a
pool or pond to be recirculated to the top. These are
sometimes built indoors to help cure sick building
syndrome or otherwise increase the oxygen levels in
recirculated air.
Gardening is considered to be an absolutely essential art
in most cultures. In Japan, for instance, Samurai and Zen
monks were often required to build decorative gardens or
practice related skills like flower arrangement known as
ikebana.
Social aspect
In modern Europe and North America, people often
express their political or social views in gardens,
intentionally or not. The Green parties and Greenpeace
often advise their campaigners to call first on homeowners
who have lush chaotic wild gardens, as these are deemed
to be more likely to respond to the Greens' political
message than those with AstroTurf or bluegrass lawns. No
reliable statistics support such claims, but for many years,
in the United States, there was a widespread belief that
there was such a thing as a Republican lawn and
Democratic lawn.
The lawn vs. garden issue is played out in urban planning
as the debate over the "land ethic" that is to determine
urban land use and whether hyperhygienist bylaws (e.g.
weed control) should apply, or whether land should
generally be allowed to exist in its natural wild state. In a
famous Canadian Charter of Rights case, "Sandra Bell vs.
City of Toronto", 1997, the right to cultivate all native
species, even most varieties deemed noxious or
allergenic, was upheld as part of the right of free
expression, at least in Canada.
Gardening is thus not only a food source and art, but also a
right. The Slow Food movement has sought in some
countries to add an edible schoolyard and garden
classrooms to schools, e.g. in Fergus, Ontario, where these
were added to a public school to augment the kitchen
classroom.
In US and British usage, the care, installation, and
maintenance of ornamental plantings in and around
commercial and institutional buildings is called
landscaping, landscape maintenance or groundskeeping,
while international usage uses the term gardening for
these same activities.
History
Gardening for food extends far back into prehistory.
Ornamental gardens are known in ancient times (the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon), and ancient Rome had
dozens of gardens. See the History of gardening article for
more information, including a List of historical garden
types, as well as a List of notable historical gardens.
About the Author For more information on organic gardeningart please visit the organic gardening art resource center at http://www.gardening-help-guide.info
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Some other articles by Michael Sanford | |
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