Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often cultivated for their flowers, foliage, or general appearance; useful plants, such as tubers, leafy vegetables, fruits and herbs, are grown for consumption, for use as coloring, or for medicinal or cosmetic use. A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Gardening is considered a relaxing activity for many people.
The scale of gardening ranges from fruit orchards, to long boulevard plantations with one or more different types of shrubs, trees and herbaceous plants, to residential patios that include lawn and foundation plantations, and plants in large or small containers that grow inside or outside. Gardening can be very specialized, with only one type of cultivated plant, or involve a large number of different plants in mixed plantations. It involves active participation in plant cultivation and tends to be labor intensive, which differentiates it from agriculture or forestry.
