Garden

A garden is a plot of land set aside for the growing of plants for food or decoration. In contrast to a farm gardens are smaller in size, generally only approaching a few hundred square feet at their largest. Gardens generally fall into one of two categories:

• Vegetable gardens, are maintained a few people for the purpose of providing food. Many of these are simple, backyard gardens, although the practice of community gardening is growing in urban areas. These gardens generally only contain edible plants.

• Decorative gardens, which are usually highly landscaped and are used to enhance the aesthetic value of a building or plot of land. The plants in decorative gardens rarely have the primary purpose of providing food, and instead are chosen for their visual qualities. Flowering plants are common in many decorative gardens. Decorative gardens may include other items with pleasing visual qualities, such as fountains or ponds.

In desert areas, a landscaped collection of rocks is often referred to as a rock garden.

The great palaces of Europe, such as Versailles, typically featured very elaborate gardens.

See also

• Backyard