What does "gardening" mean?

1. (growing plants) the activity of growing and caring for plants, flowers, or vegetables. 2. (digital maintenance) the act of cleaning up and organizing digital files or information. 3. (cricket pitch care) when a batsman taps the ground with their bat to flatten it.

gardening

US //ˈɡɑɹdənɪŋ// UK //ɡˈɑːdənɪŋ// gar·den·ing

1 growing plants (n.)
A1 Beginner

the activity of growing and caring for plants, flowers, or vegetables.

the practice of cultivating soil and caring for plants in a garden or allotment.

Example

My grandfather spends every Saturday morning gardening in his backyard.

Example

Organic gardening has seen a significant resurgence as urban residents seek sustainable ways to produce their own vegetables in small allotments.
- horticulture
- cultivation
2 digital maintenance (n.)
C1 Advanced Informal Computing

the act of cleaning up and organizing digital files or information.

the process of maintaining, curating, or organizing digital content, such as a wiki or a personal knowledge base.

Example

I spent the afternoon doing some digital gardening on my old blog posts.

Example

Effective digital gardening requires consistent effort to prune outdated links and ensure the internal architecture remains navigable for new users.
- curation
- maintenance

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3 cricket pitch care (n.)
C2 Proficiency British English Sport

when a batsman taps the ground with their bat to flatten it.

the act of a batsman prodding or tapping the pitch with their bat to flatten bumps or remove loose debris.

Example

The batsman did a bit of gardening while waiting for the bowler to return.

Example

The umpire watched closely as the batsman engaged in some unnecessary gardening, ensuring the surface of the pitch wasn't being unfairly altered.

Origin

From garden + -ing.