Gardening means different things to different people.
Thousands view gardening as a hobby, a relaxing escape from the pressures of an urban environment.
For us, the food produced may be almost secondary. Growing fresh vegetables, herbs, or fruits provides a great sense of joy and accomplishment. Horticulture is a composite science with strongest influence from plant physiology and pathology, botony, biology, chemistry, soil science, and genetics. Other sciences are involved, but the ones listed readily come to mind at this writing. The vegetable garden has traditionally been located in an area separate from other parts of the landscape because it was considered unsightly.