This horticultural practice focuses on growing plants for food, aesthetics, or recreation within a defined plot. Unlike broadacre farming, it relies heavily on manual labor, hand tools, and intensive management of individual plants. The discipline encompasses everything from soil preparation and seed sowing to pruning, pest control, and harvesting.
Heard on the job
Intensive gardening requires staying on top of the weeds before they go to seed.
Related terms
Intensive farming
An agricultural system designed to maximize crop or livestock yields using high levels of inputs.
Permaculture
A design approach to agriculture that mimics natural ecosystems to create self-sustaining landscapes.
Forest gardening
A low-maintenance, sustainable plant-based food production system based on woodland ecosystems.