People who tend to and cultivate gardens. Plural of gardener.
From Old French 'gardinier' from 'gardin' (garden), ultimately from Germanic roots meaning 'enclosed space'. The suffix '-er' indicates one who performs the action.
The word 'garden' originally meant any enclosed space, not necessarily one with plants! Medieval gardens were often just walled areas, and gardeners were simply the people who maintained whatever was inside those walls.
Gardening was historically feminized as amateur domestic labor ('the wife's garden'), while landscape architecture and horticulture as professions were male-dominated. This created a false division between 'women gardeners' and 'professional landscapers.'
Use 'gardeners' neutrally. When discussing horticulture professionals, use 'horticulturist' or specify expertise. Avoid gendering based on garden type (vegetable vs. ornamental).
Women horticulturists like Liberty Hyde Bailey and contemporary women-led urban farming networks have professionalized gardening and challenged the amateur/professional divide.
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