| A piece of ground adjoining a house, used for growing flowers, fruit, or vegetables.Gardens can assume almost any identity the owner wishes within the limits of climate, materials, and space. Modern gardens are becoming ever smaller because many people live in urban areas where space for gardening is limited, and many gardeners have less time to spend on upkeep. Formal gardens, those that are laid out in strictly geometric patterns with boundaries that are clearly defined by hedges, stone or gravel walkways, statuary, fences, walls, and fountains, were popular in Europe during the Renaissance and in the United States in the early 1800s. Although they can still be found as part of large estates or botanical gardens, most domestic gardens are now much smaller and less formal. The many styles of gardens can be divided into the following basic categories: |
