▪ I. gardening, vbl. n.
(ˈgɑːd(ə)nɪŋ)
[f. garden v. + -ing1.]
1. The action or occupation of laying out or cultivating a garden; horticulture.
| 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 53 b, In these parts they commonly begin their gardening..in the end of Februarie. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. (1845) 57–8 A Stranger to the Art of Gardening. 1762–71 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) IV. 247 Gardening was probably one of the first arts that succeeded to that of building houses. 1877 Mrs. Forrester Mignon I. 64 My nephew has done the gardening single-handed the last five years. |
| fig. a 1577 Gascoigne Hearbes, Weedes, etc. Wks. (1587) 160 Gascoigns gardenings wherof were written in one end of a close walke which he hath in his garden this discourse following. |
† 2. concr. Grounds laid out as gardens. Obs.—1
| 1687 Lond. Gaz. No. 2284/4 At Worksop..is a large New House to be Lett, with good Cellaridge, Stabling, Gardning, and Land belonging to it. |
3. attrib.
| 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 53 b, Some devide their Gardening time by the Moneths. 1587 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees 1860) 157 Twelve gardining shoviles 12/-. 1661 Ogilby His Majesty's Entertainm. 30 All Sorts of Graffing, and Gardening Tools. 1716 H. Stevenson Young Gard'ner's Director p. iii, In all the Gard'ning Books. 1825 Cobbett Rur. Rides 41 The country presents a sort of gardening scene. 1830 Miss Mitford Village Ser. iv. (1863) 312, I may consider myself in great luck to see what is called, in gardening language, ‘so grand a show’. 1843 Ainsworth's Mag. IV. 473 She seemed ashamed neither of her gardening gloves..nor her quizzical companion. 1850 Beck's Florist 54 Gardening newspapers..find their way into every circle where a flower is loved. 1861 Delamer Fl. Gard. 2 The gardening artist who, under such circumstances..fails to produce a pleasing..effect, is almost left without excuse. 1891 H. Herman His Angel 217, I had on my gardening suit. 1894 Westm. Gaz. 17 Sept. 3/3, I should like also to draw the distinction between gardening classes and a gardening club. 1932 D. C. Minter Mod. Needlecraft 220/2 Remnants of cretonne..made up into a sewing or gardening apron. 1934 A. Thirkell Wild Strawberries xiii. 277 The schoolroom, where Lady Emily kept some of her valuable old gardening books. 1964 E. Bowen Little Girls iii. v. 206 Gardening gloves crammed bulkily into a pocket. |
▸ gardening leave n. Brit. (euphem.) suspension from work on full pay for the duration of a notice period, typically to prevent an employee from having any further influence on the organization or from acting to benefit a competitor before leaving.
| 1985 Daily Tel. 2 Feb. 2/1 Then he had a spell of what he described as ‘*gardening leave’, Civil Service jargon for a paid leave while a job could be found for him. 1986 J. Lynn & A. Jay Yes Prime Minister 240 But you could send Humphrey off on gardening leave while we examine the rest of the Halstead papers. 1989 Managem. Today (Nexis) Oct. 161 A gardening leave clause purports to allow a company to pay an outgoing employee to sit at home during his notice period. 2001 Western Daily Press (Electronic ed.) 12 Dec. Bruce has been on ‘gardening leave’ from Crystal Palace after he tried to walk out on the Eagles to take over at the club where he spent two seasons as a player. |
▪ II. gardening, ppl. a.
(ˈgɑːd(ə)nɪŋ)
[f. garden v. + -ing2.]
That gardens.
| 1647 W. Browne tr. Gomberville's Polexander i. 183 In an instant we saw a Gardning maiden become a Princess. 1822 Lamb Elia Ser. i. Dream Children, Now and then a solitary gardening man would cross me. 1850 Beck's Florist 287 All the gardening world used to talk of the 2000 varieties of Roses grown by the Messrs. Loddiges. |