What Does 'Gardening' Mean On TikTok? The Slang Term Taking Over Stoner Discourse Explained

A slang term called "gardening" is TikTok's new favorite word. "Garden," "gardener" and "garden gummies" are all a part of the trend, causing many to wonder what the words mean.

The usage of "gardening" on TikTok started late last year to speak about the word's meaning without getting banned by the app's moderation team. This is because "gardening" is a sneaky way of saying "smoking weed."

So, who started the slang term "gardening?" Why has it become such a viral topic? Let's explain.

What Does 'Gardening' Mean?

"Gardening" is a slang term for smoking weed. In turn, the word "garden" refers to the place where one smokes weed and the word "gardener" refers to a person who smokes weed.

A "garden" is akin to marijuana because many stoners already call the drug "flower," "plant" and "trees." Therefore, the jump between "flower" and "garden" is not too difficult. It's an easy bridge to gap.

Where Does 'Gardening' Come From?

The slang term "gardening" was coined by TikToker Natalie Benson (@notnataliebenson) in November of last year. Her first video that referenced gardening is also the first video on her page. That's because she was banned for speaking about weed on her previous account, resulting in the formation of her new account where she swore to only call the act "gardening."

Using a pseudonym to avoid a ban on social media is commonly referred to as algospeak, as in, speaking in favor of the algorithm. Weed, drugs and other topics like intercourse are often viewed as NSFW by TikTok and other websites. Therefore, people find replacement words like "gardening."

How do you use "Gardening" in a sentence?

• "I just got home from work, going to do a bit of gardening now."
• "My boyfriend always catches me in the garden before a yummy meal."
• "She laughs so much because she's a gardener, duh."

For the full history of gardening, be sure to check out our entry on the slang term here for even more information.