There are many rationales for making gardens, ranging from practical utility to cosmic meanings.  If pleasure gardens are theaters, then vernacular gardens are schools.  The vernacular garden (from the Latin word for "native") is a conservative form, home to a mix of vegetables, fruit trees, and other elements useful in the maintenance of the household.  The English term "garden" (in French, jardin) has vulgate Latin (gardinum), Teutonic, and Norse roots (garth), the latter of which defines "a small piece of enclosed ground, usually beside a house or other building, used as a yard, garden, or paddock."  Vernacular gardens are defined as plots in which plants are tended by hand and which form part of the domestic economy.

Gardens play a critical role in reducing risks associated with inclement weather all over the world.  Unlike field crops, gardens shelter numerous species in special soils and under controlled microclimatic conditions. Plants receive individual attention and enable the gardener to develop an intimate understanding of soils, winds, and seasons as they relate to the garden plot. In addition to abundant produce, gardens both conserve traditional species and are filled with small experiments that yield new information.