Is Gardening a Hobby?

[veggiechicken]

Online book stores and magazines list gardening books under Hobbies. I don't think of "gardening" as a Hobby - its a way of life.
Maybe if I specialised in something like Bonsai or carnivorous plants or developing new varieties of fruit? Instead, I grow food - and maintain the outside areas of my home in a style that appeals to me.
Maintaining the indoors - like cleaning and decorating isn't a hobby so what is the difference. How does a necessity become a hobby?

Just curious what you think? Is gardening a hobby?

PS its blustery in the garden at the mo so I'm indoors having a coffee and a ponder

[Cadalot]

I would say it's both, A hobby that quickly becomes a way of life. As the t-Shirt the wife bought me says

Eat Drink Sleep
Allotment

[Greenleaves]

Hobby...maybe
Passion....definitely

[Cadalot]

Says it all really

[Baldy]

Says it all really

[ATTACH=CONFIG]77009[/ATTACH]

I'm just experimenting with a similar image to print on a t-shirt... perhaps I'm an addict

[veggiechicken]

Do you think its a "Hobby" if its an allotment because you have to leave your home to do it?

[Cadalot]

I'm just experimenting with a similar image to print on a t-shirt... perhaps I'm an addict

Balders

Here are some more

[Bill Door]

per Oxford dictionary

Hobby

1) An activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure.

2) a horse (archaic)

2) a bicycle without pedals.

So yes to many gardening is a hobby, to some it is a chore but to some it is just "why!!!?"

So veggiechicken i think the time has come to say "get off your'e horse and drink your'e milk".

Whatever it is have fun.

Bill

[Jungle Jane]

I look at it as a hobby,it's one of the things you have to put aside to do importanter things like pick my mum up & take her to town,pick daughter up wherever she is,feed the pets,cleaning etc all important things,life couldn't carry on without. Gardenings a luxury for me time wise,growing food isn't a hobby though but if someone said what do you like doing in your spare time you say gardening,or do some people say taking mum to town or feeding the cat?

[Potstubsdustbins]

If you stick to cutting the hedges, mowing the lawn etc it could be classed as a necessity.

If you grow food, beautiful flowers etc then it must be a hobby because you don't have to do it.......to exist.

[Jungle Jane]

I need food to exist?

[SelkirkAlex]

more like an obsession, scheming and plotting to outwit mother nature, to prove some mastery or at least a semblance of control of our little patches of heaven, delusion fits in there somewhere too

[ESBkevin]

If you have paid work during the week then spending 'other' time suggests it's a hobby. If you are living off the proceeds of the plot and have minimal other income you could say it's a vocation or career. Our Allotment rules are simple but preclude the sale of produce, (we can swap amoung ourselves or give to family and friends when there is a bounty) So calling it anything but a hobby for us would be stretching it a bit. That said if I make it to retirement I shall get very wrapped up in the whole thing and be able to have nicely cut borders, straight well weeded rows, professional looking pest nets and all the other things the old boys seem to have more time for than me.

[Guest]

I think it started as a hobby, then became a lifestyle and soon to become an occupation. It has however always been an education

[Bren In Pots]

I count anything 'I enjoy doing' as a hobby, gardening just has the bonus of having a little shop of produce included.