Abstract

There has been a rapid rise in the levels of interest in private domestic gardens within contemporary society. Literature suggests that gardens carry special meanings for individuals and that both gardens and gardening may have therapeutic effects. In order to explore how people's interest in gardens may change over time, the study investigates participants’ accounts of the meanings associated with domestic gardens, across the lifespan. A grounded theory analysis was conducted of semi-structured interviews with an opportunity sample of 18 participants aged between 18 and 85 years. Interviewees identified how domestic gardens are implicated within the concepts of Escapism, Identity and Ownership, providing a setting for a multitude of relationships, most notably with nature. The study highlights how these universal concepts assume different meanings at varying life stages and how the concept of retreat remains a significant one.