Gardening: An Initiative of Sustainable Alternative in the Time of Climate Change

Gardening is one of the important legacies of the agricultural civilization, which still affects human life and the ecological environment. It is a ‘spatial container’, a bearer of natural and cultural genes, and a shelter for life and mind. Although it is a small space, it is a source of value for a range of economic formation and diverse imaginations. Today, human faces an uncertain future: “The ground is shifting under our feet. Anxiety levels are off the charts. We are in a climate meltdown. Extreme temperatures, raging fires, droughts, and epic floods are not natural disasters. We are on a wild ride, about to exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius global warming limit.” (Guterres, 2024) Penalties from the Earth are worsening the crisis in grain and food production. Against this backdrop, gardening is attracting a great deal of attention as a ‘micro’ economic form. According to a survey conducted by Chinese academics on ‘food-self provisioning’, 90% of urban households interviewed were involved in this activity. A sustainable alternative is on the horizon. On the one hand, gardening encourages people to return to a natural, green and frugal way of living; on the other hand, it teaches people's de-growth, less consumption and better environment. Historical experience tells us that gardening has never far away our lives, as well as has always pushed reason and restraint oneself with its tenacity and vigor. This paper adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, based on literatures and survey data to describe the cultural history of gardening, understand the relate to the happenings of individuals, families and communities，why can it serve as an alternative in sustainable development? In what ways can it influence the present and the future? These issues will be the focus of this paper.