What does ‘gardening’ mean on TikTok?

If you’ve come across the term ‘gardening’ on TikTok, you might think that people are just really excited about cultivating plants. However, the word has a very different meaning on the app. Here’s everything to know.

Short-form video app TikTok continues to draw in new users from around the world daily, and it has given rise to several different slang terms and phrases.

As the platform has a strict moderating rule, many creators and users often come up with unique terms and buzzwords to discuss more taboo or adult-themed topics. Some popular examples include ‘304’, which refers to a promiscuous woman, and ‘accountant,’ a codeword for sex work.

Now, a new slang term known as ‘gardening’ is making the rounds on the app. Here’s everything you need to know about what it means.

‘Gardening’ meaning on TikTok

If you encounter a TikToker using the word ‘gardening’ in a context that seems out of place, there’s a good chance they’re using it as slang to refer to smoking marijuana.

A ‘garden’ in this context is not a place where flowers or vegetables grow but a designated space where people consume cannabis. Similarly, a ‘gardener’ is not someone who tends to plant but a person who partakes in smoking weed.

According to Know Your Meme, the term ‘gardening’ was first used on TikTok by user Natalie Benson (@notnataliebenson) in November 2023. After her previous account got banned for talking about marijuana use, she created the buzzword in order to work around the platform’s rules.

TikTok’s content guidelines prohibit discussions around drug use, among other adult topics, and accounts that breach these rules are often suspended. However, rather than avoiding these discussions entirely, users have become adept at finding new, less direct ways to communicate about such topics.

If there are any other frequently used terms on TikTok that you don’t know the meaning of, you can check out our guide here to find out all about the app’s most popular terms.