菜園(さいえん)

Combines 菜(さい) (vegetables/greens) and 園(えん) (garden/park). Refers specifically to a garden for growing vegetables, as opposed to a flower garden (花壇(かだん)) or an ornamental garden (庭園(ていえん)).

Common collocations

• 家庭(かてい)菜園(さいえん): home vegetable garden
• 菜園(さいえん)を作(つく)る: make a vegetable garden
• 菜園(さいえん)の手入(てい)れ: tending a vegetable garden
• 市民(しみん)菜園(さいえん): community garden, allotment
• 屋上(おくじょう)菜園(さいえん): rooftop vegetable garden

Usage

The most common compound is 家庭(かてい)菜園(さいえん) (home vegetable garden), a popular hobby in Japan especially among retirees. 市民(しみん)菜園(さいえん) are rented plots in urban areas where city dwellers can grow their own vegetables.

Similar words

• 畑(はたけ): field, farm plot — a broader word for cultivated land, typically larger in scale than a 菜園(さいえん)
• 庭(にわ): garden, yard — general word for a garden or yard, not specifically for growing vegetables
• 農園(のうえん): farm, plantation — a larger-scale agricultural operation