Any religion worth its salt promises its believers a lavish horticultural reward in the world to come. Paradise is always a garden: indeed, the very word originally meant "garden" in Persian. Humanity's universal vision of bliss, it seems, involves being surrounded by flowering and fruiting plants. For more people than ever before, that bliss is attainable in this world too. Despite relentless urbanisation, slums and high-rise housing, more homes have gardens, and gardening is easier, than ever before. Moreover, in the countries of the rich world, a generation of baby-boomers is now reaching late middle age and the early years of retirement: just the point at which people's enthusiasm for gardening appears to reach a crescendo. As humanity ages, the planet is likely to be increasingly populated by fervent gardeners.
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