Research Essay: Why Do We Garden? (200 Points) Length: 8-10 pages Check Canvas for Due Dates

The Task: Craft a thesis that explores and addresses the connections between the following questions: What is a garden (in other words—what makes a garden a garden, what defines it)? Why do we garden (what are we looking for in the art– the pastime, the pleasure, the challenge, the satisfaction, the escape, the sanctuary– of gardening)? Please note that it is absolutely essential that you specifically and thoroughly address and respond to these questions in your essay. In other words, your essay must provide possible answers to BOTH of these questions and show the inherent link between them. If you do not do this or you only do so vaguely, you will not have fulfilled the task.

Quick List of Assignments Required for the Project (Due Dates for Each Can Be Found on Canvas)
(1) Online Library Skills Workshops (See Canvas for schedule, links and due dates – Upload Badges to Canvas)

(2) Garden Visits (5 points) ? Upload to Canvas

(3) Garden Supply Stores Visits (5 points) ? Upload to Canvas

(4) Interviews (5 points) ? Upload to Canvas

(5) Prospectus (5 points) ? Upload to Canvas

(7) Annotated Bibliography (10 points) ? Upload to Canvas

(8) Final Draft (200 points) ? Upload to Canvas

Many of you more than likely have little or no experience with gardening. This is precisely why you will need to research what gardens are and why many choose to garden (and why many choose to stop gardening). Please keep in mind that you may not end up using all of your research. The advantage of completing all of these tasks is that they will help you to better understand what a garden is and why people garden. To best familiarize you with gardening and prepare you for writing this research essay, you must complete the following steps.