What is a subsistence garden?

Answer 1

Subsistence gardening, is food growing done only to feed oneself and one's family. The word "subsistence" means, a means for sustaining life. You grow the food because you need it. The implication is that you don't have enough money to buy food.

If you grow things for fun, or because home-grown tomatoes are just tastier than store tomatoes, that's not really subsistence gardening -- though I suppose you could save a little money.

And if you grow enough that you can sell food, you're really doing market gardening or farming -- though there may be a subsistence component.