"Garden" came into the language in the 14th century from Old Northern French gardin, itself a variation of Old French jardin (still used in modern French), which probably has a German origin. 'Horticulture' is not recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary until 1678. This word for the art or science of cultivating gardens comes from the Latin hortus, meaning garden, and cultura, meaning growing or cultivation. The 17th century also saw the creation in American-English of the idea of a "backyard", first recorded in Suffolk, Mass, in 1659. "Yard", however, is one of the oldest words in the English language. It came in around 300 AD as geard "building, home, region", from a Germanic word that is related to "garden" and "orchard". - Juliet New, A Word About Gardening