Why Is TikTok So Mesmerized by Garden Harvesting Videos?

Since starting his account during the pandemic (like many TikTok users did), creator Brian Brigantti (aka @redleafranch) has gained a following of over 3 million from his simple yet mesmerizing videos that depict him harvesting vegetables, gathering eggs (often with his mother, who lives with him and his partner), and narrating his garden adventures in a soothing voice. He's one of TikTok’s 2023 Latin Visionary Voices, and he has a book, Gardening for Abundance, coming out in March 2024.

All of which exemplifies an overarching phenomenon: TikTok and gardening have become an unlikely bonded pair. The hashtag #Garden has 21.1 billion views, while #Gardenharvest has 587.1 million. So, where does the intrigue in watching someone cultivating vegetables in their backyard stem from?

While there's no scientific answer, it could simply be because videos of farm-to-table cooking make up some of the most wholesome content on the app, and those who don't have a garden of their own can follow along the gardener's journey, from planting to harvest. The simple concept of freshly-picked red peppers and lemons incorporated into a home-cooked meal is deliciously appealing, satisfying, and entertaining—as one commenter noted on a video of Brigantti harvesting potatoes (which has 2.4 million likes): "The adult version of playing in the dirt.”

TikTok creator @gardeningwithtara, who has a following of 2.3 million, consistently posts her dinnertime “grocery shop” from her backyard garden, featuring guest appearances from woodland critters and birds. 

The comments on her videos mainly consist of people asking questions about what she's harvesting ("What is a sun choke? What does it taste like?"), or expressing their appreciation for her content: "Love your videos. It calms my heart❤️" one user wrote.

Along with the comfort aspect, TikTok is the place to go with how-to content, from beauty to crafting to (you guessed it) gardening. And if you want to start a garden filled with healthy, edible food, @epicgardening has all the advice you could need: He gives brief tutorials on topics like how to tell if a watermelon is ripe, how to open a pomegranate successfully, and how to create a grow-bag garden. (Don’t miss his video about gifts he’s been given by crows.) He currently has 2.8 million followers, and his posts consistently get hundreds of thousands of views.

If you prefer watching flowers bloom, there's an abundance of videos out there for you to binge, too. The hashtag #flowergarden itself has 326 million views. To grow your own florals, you can follow @bricksnbrooms, who posts videos in her garden in New Jersey and shares tips on how she helps them thrive. Be careful watching @hiddenspringsflowers’ videos—her idyllic life as a flower farmer could entice you to quit your job and move to the countryside.

As multiple comments say: "This is the dream."