To care for steadily — the gardener's verb: attention given so a living thing can keep becoming itself.
A clipped form of attend, Latin attendere (to stretch toward, to give heed), from ad (toward) + tendere (to stretch); the gardener's care named here was, at the root, an attention stretched toward something.
Caring for steadily, the gardener's verb. Attention stretched toward a living thing so it can keep becoming itself, rather than being finished and left.