Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Me gusta plantar flores en el huerto comunitario. - I like to plant flowers in the community garden.

In Spanish, gustar doesn’t work like English “to like.” It literally means “to be pleasing to.”
Structure:
• Me = indirect object pronoun (“to me”)
• gusta = 3rd-person singular of gustar (“is pleasing”)
• plantar flores = subject (the action that pleases)
So you never say Yo gusto, because you’re not the subject; the thing you like is.

Why is plantar in the infinitive? Could we say Me gusta planto?

After verbs of liking/disliking (gustar, encantar, interesar…), when you describe the action you like, you always use the infinitive. The infinitive functions like a noun: “plantar flores” = “planting flowers.”
• Me gusta plantar = “Planting pleases me.”
• Me gusta planto would mix two conjugations and is grammatically incorrect.

Why is it Me gusta plantar flores and not Me gustan plantar flores? Shouldn’t the verb agree with the plural flores?

The verb gusta agrees with its subject, which here is the entire infinitive phrase plantar flores (a single activity). Even though flores is plural, it’s part of a singular action, so you keep gusta (3rd person singular).

Why don’t we use an article before flores (as in Me gusta plantar las flores)?

When speaking about things in general, Spanish usually omits the article.
• General: Me gusta plantar flores (“I like planting flowers” in general)
• Specific: Me gusta plantar las flores (“I like planting the flowers” we talked about before)

What’s the difference between huerto and jardín?

• Huerto: a plot dedicated mainly to growing edible plants (vegetables, herbs, sometimes flowers)
• Jardín: a decorative or recreational garden (flowers, lawns, trees, seating areas)
A huerto comunitario is a shared space where a community grows produce together.

Why is it huerto comunitario and not huerta comunitaria?

Adjectives in Spanish must match the gender and number of the noun they modify.
• Huerto is masculine ⇒ huerto comunitario
• If you used the feminine noun huerta, it would be huerta comunitaria.

Why do we use en el huerto comunitario and not al huerto comunitario?

• En expresses location (“in/at the community garden”)
• A (contracted to al before a masculine noun) expresses motion toward (“to the community garden”)
Since Me gusta plantar flores en el huerto comunitario describes where you plant (location), you use en.