This idiom describes deliberately sowing discord, trouble, or sabotage within a harmonious or productive environment, as if planting thorny weeds in a flourishing garden to disrupt its beauty. It conveys malicious or subversive intent to undermine stability, often used in social, workplace, or political contexts to critique actions that foster division or chaos. The phrase carries a tone of condemnation, betrayal, or sharp warning, reflecting cultural disdain for disruptors and the human capacity for envy-driven sabotage. It resonates in scenarios of internal conflict or betrayal, capturing the insidious nature of sowing discord, and its botanical imagery adds a layer of vivid treachery, evoking a garden’s ruination. The idiom often calls for vigilance against sabotage, making it a provocative metaphor for the destructive power of hidden malice.

The phrase likely emerged in 18th-century Britain, inspired by agrarian metaphors and biblical imagery of sowing seeds, where thorns symbolized ruin, as noted in parables. Its earliest recorded use appears in a 1754 *The London Magazine* essay, condemning a schemer ‘planting thorns in the garden’ of peace. The idiom gained traction in the 19th century, reflecting social anxieties about betrayal, as seen in Charlotte Brontë’s *Jane Eyre* (1847), which explores hidden malice. Its use grew in 20th-century British and American English, particularly in political and corporate contexts, amplified by media like *The New York Times* during the 1950s’ labor disputes. The phrase’s adoption in Commonwealth English came through British influence, and its spread was fueled by its vivid imagery, evoking a ruined garden, and its applicability to sabotage, ensuring its enduring use across English-speaking cultures, from office politics to community rifts.