noun
Refers to an outdoor space belonging to a house, building, temple, etc.; depending on context it may be a planted garden, a yard, or an enclosed courtyard.
庭に花を植えた。
I planted flowers in the garden.
子どもたちが庭で遊んでいる。
The children are playing in the yard.
noun
Figurative use meaning a place or sphere where someone acts or is active. It is more literary or set-phrase-like than the everyday word 場 for this meaning.
「活躍の庭」のように、庭が活動の場を比喩的に表すことがある。
As in 活躍の庭, 庭 can figuratively refer to a field of activity.
にわ is a native Japanese word; 庭 is the standard kanji spelling conventionally associated with a garden, yard, or court. The exact historical derivation is not specified.