Who is the hobbit gardener who joins the Fellowship?

The hobbit gardener who joins the Fellowship is Samwise Gamgee. Usually called Sam, he is Frodo Baggins’s gardener, companion, and most steadfast supporter throughout the quest to destroy the One Ring.

Sam becomes involved after overhearing Frodo and Gandalf discussing the Ring. As a consequence, he accompanies Frodo from Hobbiton and later joins the Fellowship at the Council of Elrond. Although he begins as an ordinary Shire gardener, his loyalty and courage become central to the success of the mission.

After Shelob attacks Frodo, Sam briefly carries the Ring and rescues Frodo from the Orcs of Cirith Ungol. He also carries Frodo toward Mount Doom when the Ring-bearer can go no farther. Readers sometimes confuse Sam with Merry or Pippin, who are also hobbits in the Fellowship, but neither is Frodo’s gardener.

After the War of the Ring, Sam returns to the Shire, helps restore its damaged trees, marries Rosie Cotton, and serves as Mayor for seven consecutive terms. Tolkien regarded Sam as one of the story’s chief heroes.