Behavioral gardening

"Behavorial gardening" was used almost as an accusation. But, then, again, perhaps operant conditioning is in use. Having once trained a common pigeon, using a Skinner box, to run through a very elaborate routine, I may be applying the principles to our yard. The pigeon at first learned its behaviors little by little in exchange for kernels of corn, then was constantly rewarded for displaying them, then was randomly rewarded, and finally rewarded not at all, to the point where the learned behaviors were entirely extinguished. K. accuses me of trying to "train" plants to "expect" less watering. I certainly don't want to "train" them to "expect" watering at regular intervals and then to languish if the "expectations" aren't met.