Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend [dress, KJV] and keep it" (verse 15).
Tend (Hebrew 'abad) means "to work or serve," and thus referring to the ground or a garden, it can be defined as "to till or cultivate." It possesses the nuance seen in the KJV's choice in its translation: "dress," implying adornment, embellishment, and improvement.
Keep (Hebrew shamar) means "to exercise great care over." In the context of Genesis 2:15, it expresses God's wish that mankind, in the person of Adam, "take care of," "guard," or "watch over" the garden. A caretaker maintains and protects his charge so that he can return it to its owner in as good or better condition than when he received it.
Explanation from:
http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/156/Dominion.htm
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