Make Gardening a Reality!

Each spring, 1.5 million people travel to the Netherlands to see the world-famous Keukenhof gardens. The 79-acre space contains about 7 million bulbs and is particularly famous for its tulips and hyacinths. Similarly, tourists travel year-round to be dazzled by the intricate hedgerow patterns in front of France’s Palace of Versailles, to sit underneath the pink-white blossoms of Japanese cherry trees in Washington, D.C., or even to stick their noses into the roses at local botanical gardens.

More than just parks or nature preserves, what sets all these spaces apart is they are specifically designed and cultivated to showcase natural beauty. Flowering shrubs, majestic slopes covered in well-watered, emerald-green grass, layer upon layer of tree foliage keep visitors’ eyes wide with wonder and mouths agape with awe.

This is not new. Nearly 6,000 years ago, when God recreated the Earth after it lay ruined and devoid of life from Satan’s rebellion (Gen. 1:2), mankind was made alongside one other thing.

Notice: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed” (2:7-8).

After making man in His own image, God planted a garden and specifically placed him there. It was made particularly for man!

Consider the other landscapes our Creator could have made for man. He could have put Adam on a white sandy beach by the ocean. He could have put him in an open plain, in a cave, or in a thick forest.

Instead, God crafted a garden. The term Eden means “pleasure.” This was a pleasant place—like nowhere on Earth!

I grew up on a farm in the subtropical Lowveld region of South Africa. So I can understand what is special about gardens. The warm climate and fertile soil where I was raised was well-suited for citrus farms, and many of the wives of farmers in the area were well known for elaborate gardens.

My parents, too, had a garden of their own. It was five acres and boasted a variety of flower beds and trees. The garden also had expansive green lawns meandering through the trees and flower beds.

Its design and variety made it an attractive spot for events, including weddings, picnics and large social gatherings. As children, we would play hide-and-seek and all sorts of sports there such as soccer, rugby and cricket. We could pick fresh strawberries and herbs to put into meals. Roses grew in abundance—we regularly cut them and other flowers to decorate our home. And the garden attracted a wide spectrum of animals—from hippos and antelope strolling through the greenery to monkeys and baboons in the trees.

Despite this elaborate, awesome display, my experience did not come close to the garden God planted for Adam and Eve. However, it emphasized the many benefits from gardening that I still treasure. Now, it helps me to see the importance God puts on gardening.

Whether you are a master gardener or think you lack a “green thumb,” God wants you to have your own piece of paradise.

Commanded to Garden

Let’s look at the first task God gave to Adam and Eve. Read Genesis 2:15: “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”

On its face, this command to “dress” and “keep” the garden seems simple and relatively unimportant to us—especially those who do not “live off the land.” But these words still apply to everyone today!

The Hebrew word for “dress” can also mean “to work, to serve, till.” God wanted Adam and Eve to learn lessons from working with trees, flowers and other greenery. While we do not live in the Garden of Eden, the God-given benefits of working with soil and plants remains today.

The word “keep” adds to this explanation. It means to “keep, to guard, to protect, to attend.” This shows that God wanted man to occupy himself maintaining the garden. In other words, without people, the garden would grow wild and lose its cultivated beauty.

Adam and Eve ultimately did not fulfill their obligation. They rejected God’s instruction to avoid the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and suffered many painful lessons. Man as a whole has not dressed and kept the Earth—in fact, his actions have led to destruction and decay!

Even in small ways, we should strive to learn how to work with the soil. In doing so, we will prepare to be gardeners with God—who plans to lead the greatest restoration of Earth since the recreation.

Read Romans 8:21-22: “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.”

Help is on its way. Be sure you are ready and willing to be a part of it!

“Grand Teacher”

God did not command humans to tend to the Earth for the mere sake of keeping them occupied. It is intrinsically tied to our growth and happiness.

Gertrude Jekyll, a British horticulturist, said that a “garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.”

Scientists have also confirmed that there are significant physical, emotional and psychological benefits in gardening.

Dr. Lauriane Chalmin-Pui, lead author of a study published in the journal Cities, said “evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the more frequently you garden, the greater the health benefits.” She further stated: “In fact gardening every day has the same positive impact on wellbeing as undertaking regular, vigorous exercise like cycling or running.”

Whether you are establishing a new garden or maintaining your existing garden—spending time working with the soil is rich with rewards!

In short, successful gardening takes careful planning, a reasonable (but not extensive) understanding of biological processes in plants, patience and work. The better you prepare your soil, plan for the seasons, and incorporate regular maintenance by pruning, mowing, mulching and weeding, the better your plants will grow.

All of this takes daily effort—but it pays off when plants grow and bear flowers or fruit.

Even if you do not have your own garden, however, just visiting one has extensive benefits. Haley Neidich, a clinical social worker in Florida, said “you can reap the benefits of gardening no matter where you live, the size of garden space you have access to, or even if you don’t have access to an outdoor garden of your own. There are psychological benefits to tending to indoor plants or stepping outside to appreciate someone else’s garden. The idea is to slow down, disconnect from devices, and focus your complete energy on the task at hand.”

A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology showed that a microbreak of 40 seconds spent around plants can restore your ability to focus.

Those are the physical and mental benefits of gardening. Now consider its spiritual value. Tending to soil and plants brings many lessons for us as Christians.

Read what the apostle Paul said about various roles of service within the Church: “Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God…” (I Cor. 3:8-9).

As you grow plants, you can begin to understand the amazing process of plant growth by watching seeds germinate, then see tiny seedlings burst through the soil with green shoots that develop into beautiful, bright-green plants—that ultimately produce impeccable flowers arrayed in all sorts of colors and fragrances.

As the original Gardener, God has instilled into human beings a desire to plant, grow and protect gardens. Think of gardening as a training ground for serving all of God’s Creation—including the people in it.

While tending to a garden, you quickly realize how much care and nourishment some plants need almost every day, while others are hardy and easier to grow. Eventually, you begin to treasure your plants and enjoy the time you spend taking care of them.

When my family endured a severe drought in the early 1990s that lasted several years, my father made the painful decision to stop watering the garden in order to save the citrus trees. After two weeks, my father decided to water the garden again because the hurt we experienced in watching my mother’s beautiful garden die was more painful than watching some of his treasured fruit trees die—even though the garden did not produce income.

Tending to your indoor plants, potted tomato plants, or a full-fledged garden brings many lessons you can apply to your life. There are numerous parallels to spiritual growth, correction (pruning), and God working in our lives as the Husbandman. (Study John 15:1-2). Working with plants provides ample time to meditate. Make sure to use it to the fullest!

Start Small

If you are new to gardening, it does not have to be daunting. The key is to start simple and go from there as you gain experience.

The easiest starting method is growing potted plants. All you need is a small ceramic pot and a hardier plant that will not die quickly from neglect such as jade or a spider plant. These are easily found in stores and come with instructions regarding how often to water and whether it needs full sun (keep by the window) or partial sun (keep in the home’s interior).

If planting outdoors, search the internet to see what climate zone you are in. What works for tropical climates such as palm and citrus trees will not grow in colder climates. Conversely, certain deciduous trees (that shed their leaves in the winter) will not survive in the tropics or desert. However, some tropical plants can be grown indoors if they are watered and have access to plenty of sunlight.

Perhaps you would like to start a vegetable patch. If you own property, consider finding a flat spot near your patio and dig up a square patch. Till the soil until it is fine and crumbly, and then plant your veggies—tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, broccoli, kale, zucchini and so forth. It is easier to put in plants that have already had time to grow in a nursery—just make sure they are spaced far apart enough that they do not grow into each other and begin competing for sunlight and water.

The internet is filled with basic information to help you undertake your new gardening endeavor.

With regular watering, weeding and insect control, these plants will grow and you will receive the satisfaction of picking the harvest right off the stem!

Flowers are easy to plant—especially annuals (ones that have to be replanted each growing season). Perennials—which automatically grow back each spring—must be planted at certain times of year. Look that up before putting them in! Some easy-to-grow, hard-to-kill annuals include marigolds, zinnias, morning glories, pansies and daisies.

Planting trees and shrubs takes more know-how and foresight. If you want to plant a tree for shade, for instance, consider how tall and wide around it will grow years—decades in the future. For fruit trees, you need to account for pollination needs. Some trees are more prone to diseases and pests than others. Consult a horticulturist at a local plant nursery for more information.

Whether filling a patio or living room with potted plants or creating a terraced rock garden, any amount of greenery will provide you your own little plot of paradise.

Pleasures Forevermore

One of the most disappointing sights is that of a garden falling out of maintenance. Watching them become overgrown or wilting from lack of care is painful to watch.

However, to watch the opposite happen is incredibly inspiring. Just think of the Church’s World Headquarters campus. Only 10 years ago, it consisted of deserted farms and overgrown brush. Today, it contains some of the most beautiful gardens in all of Northeast Ohio. The transformation took a lot of hard work, patience and commitment, yet now it has become a foretaste of what God plans to do with the entire planet.

Here is what God will soon bring to the Earth: “Thus says the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited” (Ezek. 36:33-35).

At that time, God says the entire world will know that “I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it” (vs. 36).

Man was placed in paradise in Genesis 1 to dress and keep a garden. All the way at the end of the Bible, God shows all those who diligently serve Him will enjoy an even grander paradise forevermore.

Jesus Christ stated: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7). One more awesome thing to meditate on when tending to your houseplants or outdoor garden.

If you have not yet gotten your hands dirty, it is no longer time to wait. It is time to make gardening a reality!