"O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions." (Psalm 104:24)
This is not the typical DFB article I know, but think of it, no matter what is happening in our lives, God's favor on mankind is renewed daily through the process of seed time and harvest gardening! So, let us dig into some good things He has taught me on this subject.
Setting Aside April for Gardening
"The LORD God planted a garden eastward of Eden, and there He put the man He had formed." (Genesis 2:8)
The world has been enjoying the great reward of gardening since God's own Garden of Eden. However, since President Ronald Reagan was in office (1986), the United States of America has been giving a big shout out for the so called "hobbyist", celebrating all aspects of gardening in the month of April.
This month I would like to encourage you to take time to enjoy and appreciate the great outdoors by getting out there to "smell the roses" and everything else that is in bloom - literally! Not only can it be loads of fun, it can do wonders for your emotional and physical health. Make it a point to discover more about Life in God's Garden.
20 Things to Do for Joyful Gardening
Although it is hard for me to imagine, not everyone loves getting their hands dirty when kneeling to dig a hole for springtime planting (or any planting for that matter). The good news is, gardening or loving gardens does not always have to do with the actual work of planting. There are a number of ways to enjoy the beauty of God's handiwork that can be just as rewarding as the physical act of gardening. Consider some of these ideas for a change.
1. Schedule time to visit local nurseries, garden centers or greenhouses. Plan a day at a botanical garden to watch birds, animals, and insects in their natural environment.
2. Learn about native plants in your area and which plants, trees and shrubs do well there.
3. If you have a garden club or community college in your town, take a course to expand your gardening knowledge. Learn which plants do well with others to attract pollinators. Find out what soil is best to use, organic gardening strategies, sun or shade plants and planting zone guidelines along with watering tips that will save you time.
4. Have a seed, bulb, or plant swapping party; we have done this for ladies' events at our church and it was a huge success! I absolutely loved getting plants I never thought about adding to my garden. Plus, you can get friendly advice on grouping of plants for patios, porches, or container gardening.
Get Involved
5. One of my favorite things to do is participate in the County Fair each year. I've been blessed to have done this for many, many years, and besides winning prizes or ribbons, I have made so many friends who are fantastic gardeners! They have taught me so much by sharing great gardening tips that have been invaluable, plus it always gives me an opportunity to witness by sharing the gospel message of God's garden.
6. Another fun thing to do is have a pre-garden party with friends and neighbors for ideas that could be introduced in your own special garden. It is good to "dig" into different ways of doing things that could help your garden go from good to great without having to pay a professional. When the season is at its peak, invite them back to see the results of your labor of love!
7. Look for ways your garden space could get a facelift this season that takes little or no money and see where it takes you. Use your imagination; it can be anything you want.
For example, I have created a special place in my garden to have tea time with God! The space is a simple picnic table with an umbrella and a few plants on top, located in a shady area surrounded by things I love to look at in the yard.
It is a quiet little place where I can sit, write, read, and sip on a beverage while spending time with the Master Gardener throughout the entire year. Even if I am not working in the yard, I spend time "at the table" relaxing in God's great outdoors.
8. Grow something new! Each year I pick one new plant that I know nothing about (but is in my growing zone) to live in my garden. It can be a bush, flower, shrub, tree, annual or perennial - does not matter, just that it intrigues me!
Friends, this turned out to be one of my favorite plants and each year I winter it over in my shed. Another success for me was the Martha Washington geranium that I purchased at our local Ace Hardware Supply Company.
9. Plant a "memorial" tree for a specific purpose. Over the years I have planted trees for many reasons, signifying something or someone special. There have been a few for those who have left us, but mostly they have been for good things that happened in my life or someone else's.
The first time I planted a tree was when I was twelve years old. Our family had moved into a new home and the yard needed landscaping. My father worked several jobs and one way I could spend time with him was to garden. He chose a special place outside my bedroom window and together we planted this skinny little tree. As I grew so did the tree ... I loved that tree! It was a memory I will never forget, and why I continue to make new memories in planting trees.
When we moved the wonderful women who owned the school where I taught gifted us with four flowering Bradford pear trees. Most people say to avoid planting these trees because they can overtake an area, but we had nothing at all on our land at the time. We wanted fast growing trees, and they were in an area that was perfect for us.
Those trees were points of contact for me to pray for them. I still do so to this day!
Did you know a memorial tree is also biblical? It is mentioned only a few times in the bible, and it is not planted on behalf of the person but for future generations. The shade of the mighty tree would be for others to enjoy, not the planter. When Abraham planted that specific tree, he was saying that he believed God when He told him he would father many nations. It was an act of faith that his "seed" would continue on for many generations.
"Abraham planted a tamarisk tree (salt cedar) in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God." (Genesis 21:33)
Try planting a memorial tree not only in your own yard, but perhaps one at a church, a park, school, or community garden. Celebrate life and events with something that is living and create an environment that gives joy to those that look on it.
10. Move it! One way to keep the spark alive in gardening experiences is to move things around like you do in your own home. Just because something worked in one area does not mean it has to stay in that same place. In fact, switching out containers, moving plants to new locations (that are still suitable for the plant) and rearranging outdoor furniture can make the entire setting look totally different.
11. People have no problem with the layered look when it comes to clothing style, but don't even think of it for their gardens. Stacking pots brings a whole new dimension that is stunning to typical planting.
Practically anything will work, and it does not even have to be a pot. I often use old watering cans, disguarded vacuum containers, odd shaped items, etc. that stand out from normal vessels used for planting.
Place a slightly smaller pot (or container) in the center as if you were building a tier like a cake. Put tall plants in the center and trailing plants in the pot. Start with a large base pot and fill it as normal with soil in the lower section. Try using various sized pots both wide and tall, as well as different textured containers.
12. Color my world! To pump up the color in rather dull areas I used pastel pots the color of the rainbow on my shed steps. On raised beds I have used all dark green or pastel blue colors. This works great for my herb beds especially because they are mostly green.
13. Light the way around your garden with solar lights. By placing them directly in the flower pots it changes the look of the garden at night. Lighting the pots themselves has helped us for early morning and night gardening, which is something I do on a regular basis.
14. Sit on it! No matter where you are in your yard sometime you need a place to rest your tired bones, and chairs are not always available. Instead of scattering a ton chairs around the yard, why not use other things for sitting? Create seating areas with giant boulders or rocks; use smooth boards threaded through a few blocks. Repurpose odd milk crates, build a bench with wooden pallets. We have even used cut down trees for large groups while singing around a campfire.
Add Movement
15. Gardens can be beautiful whether they have flowers or not, but what really brings life to the whole garden experience is movement. Consider adding bird feeders and a form of water such as bird baths or fountains. They do not have to be expensive, but add things that attract the right kind of birds to the type of garden you desire.
16. Do not neglect bright colors that attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies when selecting the plants you want. Not all flowers attract pollinators. Bees and butterflies like blues, yellows, purples, pinks and white. They also need water (even bees) so consider that in your layout as well.
Butterflies love coneflowers and this perennial comes in an assortment of colors that will go perfectly in any setting. The beloved hummingbird on the other hand has many favorites, such as purple Bee Balm, sunflowers, lantana, foxglove, and catmint.
Team Work Makes the Dream Garden Work
17. You've worked so hard in achieving the perfect garden, but something keeps eating away at your beauties! There is an easy fix for most of those issues that does not require sprays or harmful chemicals.
Plant insect "repellent flowers" with your veggies or other flowering plants. "Team work" your plants for a more beautiful, pest free garden.
For the most part I plant basil and marigolds with almost all the food plants including other herbs. Team up your containers with your favorite items by adding these insect repellent plants: basil, marigold, lavender, catnip/cat mint, any mint, rosemary, sage, lemon balm or eucalyptus to name a few.
Know as You Grow
18. As you try new things in your garden, take pictures of the various stages of new plants growth to see how well things did in the location you planted. The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words is certainly true when it comes to good and productive gardens.
19. Take lots of notes and write things down on a designated calendar specifically for gardening. Jot down anything that will help you for next year's gardening, especially when it comes to fertilizing, watering, and pest control. If you know what worked well and what did not, it will make growing experiences more enjoyable.
Knowing the facts as you grow helps you become a smarter gardener. I do this, and find it to be valuable, especially in rotating plants for the following season.
20. I think this is my favorite gardening in the long run. Not everyone likes to garden or can garden for some reason or another, but everyone who does enjoy it can do it for someone else.
I first learned about the love of sowing into others through gardening from a neighbor of ours when we first got married. An older gentleman had a beautiful yard and shared his experiences of planting through gifting Hosta plants to me as he divided his perennials. This is something I found needed doing a lot, which led to opportunities to become a regular plant giver myself!
In my research on caring for the gifted plantsl I discovered that those beautiful Hostas come in around 70 species and about 3,000 varieties. How fascinating! From there the love of planting in someone else's yard or life has blossomed.
Over the years on Mother's Day, we have gifted flowers by planting them for widows or senior citizens to enjoy. Other times we have dressed up a few mailboxes and front yards for neighbors who have not the time or ability to plant.
There are so many ways to plant in someone's life, why can't it be literal? We demonstrate the love of God when we sow into people, and it causes His favor to be released into ours in ways we could not imagine.
Most of all, have fun sharing the experience by gardening with those you love, being sure to include them in your plans. Make room for new ideas and provide garden space for everyone to nurture their own green thumb. Let this be a year of gardening that everyone will remember with joy.
Finally, what kinds of plans have you envisioned for your garden and yard in "digging" the good life? Is it listed on your vision board and is God included in it?
Share your creative ideas and photos with us in the comments section below or on social media, and dig into the favored life God wants you to have! Happy gardening friends!
Until next time, Favored Blessings
Some of my gardening:
Artistic Fruits & Vegetables Competition
*For those who trust in Jesus Christ, God gives the promise of life here but also the gift of eternal life (in Heaven; a Kingdom that cannot be shaken) as an inheritance of being His child. If you would like to have this gift also, click here to learn more.