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Slides & Notes
“ Natural beauty in the garden. ”
This sequence of images contrasts that-which-is-made with that-which-is-given; creativity with discovery. The idea of a gift is used to introduce the concept of grace.
The pictures are largely self-explanatory. They touch on the selective breeding of plants by humankind. For example, a photo of a Cut-leaved Cranesbill (Geranium dissectum), a wild flower, is contrasted with a cultivated geranium, Plenum violaceum. It should be remembered that human beings have altered our native flora not just by selective breeding, but also by moving plants from place to place. This has been going in Britain since at least the time of the Romans and many plants that people assume are native to our islands have, in fact, been introduced. The Romans are thought to have brought the sweet chestnut to Britain. Another possible Roman introduction is the much hated ground elder – which certainly was brought from continental Europe, possible as a herb for treating gout!
Some plants have been both introduced and selectively bred. The tulip is a good example of this, being a native plant of Turkey which has been much cultivated in western Europe since the seventeenth century, to produce the fantastic range of plants that are available today.
It should also be remembered that many of our staple food plants have been introduced from abroad, often relatively recently – tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn and so on.
“ The garden at Langley has three parts. Near the old station there are formal flowerbeds. ”
“ Flowers such as these grow tucked against the station’s walls ”
“ As you walk along the old track the boundary between the path and the flowerbeds becomes less neat – and which are ‘cultivated’ plants and which are ‘wild’? ”
“ Is this a wild or a cultivated flower? ”
“ This is a wild harebell – but was it deliberately planted, or did it seed itself? ”
“ It’s difficult to say where the garden ends, but gradually cultivated plants disappear entirely and the garden path becomes a track through the woods. ”
“ There are still beautiful flowers to be found, though, hidden in the grass. ”
“ Human beings have been gardeners ever since the Garden of Eden and they have done a lot to change flowers. This is a wild geranium. ”
“ This is also a geranium, but it has been ‘improved’ by careful breeding. It’s certainly gorgeous! ”
“ Christians use the word ‘grace’ to describe things that are given to us by God. This wild knapweed is, in a way, an emblem of grace. ”
“ The flowers in this bed, though, are mainly kinds created by hard-working gardeners. ”
“ The flowers developed by human effort are beautiful, but its good to remember – particularly at Easter – that such beauty begins with a gift. ”
Questions
As with the ‘Making Beauty’ sequence, there is perhaps a bias in the sequence of images - a tendency to value wild flowers over cultivated flowers. An analogy is drawn between wild flowers and the concept of grace, but questions about the value of wild versus cultivated flowers are not really affected by this analogy.
Which do you prefer - a wood or a garden?
Which would you prefer to eat – a ‘Golden Delicious’ or a crab apple?
Are cultivated plants always better than wild plants?
What is your favourite vegetable? Is it a native plant grown in Britain – or has it been introduced/imported here?
Are there any occasions when you think it is wrong for human beings to alter nature?
What do you think of ‘GM crops’? Are such crops very different from plants which have been selectively bred?
Which plant are you most thankful for?
When you go for a walk in the Spring, which flower are you most glad to see coming into flower?
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the things that we make, but most of all thank you for the things we are given.
Thank you for all the gifts in our life, but especially for those that seem undeserved or are unexpected.
Help us to be generous, just as you have been generous to us.
Amen.
