The journey of parenting often resembles the delicate process of nurturing young plants.

Parents need to provide a safe, nurturing environment where their children can thrive.

This involves protecting children from negative influences and ensuring their surroundings are conducive to growth.

This can be likened to a greenhouse where young seedlings are safeguarded until they are strong enough to face the elements.

Parents must constantly monitor what their children are exposed to, much like a gardener watches over young plants.

This can involve everything from turning around inappropriate magazine covers at the checkout counter to being cautious about the media consumed at home.

Just as a gardener is vigilant about the environment of their plants, parents too need to be alert protectors for their children’s well-being.

Feeding and Nourishing

Just as plants require nutrients, children need spiritual, emotional, and educational nourishment.

Regular exposure to positive, value-based teachings is essential.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 emphasizes the importance of instilling God’s commandments in children’s hearts.

This involves integrating teachings and values into daily activities, creating a robust foundation for children to draw upon.

Parents can weave teaching moments into their children’s daily routines.

Bible verses, stories, and prayers can be incorporated in simple, daily actions like during bath time, meal preparations, and bedtime.

This practice of embedding positive and enriching lessons into everyday life helps children develop a strong spiritual and moral grounding.

Training and Discipline

Just as plants need pruning, children also require guidance and discipline to grow into strong, mature individuals.

Pruning helps plants grow in a healthy and desired direction.

Similarly, loving, consistent discipline helps children develop into responsible and well-balanced adults.

Proverbs 22:6 highlights the importance of training children in the way they should go, promising that they will not depart from it when they are older.

Parents are advised to discipline in love, aiming for restoration rather than retaliation.

The method and style of discipline may evolve as children grow.

Positive reinforcement and logical consequences play significant roles here.

Seeking wisdom from Biblical teachings and experienced parents can help in crafting effective discipline strategies.

Consistency and perseverance are key, as raising children is more akin to a marathon than a sprint.

Gradual Exposure to the Outside World

As plants grow stronger, they may be transitioned from the greenhouse to larger pots and eventually to the outside world.

Similarly, parents gradually allow their children more exposure to the world as they grow older.

This process includes allowing them to attend school, participate in sports, and interact with peers, preparing them to face life independently.

Parents carefully manage this process, ensuring that children are not overwhelmed or exposed to harmful influences too soon.

Just as a gardener brings plants back into the greenhouse during adverse weather, parents continue to protect and guide their children as needed, even as they allow for increased independence.

Final Transplantation to Independence

Eventually, the time comes for children to fully step out into the world, much like transplanting a fully-grown plant into the ground.

This transition can be challenging for parents, as it signifies a significant change in their role and daily life.

However, seeing children grow into thriving, independent adults is a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

Parents need to remember that this is a natural and healthy part of life.

The goal is to raise children who can stand on their own and contribute positively to the world.

They continue to play a supportive role, offering love, encouragement, and prayers as their children navigate their own paths.

• Cultivating the Right Crop: Understand and embrace personal spiritual gifts and strengths.
• Pruning as Growth: Recognize that painful experiences can lead to significant personal development.
• Weeding Consistently: Maintain daily spiritual practices to avoid overwhelming problems.
• Fertilizing Amid Hardship: View challenges as necessary for substantial growth.
• Watering in Dry Times: Stay engaged with spiritual activities during low periods.
• God as the Ultimate Gardener: Trust in God’s perfect knowledge and care for personal growth.

In striving to enrich one’s spiritual life, parallels can be drawn between gardening and personal growth.

Diving into the backyard garden, one can observe numerous life lessons intertwined with spiritual teachings that resonate deeply with everyday experiences.

Cultivate What’s Right for Your Soil

Much like in gardening, selecting the right projects or activities is essential for personal well-being and growth.

It’s not about the glitz associated with a task but finding what naturally fits your skills and capacities.

The apostle Paul’s teachings in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 emphasize recognizing and utilizing one’s spiritual gifts.

Identifying one’s unique talents, such as teaching, serving, or administration, and primarily focusing on them, prevents the frustration that accompanies mismatched pursuits.

By focusing on what grows best in one’s soil, there’s an optimal yield of personal and spiritual growth.

The Necessity of Pruning

Pruning plants involves cutting away the dead or overgrown branches to encourage healthy growth.

Similarly, life sometimes requires difficult but necessary decisions that may feel like a loss initially but pave the way for better things ahead.

This concept ties into Hebrews 12:10-11, which explains that life’s disciplines, although painful, eventually yield righteousness and peace.

God’s gentle pruning in our lives is intended not to punish but to foster new growth, much like removing unhealthy branches from a plant to help it thrive.

Weed Every Day

A garden left untended quickly becomes overrun with weeds. The same principle applies to managing one’s life and spirituality.

Small, daily efforts to acknowledge and address personal faults or sins can prevent overwhelming problems.

As Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls, paying close attention to the city gates, consistent maintenance of one’s personal garden ensures a clear path for spiritual development.

Staying vigilant and addressing issues as they arise helps maintain a healthy spiritual state, avoiding the more laborious task of dealing with an accumulated mess.

Realize Fertilizer Helps Us Grow

Gardening often involves using fertilizer, which may be unpleasant but is crucial for growth.

In personal terms, hardships and challenges, though difficult, can lead to significant positive changes.

Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works through all situations for the good of those who love Him.

For instance, periods of clinical depression can lead to deep spiritual insights and personal breakthroughs that might not have been possible otherwise.

Embracing these tough times as growth opportunities can result in profound personal transformations.

Water When a Drought Comes

Gardens need water, especially during dry spells.

Likewise, in spiritually dry periods, engaging in prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship with others can prevent a deeper spiritual drought.

Just as plants need consistent watering to stay healthy, individuals need regular spiritual nourishment to stay connected with their faith.

During these times, it’s important to draw on existing spiritual resources, like scripture and community, to stay refreshed and avoid withering away.

Let God Be the Gardener

An amateur gardener might make mistakes, but God, the perfect gardener, knows exactly how to care for His creation.

Trusting God to lead and nurture allows one to grow in the right direction.

Isaiah 43:1 and Philippians 1:6 illustrate God’s intimate knowledge and ongoing cultivation of our lives.

By staying connected to the true vine, as depicted in John 15:1-5, individuals remain healthy and productive, bearing fruit through their faith.

Relying on God’s guidance ensures that the ultimate gardener handles all aspects of personal growth.

Practical Gardening Tips for Personal Growth

By maintaining these habits, one nurtures both a vibrant garden and a thriving spiritual life. The connections between gardening and spirituality foster resilience, growth, and a deeper understanding of God’s purpose.

By examining these passages, people can find deeper insights into their faith and see the beauty of creation mirrored in the practice of gardening.

This exploration of biblical verses related to gardens not only highlights their significance but also connects spiritual teachings with the nurturing of nature.

Each verse offers unique wisdom, intertwining divine love and the natural world in a way that inspires and uplifts.

Bible Verses About Gardening

Gardening has long been a significant theme throughout the Bible, variously representing creation, growth, and the nurturing of faith.

From the Garden of Eden, where God placed humanity, to the metaphors used by Jesus, gardens are deeply entwined with spiritual lessons.

Genesis 2:8 states, “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.” This foundational verse captures humanity’s introduction to gardening, placing Adam in a divinely planted garden.

Eden was a place of lush beauty, symbolizing God’s provision and care. It set a divine precedent for gardens as spaces of peace and sustenance.

In John 15:1-2, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

Here, Jesus highlights the gardener’s role in cultivating and ensuring growth. Pruning, while sometimes painful, is essential for spiritual development, echoing the idea that God’s nurturing hand guides believers towards greater purpose.

Isaiah 58:11 offers a poignant image: “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

This verse portrays a deep sense of divine care, even in adverse conditions. It reassures believers that God’s sustenance is constant, just like a well-watered garden, promising strength and provision.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 provides insight into collaboration and divine growth: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”

Paul acknowledges human efforts but emphasizes that growth comes from God. This serves as a call to humility, recognizing that ultimate success and growth are under divine control.

In Mark 4:26-29, the passage reflects the mysterious nature of God’s work: “…Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain…”

This illustrates the kingdom of God, where human efforts in planting seeds are met with divine processes that lead to growth.

It teaches patience and trust in God’s timing, reminding believers that their role is to plant and nurture, while God orchestrates growth.

Through Matthew 13:31-32, Jesus uses a parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed… Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree…”

This emphasizes how small acts of faith can grow into significant outcomes. It encourages not to underestimate humble beginnings, as God’s influence can transform them into something substantial and impactful.

Psalms 1:3 describes the righteous as, “…a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

This verse likens a faithful person to a tree by water, symbolizing spiritual nourishment and growth resulting from a close relationship with God. Being rooted in God’s word ensures a fruitful and vibrant life, much like a thriving garden.

In Matthew 6:28-29, Jesus says, “See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”

Jesus uses the carefree growth of flowers to illustrate God’s care and provision. If God cares so beautifully for flowers, His care for humanity is even greater, urging followers to trust in God’s provision without anxiety over material needs.

Jeremiah 29:5 commands, “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.”

This instruction to the exiles signifies a commitment to productive living, even in adversity. Planting gardens becomes a symbol of investing in and nurturing one’s environment, fostering stability and productivity through trusting God’s plan despite challenging circumstances.

Psalms 104:14 celebrates God’s provision: “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth.”

This verse highlights the creator’s role in ensuring the growth of plants for both animals and humans. It underscores the interconnectedness of creation and God’s generous provision, ensuring food and sustenance through cultivation.

In James 5:7, there is a call for patience: “Be patient, then… See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.”

This verse likens spiritual patience to a farmer waiting for the rains to ensure crop growth. It emphasizes enduring faith and trust in God’s timing, recognizing that spiritual growth and God’s promises require patience.

Proverbs 24:30-31 warns against neglect: “I went past the field of a sluggard… thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.”

This description serves as a cautionary image of neglect, showing how laziness leads to overgrowth of weeds and disrepair. It draws a parallel to spiritual neglect, emphasizing the need for vigilance and consistent care in faith.

Isaiah 61:11 draws a beautiful parallel: “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”

This verse ties the natural growth in gardens to the spiritual growth of righteousness. It assures that God’s influence will bring forth visible, flourishing testimony of His work, just as a well-tended garden produces abundant harvests.

Hosea 10:12 uses agricultural imagery, urging, “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord…”

This call to action stresses the importance of cultivating one’s heart and actions in righteousness to experience God’s love. Preparing the ground symbolizes readiness to receive divine blessings, emphasizing proactive faith.

Luke 13:6-9 shares a parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard… for three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down!… leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it…”

This story underscores the importance of bearing fruit, symbolizing productivity in one’s spiritual life.

The grace period given for the fig tree to bear fruit teaches a lesson in patience, nurturing, and the critical need for results in faith.

What Does the Bible Say About Gardening

Gardening appears early in the Bible, starting with God planting the Garden of Eden. This initial garden is depicted as an idyllic paradise filled with trees that are both visually appealing and provide nourishment.

It symbolizes the ideal setting where humanity lives in harmony with nature and God’s creation. The garden also illustrates God’s provision and care for humanity.

After the fall of mankind, the labor associated with gardening becomes more challenging. Adam is told that cultivating the ground will now involve toil and hardship due to the curse of sin.

This change signifies an altered relationship between humans and nature. Despite this, the act of gardening remains valuable and sacred, emphasizing the need for divine guidance and sustenance.

Throughout the Bible, gardens, fields, and vineyards are frequently mentioned. For example, the Psalms often reflect trust in God’s provision through the imagery of plant growth and harvests.

Proverbs uses gardening to highlight wisdom and diligence. Verses like “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,” compare the rewards of a well-tended garden to the benefits of a wise and diligent life.

Jesus leveraged agricultural metaphors in His teachings. Parables like the one about the sower use different soil types to symbolize various responses to God’s word.

The parable of the mustard seed shows how even the smallest amount of faith can grow into something significant and life-giving. Notably, Jesus’ resurrection took place in a garden, where Mary Magdalene initially mistook Him for a gardener, linking the act of gardening with themes of resurrection and renewal.

Prophetic texts in the Bible also envision a future where deserts become lush gardens, symbolizing restored relationships between humanity and God.

For example, in Isaiah, desolate lands transform into fertile gardens, representing the abundance and fullness that come from divine redemption.

The Bible’s use of gardening goes beyond its physical aspects to convey deeper spiritual messages. Gardening highlights the relationship between humans and the earth, emphasizing our role as caretakers of God’s creation.

Spiritually, it serves as a metaphor for growth, renewal, and nurturing faith. Whether tending to a physical garden or fostering spiritual growth, the themes of care, diligence, and divine partnership remain central.

• Parables using agricultural imagery resonate due to people’s familiarity with farming.
• Religious traditions often include rituals around planting and harvesting, reflecting deep spiritual ties.
• Gardening can be a profound practice connecting modern individuals with historical and cultural traditions.
• Understanding these connections can enrich one’s own gardening experience and appreciation of others’ religious practices.

Religion and Gardening

The deep connection between religion and gardening has roots that are both practical and spiritual.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses the illustration of a sower to communicate how different individuals receive his teachings. Seeds that fall among thorns are choked, producing no crop, while those landing in good soil flourish and yield an abundant harvest.

Such parables resonated deeply with Jesus’s audience, who were familiar with agricultural practices. This familiarity made the metaphor powerful, urging people to be like seeds in fertile soil, flourishing and making a significant impact on the world.

As people today become increasingly disconnected from the source of their food, the lessons from these parables can feel distant.

Reconnecting with the processes of food production can offer a more profound appreciation of these spiritual teachings.

Traditions, Myths, and Rituals of Harvest

Different religious traditions across the world share common ceremonies and festivals that mark significant lifetime events and seasons.

For instance, many cultures have rituals for life stages such as birth, marriage, and death. Similarly, communal life includes celebrations like the return of spring or harvest seasons.

These festivities often involve expressing gratitude to divine entities and making sacrifices to ensure future blessings.

In historical Scandinavia, an annual ritual involved carrying an effigy of Frey, the Norse god of fertility, across the fields to secure a bountiful harvest and peace.

When Christianity replaced pagan traditions, the ritual persisted but with an image of St. Eric instead of Frey. This continuity highlights how deeply embedded agricultural rituals are in human culture, transcending religious changes.

Religion and Meaning

The question of how religion and gardening are connected often arises in modern Western society, where religion is viewed through a narrow lens focusing on faith, rituals, and sacred texts.

Historically, religion encompassed broader aspects of life, including norms related to dress, diet, and societal organization.

Given that growing food has been essential for human survival, it is no surprise that it has been steeped in significant spiritual reflection and respect.

Today’s gardeners may not face the life-or-death stakes of past harvests, thanks to modern food security. Yet, the experience of growing and harvesting food can still evoke feelings of gratitude and wonder at nature’s generosity.

Watching tiny seeds transform into plentiful food that can feed many feels almost magical, making gardening a deeply meaningful activity for many.

The Harvest in Practice

Understanding the religious aspects tied to gardening can deepen one’s connection to the garden. It’s not just a hobby but a link to generations past, their hopes, dreams, fears, and joys.

Gardening, viewed through this lens, becomes a practice filled with profound meaning and significance.

Learning about the various ways religious traditions have embraced gardening can also enrich one’s understanding of religion. It is not solely faith but also practice, an embodiment of living traditions that connect people.

Appreciating this can foster a deeper respect for the religious practices of others and promote a harmonious coexistence.

Gardening can thus be seen as a bridge, connecting the past with the present, spirituality with daily life, and different cultures with each other.

Such a perspective can transform gardening from a simple leisure activity into a practice filled with deep spiritual and communal significance.

A seventh-century Benedictine monk, St. Fiacre developed his horticultural skills in Kilkenny, Ireland. His expertise in medicinal herbs drew many visitors, ultimately disturbing the solitude he cherished, prompting him to seek solace in France.

St. Fiacre’s journey led him to St. Faro, the Bishop of Meaux, who granted him land to establish a hermitage that eventually served as a sanctuary for travelers and a site for cultivating food. A miraculous event marked the acquisition of this land: Fiacre dragged his spade (or staff) around the perimeter, and wherever it touched, vegetation cleared, creating a wondrous garden space.

St. Fiacre’s Hermitage and Gardens

At his hermitage, St. Fiacre cultivated not only vegetables and medicinal herbs but also established a sacred garden dedicated to the Blessed Mother, inspired by the scripture from the Song of Solomon.

His garden thrived so abundantly that it supported the needs of many, embodying his mission to aid the poor. Visitors and pilgrims, often farmers themselves, learned valuable gardening techniques from him.

The plenitude of St. Fiacre’s garden was considered miraculous. This abundance was preserved by the Benedictine monks, who meticulously documented herbal and horticultural knowledge. Later, Cistercian monks expanded this agricultural expertise, significantly advancing farming practices across Europe.

Medieval and Modern Gardening Practices

Gardens in St. Fiacre’s era were quite different from today’s well-organized rows. Companion planting—growing flowers, food, and herbs together—was the norm, much like modern organic gardening practices.

This method promotes pollination, reduces pests, and improves nutrient cycling.

In later periods, English and French gardens featured organized sections, with medicinal and household herbs grouped together, separate from potagères or kitchen gardens. These gardens were not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing, combining practical planting with artistic design.

Today’s edible landscaping continues this tradition, blending form and function in garden spaces.

Giving Back Through Gardening

Even a modest vegetable garden can embody the spirit of St. Fiacre’s generosity. By dedicating part of their harvest to others, gardeners can make a significant impact.

St. Fiacre kept only a fraction of his produce, giving the majority away—a practice akin to reverse tithing. Contemporary gardeners can follow suit by growing extra produce for donation or participating in local food programs.

Community gardens play a crucial role in this mission. These shared spaces provide opportunities for people to grow food, share resources, and exchange knowledge.

Often located on public or private land, community garden plots can be rented for a minimal fee and are instrumental in supporting food security for those in need. Churches and schools can establish such gardens to benefit their communities.

Programs like “Plant a Row for the Hungry,” initiated in 1995 by the Garden Writers Association of America, encourage gardeners to donate surplus produce. This initiative remains active and is a testament to the enduring power of collective effort to address hunger.

Originating from the Latin term rosarium, which translates to “rose garden,” the concept of the Rosary as a “garden of prayers” came about in the 1500s.

Earlier, a prayer book titled Hortulus Animae (“little garden of the soul”) helped popularize the idea of compiling a collection of prayers akin to a bouquet of flowers.

This tradition blossomed into the creation of a physical string of knots or beads to help in keeping track of prayers, forming the Rosary known today.

Planting and Design

Creating a Rosary garden is a spiritual endeavor, melding horticulture with reflective prayer.

It’s traditionally done in autumn, allowing ample time for thoughtful planning and planting before winter.

The design typically includes a statue of the Virgin Mary at the center and a cross at the entrance.

The pathways can be circular or linear and are often adorned with stepping-stones to symbolize the decades.

These stepping-stones may consist of different shapes to denote specific prayers (pater beads as squares and mater beads as circles).

Home gardeners have a plethora of options.

Whether the garden is in direct sunlight or shaded areas, ensuring a serene spot for meditation with a bench is ideal.

A smaller space can still capture the essence by placing symbolic items around a Marian statue or embedding a larger unblessed Rosary into a stepping-stone at the garden’s edge.

Garden Themes and Colors

A quadrant garden, representing the four sets of mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous), serves as a versatile design.

These can be circular, U-shaped, or linear, with each quadrant showcasing distinct colors.

Traditional color representations include:

• White for Joyful
• Red for Sorrowful
• Yellow for Glorious
• Purple for Luminous

Alternatively, modern interpretations suggest colors like:

• Oranges and Golds for Joyful
• Purples and Burgundies for Sorrowful
• Shades of Blue for Glorious
• Yellows and Whites for Luminous

The arrangement should focus on contrast and flow, balancing lighter and darker shades for a visually pleasing effect.

Plant Symbolism and Choices

Historically, plant symbolism in Christian art has been prevalent, with each plant holding specific meanings. Below are some options for each set of mysteries:

Joyful Mysteries

• The Annunciation: Italian bluebells or Virginia bluebells.
• The Visitation: Irish moss.
• The Nativity: Clove pinks (Dianthus caryophyllus).
• The Presentation in the Temple: Snowdrops or Candlemas bells.
• The Finding in the Temple: Hyssop.

Sorrowful Mysteries

• The Agony in the Garden: Cyclamen.
• The Scourging at the Pillar: Morning glory (Bindweed).
• The Crowning with Thorns: Sea holly or Globe thistle.
• The Carrying of the Cross: Asters.
• The Crucifixion and Death: Mums.

Glorious Mysteries

• The Resurrection: Easter lily.
• The Ascension: Sweet almond tree.
• The Descent of the Holy Spirit: Columbine.
• The Assumption of Mary: Assumption lily.
• The Coronation of Mary: Cornflower.

Luminous Mysteries

• Baptism in the Jordan: Trinity flower (Bougainvillea).
• The Wedding at Cana: Woodland phlox.
• The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God: Ivy.
• The Transfiguration: Thyme.
• The Institution of the Eucharist: Basil.

Significance and Reflection

Each mystery can align with particular life events, providing an opportunity for contemplation and spiritual growth.

As gardeners tend to their Rosary gardens, they might find themselves reflecting on various aspects of faith and virtue, guided by the symbolic meanings of their plants.

This blend of gardening and prayer not only beautifies their surroundings but also deepens their spiritual journey.

This deep connection between humanity and the soil is highlighted through the story of Eden, a delightful garden where the first human witnessed the flourishing of life brought forth by God.

Gardening, as portrayed through the Biblical story of Eden, emerges as a fundamental human vocation.

God, the eternal gardener, not only created the plants, animals, and birds from the soil but also entrusted human beings with the responsibility of nurturing and protecting this life-giving earth.

By participating in gardening, humans become partners in God’s work, enjoying the beauty and abundance that springs from the ground while fulfilling their role as caretakers of creation.

Related

Gardens have always had a significant place in religious texts and practices. The Bible frequently references gardens, with the Garden of Eden being one of the most notable examples. This garden, home to Adam and Eve, symbolizes humanity’s initial connection with God’s creation.

Symbolism in Nature

Plants and their growth processes often serve as metaphors for spiritual growth and faith. Various verses highlight themes of roots, seeds, and branches, illustrating how believers can cultivate a closer relationship with God.

Passages like John 15 describe how Jesus is the vine and followers are the branches, emphasizing the dependency of spiritual growth on a strong connection with Christ.

Lessons from Gardening

Gardening also teaches valuable lessons about patience and trust.

Just as plants require time to grow and thrive, a person’s faith and spiritual journey need time and nurturing.

The act of gardening itself can be a meditative practice, offering a chance to slow down and appreciate life’s simple blessings.

Practical Connections

Reflecting on one’s spirituality while tending to a garden can deepen one’s connection to their faith.

Gardening serves as a tangible reminder of God’s care. It also shows the importance of nurturing one’s spiritual life just as one would a garden.