GROWING EFFORTS

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How do you define the gardener you are becoming?

Proverbs 21:21 tells us, "Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor." In your heart of hearts, how do you define success, beauty, and fruitfulness in your garden?

This year, I had a heart-to-heart with myself and decided to stop focusing on what influencers were telling me a perfect garden should look like. Instead, I concentrated on what I wanted from my garden, how I wanted to experience it, and what I hoped to harvest from it.

That may sound a bit selfish. However, as I considered my garden through the lens of what would bring me joy, I found myself creating something that could be shared with others while also bringing peace and contentment to my own heart.

Where I Started

After prayer and reflection, I decided not to overextend myself. I narrowed my growing efforts to the gardens in my backyard and chose not to plant large rows of flowers in my neighbor's field. This gave me the time and space to create and enjoy my garden.

Additionally, I chose not to stretch my budget by purchasing a large number of new seeds. Instead, I started seeds that I had saved and purchased only a half-dozen new seed packets.

Garden Activities

I thought carefully about the experiences I wanted to enjoy in my garden and what I needed to do to make those experiences possible.

Activities

A place to pray and read my Bible
A place to write
A place to enjoy a cup of coffee, listen to nature's sounds, and watch the garden grow
A place where my grandchildren would want to play and explore
A place where friends and family could gather and enjoy themselves
A garden that would provide flowers and food to share as gifts
A garden filled with peace, joy, and love

Steps

Because a garden is always growing, changing, and giving, we added another raised bed to provide additional growing space.
Fresh mulch was spread around the garden, and new compost was added to refresh the raised beds.
I started tomato seeds in early March but decided to direct sow most of my other seeds.
I incorporated outdoor furniture that I already owned to create inviting spaces for rest and relaxation in the garden.

I am discovering that a fruitful garden is not measured by the number of plants I grow or the size of my harvest. Instead, it is measured by the peace I experience, the relationships that are nurtured there, and the opportunities I have to share God's blessings with others. By simplifying my goals and gardening with intention, I have found greater joy in the process.

My garden has become more than a place to grow flowers and food—it has become a place to grow gratitude, contentment, and love. Perhaps the question for all of us is not whether our gardens look perfect, but whether they produce what matters most in our lives. I want my garden to reflect God’s unfailing love and be a place where His peace can take root and flourish. May we all cultivate gardens – and lives – that bears fruit for the glory of God and the blessing of others.

Kimberly Bloom

A Hand of Tranquility and a Harvest Lifestyle

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