Last week, on a particularly balmy day, my husband moved his gardenia tree from its winter space in our family room to its summer place near the bottom of our deck stairs. Then the weather changed back to crisp days and colder nights, and in a few days the leaves of the gardenia were wilting and falling to the ground. Now we will be grateful if it comes back to life this season.
We never expected May to be so cold. It means we haven’t done any of our planting. Our flower boxes still need weeding and the earth around our bushes has not been tilled. Even the tomato pots sit empty along the fence, waiting for the rich earth that nourishes the plants and causes my husband to check with impatience every day for signs of the delicious plump fruit.
As we continue our quarantine during damp and chilly days, we feel the missing piece – the new and beautiful life brought forth in a garden.
Writer Nathanial Hawthorne captured the joy of expectant waiting for new life, writing, “I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a row of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green.”
Our gardens are certainly not as grand as Hawthorne’s, with ours being just small planters and a few rows of tomatoes, but they are beautiful reminders of God’s love of variety and color. They teach us of the interconnectedness of all living things, drawing hummingbirds and butterflies, along with deer, brazen squirrels and groundhogs looking for a meal.
This year, while we are waiting for the right time to plant, I’m thinking I will start my garden indoors. In times of stress, pushing tender roots into the earth and getting your hands dirty has a remarkable calming effect, good for anxious adults and homebound children alike. And there’s nothing more satisfying than enjoying the fruits of your labor when flowers bloom or herbs grown on a counter make meals so much more delicious.
Gardening immerses us in the wonders of God’s creation, and the questions that arise from little gardeners keep us on our toes. “Why are there bugs living in the soil? Why does moss grow in one planter but not the other?” And then there are the observations – of the delicate vines that wrap knowingly around the fence and pole, and the flowers that turn always to the sun.
You cannot create a curriculum more valuable or an experience more meaningful in helping children understand their role as stewards of the earth.
Pope Francis teaches, “Nurturing and cherishing creation is a command God gives not only at the beginning of history, but to each of us. It is part of his plan; it means causing the world to grow responsibly, transforming it so that it may be a garden, a habitable place for everyone” (General Audience, World Environmental Day, 2013).
Mary Regina Morrell is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.
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Our Family Prays is a collection of rituals, blessings, prayers, and traditions meant to encourage and inspire Catholic families to keep prayer at the heart of their home. It is organized by the seasons of the liturgical year and includes religious traditions and celebrations from around the world.