Grow bibles in your garden: feed your mind while nourishing your body.

No, I'm not suggesting that you buy a dozen bibles and set them next to your tomatoes and onions. Instead, put plants in your garden that will be like colorful signposts pointing you to a special Scripture verse. The Bible includes many varieties of plants from which to choose.

The Creator Himself served as our world's first gardener. After He created the earth and the waters, Scripture says He got His hands dirty. "Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed" (Genesis 2:8).

Next, He did something all gardeners savor--He shared the joy that Comes from tending growing plants. "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it" (verse 15).

Beautiful Truth

The Bible reveals a beautiful truth: We all belong in gardens! God calls us to create and nurture patches of earth no matter where we live. To this end, both the Old and New Testaments describe an abundance of flowers, trees, herbs, and vegetables for us to plant.

Devoted gardeners know how therapeutic it is to kneel down and dig in the dirt. Kneeling is also the time honored position for praying. By filling our gardens with Bible plants, our minds will be encouraged to recall the scriptures associated with them and, for just a moment, think of things not of this world. What a wonderful invitation to prayer.

When we gaze at a Bible plant--whether rose or mint--and recall its scriptural reference, those prayers will come easily. If you're like me, your mood will be lifted as a special joy and a sense of peace fills your heart.

Poet Dorothy Frances Gurney included this lovely phrase in her poem "God's Garden": "The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth, one is nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth."

Many Choices

Once you decide you're ready to include some Bible plants, you'll find many choices waiting for you. Some that may intrigue you and enhance the area in and around your plot of turned earth are mint, olive trees, fig trees, grapevines, apple trees, roses, onions, leeks, wheat, palm trees, lilies, crocuses, daffodils, narcissi, myrtle, almond trees, cucumbers, pomegranate trees, willow trees, and mustard plants.

Let's explore two from the list.

A group of bulbs including daffodils, narcissi, and crocuses is a delightful choice. These little beauties herald the end of winter and may already be in your garden. You'll look at them with a new appreciation when you recall Isaiah 35:1, 2: "The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy."

Gardeners in every time zone can plant and thrill to these sunny colored blossoms. In snowy climes, yellow and purple crocuses will bring a stab of joy to the gardener's heart as they pierce upward through the snow. In warmer areas, they will be spring's first blossoms and can be enjoyed for their beauty, early arrival, and the Bible verse they bring to mind.

Planting these bulbs is simplicity itself. Just be sure to find a sunny spot and follow the directions on the package concerning planting depth. It's always good to add some bulb food in the hole before covering it up. I recommend planting some of these bulbs in pots. This protects them from gophers and lets you move the pot to a central spot when its contents grow to full bloom.

Lightly Scented Bloom

A second Bible plant that will grow happily throughout much of the country is the true myrtle, or Myrtus communis. This small shrub boasts lightly scented white flowers 3/4 inch across and glossy green leaves that, when crushed, give off a strong fragrance.

Myrtle is mentioned several places in the Bible, including Isaiah 55:13: "Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers, the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed." Another Old Testament verse suggests: "Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths" (Nehemiah 8:15).

Myrtle can be pruned and kept to a rounded six-foot shape. Or you can just watch it grow to its full height of 15 feet. Songbirds love the myrtle's berries--another point in its favor Myrtus communis is hardy to 20 degrees F, withstands wind and heat, and can be grown in zones 8 to 24.

As you enjoy and share your harvest, recall the words of Jesus as He commands us to venture out of our gardens and meet the world with love. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other" (John 15:16, 17).

Terra Hangen grows her own Bibles in Santa Cruz, California.