As caretakers of God’s creation, Earth, we must do our part to help the environment. Marianne Farrier teaches us how to do so through sustainable gardening.
Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
As Christians, we are still tending the earth and have reverence for it because we know it is God’s creation. You could say that we were conserving our planet before there were “conservationists.”We hear terms like, “sustainable landscaping” and need clarification. The way it has been explained to me, is planting combinations of native plants and hybrids that are best suited to your area, plants that have a “sense of place”. Some of the numerous benefits of this type of gardening include: Providing natural areas that create habitat, natural cover and protection for multiple, beneficial species; attracting good insects to feed and welcome birds and luring bees that are essential to life through pollination. Planting native plants and adapted flora means using less water and, once they are established, very little fertilizer or fuss.
Who doesn’t want a garden that is buzzing with traffic that looks like an intersection of “wildlife city”, humming with bees, caressed by butterflies, and aflutter with happy birds?
Whenever I see a hummingbird and hear and feel it whirring near me, I can’t help but feel that the God who made this exquisite, perfect, feisty little miracle must be a Great God, indeed. There have been times when I have been feeling a bit down and a humming bird has come right up in my face and hovered for a very long time. At that moment, I believe that the Father is sending me a special message that he is on the job; like it says in Psalm 8:4, “What is man that you are mindful of him?”
He’s telling me I’m on His mind. What a blessing!
Give some room to a sustainable patch in your garden. You will reap more than flowers; you will have a harvest of blessings.
Your gardening friend,
Marianne Farrier
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