How could I be a Gardner and not love plants? Their smell, look, taste and texture give us so much joy! Simply walking on grass, what has now been coined as grounding, has been shown to lower stress levels, strengthen foot and leg muscles, help with sleep and improve mental health. No wonder God created grass, not man, as the first forms of life.
Before God created man he planted a Garden
Grass you say? Yes Genesis 11 tells us, “And God said , Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so”. This was day 3 man was not there yet! However, I am confident he knew that man was coming. And, his creation of the grass and herbs and fruit trees was not simply guesswork. Why? Because, God has a logical order about him. He does nothing without having a plan in place long before we ever come into the picture. We can see this in his creation and in his word as he describes the beginning of life.
God is logical!
The order of our world's creation, including the grass we walk on, is evidence of this. In Isaiah 1:18 God says, “"Come now, let us reason together." Reason, is the ability to think logically about information. Consider this, God created light and dark, day 1, The ferment, the waters day 2, dry land, the earth, the seas, grass herbs and fruit trees all before he created man. God wasn't doing a trial experiment. He didn't say, I want to create life followed by, but what is life? Does life need sustenance? No, he had a deliberate logical order to the steps he took in creating our world. He literally created sustenance for our bodies before he created us. Apparently our God knew that life had to have sustenance to survive. That we needed the atmosphere, land, water, plants, herbs and the sun to make the very place that we live and breathe. He created the grass for our feet, the soil for our food and our bodies all in his amazingly logically reasonable order and his creation is one of the things that drew me to gardening. If one only reads his word simply looks around our world they can see this logic.
The heavens declare the glory of God
Psalms 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Simply looking around shows us his glory. Have you ever heard of the Fibonacci sequence?
It is a mathematical series of numbers where the sum of the new number is the total of the two proceeding numbers. It grows in a spiral pattern that can be found in much of nature. They arise from optimization processes, where sunlight is maximized and things are packed together in ways that spaces them in perfect alignment. It can be found in sunflowers, pinecones, pineapples, the branching of trees, leaf arrangements and even the growth patterns of shells and horns. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20) our God is not random, he is logical and everything around us displays that amazing logic. Even our plants.
To Plant a Garden is to Commune with God
So back to my original question. How could I be a gardener and not love plants? It's not possible, or as God would say, not reasonable. Putting my hands in the soil he made, touching the plants he created and watching them grow is one of the many joys of the garden world. As such, you will find a side of grace sections scattered throughout this Website, my Social pages and my upcoming book highlighting the plants of God's word; The plants of the Bible. I'll also include details on how they were used in biblical times, how they are grown and cared for and what we can learn from each of them. And, I pray that these smatterings of grace, focused on God's creation and our love for plants, will bring you as much joy as they consistently give to me. Welcome to a Side of Grace.
Oma
Oma
Epsom
Epsom can be used on almost all plants. Plants like cabbage, onions and broccoli will actually have a sweeter flavor with the use of Epsom. Tomatoes, peppers and roses need it even more and will grow stronger with darker leaves and better flower production if used regularly. Cole crops, squash, flowers and most other vegetables can also benefit from Epsom. 
If one is looking for a cold loving plant that will produce all winter then collard greens are one of your best bets! From the Brassica family they look a lot like cabbage leaves. They have long dark green or sometimes green blue leaves and strong stems. Plants can grow from They are rich in minerals especially Vitamin K and are a staple of many southern menus. Especially in the cold season as they taste a bit less bitter when harvested in cooler weather. 
Garlic takes approximately 6 months to fully form. This means once planted in fall they will be in your beds throughout your spring growing period. As such, choose your location wisely. Think about the plants you plan to grow in spring knowing you will be planting around them during this time. 
Separate your bulbs from the head, leave the paper skin on them and plant them within 2 days of separation. Make sure you select the largest and healthiest bulbs from each garlic head.
The plant of the month series brought to you by 
The plant of the month series brought to you by 
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