Spiritual Gardening

In Relief Society today, I had the privilege of teaching the lesson in which we compared the efforts required in gardening to cultivating the virtue of hope. Chad and I feel very blessed because we were then able to teach a Temple Preparation lesson on symbolism to a couple who is going to be sealed to their family later this month. It's amazing to us how much God can teach us about eternal truths through our simple daily associations with common things. I thought maybe I would post the 9 S's of Successful Gardening for anyone who wants to study and ponder more on how cultivating a garden can teach us how to grow our family relationships, cultivate our testimonies, plant seeds of faith, etc.

The 9’s S’s of growing a Successful Garden (according to Rachel, whose thumbs are far from green!)

1-      Site: To avoid neglect, plant your garden somewhere you will pass each day. If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind! 
2-      Soil: First, till the earth. Loosening the soil allows water to soak in! Next, build it up! A raised garden bed is much easier to work with. 
3-      Secure: Before you plant, place a fence around your garden to keep out any animals. Be sure to watch for signs that any pests have made their way into your garden and take care of the invasion immediately. 
4-      Sow: Plant only seeds that you are willing to harvest. When nourished properly, seeds always grow into the plant they were intended to be. 
5-      Sun: Be sure to allow your garden at least 6 hours a day of direct sunlight. 
6-      Saturate: Water your garden, but do not let it drown! Over-watering can lead to plants with shallow root systems. Encourage roots to grow deeply so that they can find water on their own! 
7-      Supplement: It’s important to fertilize your garden regularly- even if it stinks! Compost gets the plants the nutrients they need and mulch helps keep weeds out and water in. 
8-      Stick it out: Although watering, weeding, and fertilizing may become mundane, it is essential that you continue with the small daily tasks in order that your garden may reach its full potential. 
9-      Share: Harvest time will come! And when it does, sharing the “fruits of your labors” with those you love will make all of your efforts worth the work.