This weekend, I was pruning my tomatoes, removing the “sucker” branches that are thick and green, but do not bear fruit. It’s a daunting task, but a highly satisfying one—a tomato thicket becomes an orderly row of well-shaped plants in just a few snip-snip-y minutes.
As it always does when I garden, my mind wandered as I piled the clippings into growing mounds. I realized that I didn’t actually see how much I needed to remove until I started to clear the growth. Once I made some space within the plant, though, the full task became clear—and felt within my reach.
This reminded me of a recent Harvard Business Review article that cited research about the benefits of silence. One study found that silence is associated with renewed cell growth in the region of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Another found that two minutes of silence between musical pieces were more stabilizing to the cardiovascular system than music that was designated “relaxing.”
The busier a person is, the article concluded, the more crucial consistent periods of silence become—to both productivity and wellness. Silence can be found in many places—in nature, in a room with the door shut, behind closed eyes, in a media-free space. And it doesn’t take much of it to make a difference—even a few minutes can be meaningful.
How to Grow a Biblical Garden
Anise (Pimpinella anisum)Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment… Matthew 23:23
This lovely plant is used to flavor licorice. Delicious in salads, the seeds are also added to cakes, breads, soups and stews.
Black Mustard (Brassica nigra)He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Matthew 13:31
This ancient herb is easy to grow and quickly transforms into a highly prolific plant. Black mustard is an annual weedy plant cultivated for its seeds which are commonly used as a spice.
Christ's Thorn (Paliurus Spina-Christi)They put a purple robe on Him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on Him. Mark 15:17
Christ's crown of thorns is believed to have been made from this plant. An ornamental shrub with small flowers that grow in small clusters, Christ's thorn should be placed in a container as it spreads easily.
Common Olive (Olea europaea)But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. Psalm 52:8
The olive branch is often used to symbolize peace and brotherhood and is mentioned many times in the Bible: Zechariah 4:3, Deuteronomy 33:24 Job 29:6 and Job 15:33. A small evergreen tree with brilliant yellow flowers and light green foliage it is said to have come to the United States with the Franciscan fathers.
Coriander/Cilantro (Coriandrum sativu)The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Exodus 16:31
The leaves of this tasty herb can be used to season soups, salads and salsa. Seeds are often used as a flavoring for pickles, means and sausage. Coriander was brought to North America in the late 1600s and was one of the first spices cultivated by early settlers.
Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick. Isaiah 28:27
Cumin is also mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew 23:23). The cumin plant is a small annual that only grows to be about one foot in height. Used since ancient times, seeds excavated in India date back to the second millennium BC.
Dill (Anethum graveolens)When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border? Isaiah 28:25
The dill plant provides a valuable food source for butterfly larvae and will attract beautiful butterflies to your garden. This fragrant culinary herb is often added to sauces and used for pickling.
Nettle (Urtica dioica)Among the bushes they cry out; Under the nettles they are gathered together. Job 30:7
The nettle is mentioned in several Bible verses: Proverbs 24:30-31, Hosea 9:6 and Zephaniah 2:9. This perennial plant is often found growing wild so select your location carefully as nettles are very hardy and can spread quickly.
For more information on growing Bible plants in your garden, here’s a full list.
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I found silence in my tomato patch that day. So, I would like to think, did the tomato plants. Cleared of the “suckers” that drew water and nutrition from their fruiting branches, the vines were less “busy,” less distracted from their purpose by noisy tangles of green. Standing back and admiring the pruned array of tomato plants, I saw a deeply encouraging sight—dozens of swelling orbs, growing toward their eventual tomato fullness, all the healthier, I imagined, because the sun now shone directly on them.
What would grow in your life if you made space and found some silence?
