Meet with God in the Garden

It’s a well known and proven fact that spending time in the garden can be very therapeutic.

Gardening can help our bodies physically with exercise and fresh air and mentally by the release of serotonin and endorphins - our body’s natural feel-good hormones that promote mental wellbeing.

Here are a few ideas to help us in the garden to draw near to God and appreciate His creation:

• Look at each flower. Marvel at their design. They are all unique and are beautiful in their own way. Maybe cut some flowers to take inside

• Breathe in the fragrance of highly scented flowers

• Watch the wildlife all around the garden. Look for butterflies, hover flies, ladybirds and bees. How can you bring more wildlife in?

• Sow seeds, both flower and vegetable. Watch them grow and enjoy their beauty and their taste.

‘There is a direct correlation between gardening and mental health, not just to maintain good mental health but to repair it as well - that's anything in the gamut from depression to serious brain damage, schizophrenia or autism’. Monty Don

• Mow the lawn. Smell the freshly cut grass. If you enjoy stripes, take delight in mowing in straight lines.

• Get busy by cutting the hedges. There’s something quite satisfying in seeing the end result of a hedge that was uneven and scruffy become straight with clean cut edges.

• Weed and tidy around plants to keep them healthy and looking good.

• Take time to just relax in the garden even if it’s for five or ten minutes. Take time to give thanks to the Creator.

If you don’t have a garden then visit a green space near you, breathe deeply and enjoy the trees. Or if you have room for a couple of pots, then fill them with your favourite plants. It will give you something to grow, enjoy, look after and you will reap the benefits.

Prayer - Thank You Lord for the beauty of Your creation all around us. Help us to stop and take a moment everyday to enjoy that which you have freely given us. Amen