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The Sunday School Bible
Garden was planted alongside the Family Center in 2003.
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The background near the building, with small trees and shrubs,
is
mulched to resemble a dry landscape with the
large rock and gravel path as staging areas for role playing Bible
stories. Flowers and low ground covers line the path with a rustic grape
arbor serving as a gate or door. Crocus blooms in this spring 2004 photo
while perennials Jacob's Ladder, sedums, thymes and sages, oregano, iris
and other plants begin to green up. Even the dandelion is an authentic
"flower of the fields" native to bible lands. |
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In this September, 2003 photo
the foreground shows as the garden area where flowers, herbs, grain and
vegetables are grown. In 2004 this area is planted to winter wheat
and spelt, "flowers of the field", herbs, melons, cucumbers,
gourds, millet, beans, onions and leeks. Herbs include garlic,
chives, rosemary,
thyme, dill, coriander, oregano, rue, wormwood, mint, hyssop and sage.
Grapes and a passion vine are being trained to grow on the arbor. Aloe,
fig, date, olive and pomegranate plants overwintered indoors and stay in
pots outside for the summer. |
The purpose is to
provide an attractive and practical landscape that supports the
Family Center in meeting the educational and fellowship needs of the
congregation.
The goal of the garden is to help
people, especially children, appreciate and better understand the many
scripture references to plants.
The design and plan is to involve the
Sunday School participants in planting and caring for the garden. It may
be used as backdrop, scenery and props for role-playing the
activities of Bible characters. The plants themselves may be used as
examples; observed, felt, tasted and smelled, to enhance understanding of
the Scriptures and lessons drawn from the Bible.
Plants are chosen that can be grown in
our climate and on this site with reasonable effort, including as many
genuine plants as we can from Bible times and lands, but substituting and
adding similar or related plants as needed. Some plants with
meaningful Christian legends are also included.
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