How I Started My Garden

The simple way to start a garden.

This morning, after coming back from my morning walk, I walked straight to my little garden at the side of my house. I stood in the middle of the garden, enjoying the sight before my eyes. Most of my plants are now doing very well, some fruiting and some blooming and the greens are looking fresh and healthy. From my grateful heart rose up a "Thank You" to God, my Heavenly Father for this little garden. This is a great way to start my day each morning.

I want to share with you about my garden's humble beginning:

First, before I set to work on my garden, I offered a simple prayer of dedication, committing my garden to my Heavenly Father, to be used for His glory. This is my own simple, personal way of inviting my Heavenly Father to be in partnership with me in all my gardening projects.

These are my garden tools: a small cangkul (in Malay) that I used to dig up those deep rooted stubborn weeds when I was clearing the ground for my garden, a garden spade, a pair of cotton gloves and most important, a stool for me to sit on.

Next, I need a few packets of garden soil, flower pots both big and small, a garden shear, and as you can see from the photo, I prefer to use recyclable plastic container bases for plants propagation.

After that, gathering of different species of plant cuttings, seeds, seedlings from generous neighbours and friends. I use ordinary fertilizers for growth and also for flowers.

Most of my garden plants are potted. In this way, I can easily move them around and rearrange them. Limited garden space is another reason to grow my plants in pots.

I am no experts in gardening, just a retiree who enjoys gardening. To me, gardening is getting to know my plants well, what makes them happy and what makes them sad, what makes them healthy and what makes them sick. As I put my hands into gardening, my understanding of my plants increases. It is like the process of building human relationship.

Early in the morning when I spend my time gardening, it is also a time and the place of communion with Heavenly Father. It is also a place that brings me joy to see new blooms, to hear the birds chirping and singing, and also to see butterflies fluttering from flower to flower. Sometimes birds will come and build their nests in my garden. Every time a new nest is found, both my soul mate and I will get excited and will be watching and keeping track on their movement until the baby birds leave their nest. (Sounds like excited grandparents.)

In the coming posts, I will be introducing to you the plants in my garden.

God bless you!