My Father is the Gardener, Devotions in Botany and Gardening of the Bible
By Shelley S. Cramm (Psych'88)
(BRIT Press, 256 pages; 2022)
My Father is the Gardener digs into the plants, gardening, and landscapes of
the Bible, unearthing inspiration in the routine ways of caring for plants
and keeping a garden. Shelley S. Cramm leads you through the gardener鈥檚
work鈥攃hores like preparing soil, watering, weeding, cultivating, and
composting鈥攖o understand these practices as enriching garden metaphors full
of wisdom and meaning in daily life. Her selection of Biblical plants, from
flower bulbs to vegetables to shade and fruiting trees, connects
horticultural subtleties to the deeper purposes of God.
Pleasing-to-the-eye pages await you, marrying classic botanical illustrations
with mesmerizing macrophotography of pressed plant specimens from the BRIT
Herbarium and supporting institutions. Artist Layla Luna offers original
drawings with an earthy, playful style, stirring God鈥檚 Word to whorl off
the page and into your heart.
Whether you are a seasoned gardener and confessed plant geek, or you are
starting a garden and budding in faith, you will gather much from this
delightful look at the world鈥檚 oldest gardening book. A wonderful gift for
your favorite gardener!