There is a specific kind of hum that starts in the air around late May. It’s the sound of the earth waking up fully, the bees finding their rhythm, and the sun staying just a little longer than it did the day before. For those of us who love to get our hands in the dirt, this is the season of high anticipation. We aren’t just looking at the garden for what it is today; we are looking at it for what it could be in July and August.
But before the first tomato is sliced or the first zucchini picked, there is the work of the beginning. There is the sowing.
Welcome to the first installment of my Tended Summer Series. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to walk through the garden together, not just the one in your backyard or the pots on your porch, but the garden of your life. I believe that God has tucked away so many lessons in the soil, and if we pay attention to how we treat our plants, we might just learn how to better treat our souls.
The Faith of the Seed
When we talk about summer plans, we often think of vacations, barbecues, and busy schedules. But true peace and joy in a season don’t happen by accident. They are grown.
In the Gospel of Mark, we find a beautiful reminder of how growth works in the Kingdom:
“This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.” , Mark 4:26–27
There is a profound relief in these verses. Our job is to scatter the seed. Our job is to be intentional about what we put into the ground. But the growth? That is a holy mystery between the seed and the Creator. As we head into these warmer months, I want to invite you to stop trying to force the harvest and start focusing on the sowing.
Preparing the Bed: Clearing the Debris
If you walked out to a garden bed that had been ignored all winter and just tossed handfuls of expensive seeds onto the hard, weed-choked ground, you know exactly what would happen. Nothing. Or, at best, something stunted and weak.
Preparing for a summer of peace starts with “clearing the bed” of your life.
Think about your current schedule and your mental space. What are the “weeds” that have cropped up over the spring? Maybe it’s a habit of saying “yes” to every social invitation out of guilt. Maybe it’s the clutter of a digital life that leaves you feeling drained before you even finish your first cup of tea.
Before we plan our summer “crops,” we have to clear the space.
- Identify the weeds: What is taking up nutrients (your time and energy) but offering no fruit?
- Turn the soil: Sometimes we need to stir things up. Prayer and reflection are like a garden fork: they loosen the compacted areas of our hearts so we can breathe again.
- Add the nutrients: Just as we add compost to the soil, we need to add things that nourish us. This might be extra time in the Word, a commitment to a Sabbath, or simply more water and better rest.
The Intentional Layout: What Are You Planting?
In the garden, we don’t just throw everything in and hope for the best. We group things. We put the tall sunflowers where they won’t shade out the peppers. We put the mint in a pot so it doesn’t take over the whole yard.
Personal intentionality works the same way. If you want a summer that feels peaceful, you have to plant “seeds of peace.”
If you want more connection with your family, you have to plant the “seed” of a dedicated Friday night dinner. If you want to feel physically stronger, you plant the “seed” of a morning walk. When we are intentional with our plans, we aren’t just “filling a calendar”: we are designing a life that has room for the Holy Spirit to move.
Trusting the Unseen Growth
One of the hardest parts of gardening is the “waiting gap.” You plant the seed, you water it, and then… nothing happens for days. It looks like a patch of dirt.
This is where our faith is tested. We begin to wonder if we did it right. We wonder if the seed was a dud. But as Mark 4 reminds us, the seed grows though we do not know how.
As you start your summer plans this June, don’t be discouraged if you don’t feel “peaceful” or “joyful” by June 5th. Growth is happening beneath the surface. Your job is to stay faithful to the tending: keep watering your soul, keep pulling the small weeds as they appear, and trust that God is working in the dark, quiet places of your heart.
Stewardship of the Season
As part of The Tended Ground, I believe that nature is a gift that points us back to God. Stewardship isn’t just about how you take care of your lawn; it’s about how you honor the life He gave you.
When you choose to be intentional with your summer: choosing rest over business and soul-care over superficiality: you are being a good steward of the “land” of your life. You are acknowledging that your time is a sacred trust.
As we move through this series, I want to encourage you to pick one “seed” of intention this week. Maybe it’s a specific Scripture you want to memorize by the first day of summer, or maybe it’s a commitment to spend 10 minutes every morning in silence before the house wakes up. Whatever it is, plant it deep, water it with prayer, and watch what God does.
The Morning Refresher: A Peppermint & Calendula Blend
To celebrate the start of our sowing season, I want to share a recipe that mirrors the brightness of a new beginning. I call this “The Morning Refresher.”
Peppermint is naturally cooling and wonderful for clearing the mind, while Calendula (often called the “herb of the sun”) is incredibly soothing and full of gentle brightness. Together, they create a blend that feels like a fresh start in a glass.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp Dried Peppermint leaves (or a large handful of fresh mint from your garden)
- 1 tbsp Dried Calendula petals
- 4 cups of hot (not boiling) water
- Optional: A drizzle of raw honey or a slice of fresh lemon
Instructions:
- Steep: Place your peppermint and calendula in a quart-sized mason jar or teapot. Pour the hot water over the herbs. Cover and let steep for 10–15 minutes. Covering is important: it keeps the essential oils (the good stuff!) from escaping in the steam.
- Strain: Strain the tea into a pitcher. If you like it a little sweet, stir in your honey while the tea is still warm so it dissolves easily.
- Chill: Let it come to room temperature, then pop it in the fridge.
- Serve Iced: Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the chilled tea over the top. Add a fresh sprig of mint and a slice of lemon for that extra “garden-to-table” feel.
Enjoy this as you sit with your journal or your Bible in the morning light. Let the cooling mint remind you to breathe, and let the golden calendula remind you of the light God is shining on your path this summer.
Check back later this week for Part 2 of The Tended Summer Series, where we’ll talk about “Weeding Out the Noise” and protecting your peace.
The Tended Ground 
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