Most people want to begin an already cultivated garden.

They buy their plants from nurseries, they have carefully tended soils,

they might even control the climate and atmosphere.

At Anawim, we cultivate the Wild Garden:

plants springing out of nowhere, growing up any which way,

chaos barely tamed, sometimes completely untamed,

seemingly free, yet always in crisis.

The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

A wild garden doesn’t look like much when you begin.

It is dry, hard, unkempt, and the ground seems unworkable.

“Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil…” (Mark 4:3-5)

Not only is the garden wild, but the plot is in desperate need of repair.

On the surface, it looks chaotic and impossible to work with.

But with God, nothing is impossible.

If you look carefully, even the garden full of weeds can display remarkable beauty.

“Her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much.” (Luke 7:47)

We take the cast-offs, like these potatoes, plant them, and give them a home.

And in that context, they flourish.

“I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

We must not despise the wild…

…for they will grow their fruit in due season.

Do not despise the day of small things, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin. (Zechariah 4:10)

All pictures were taken by Steve Kimes in the gardens of Sanctuary. Some of the gardens are wild, some are not. But almost all of the plants are cast-offs in one way or another. 

No plants were harmed in the making of this photo essay.