Table of Contents

1. The Garden Mara Beamish 18 Garden Talk Zoraida Rivera 19 The Garden Is Rich with Diversity Chinook Psalter 20 The Kiss of the Sun for Pardon Dorothy Frances Gurney 21 Reflections on the Garden Alice Morse Earle 22 Barbara Damrosch 22 Lawrence Halprin 22 Wendy Johnson 22 Laura Martin 22 Henry Mitchell 23 Sadi 23 Barbara Damrosch 23 Walt Whitman 23 Impermanence The Dalai Lama 24 The Garden Hour Christine Swanberg 25 Eden Sherri Waas Shunfenthal 26 Garden Proverbs Author unknown 28 Rudyard Kipling 28 Spanish proverb 28 Author unknown 28 The New Garden Sharon Hudnell 29 Dawn Approaches Linda Lee Ruzicka 30 Oasis Irene Sedeora 31 Year-Round Blessing Joanne Keaton 32 Gardens Thelma J. Palmer 33 A Garden Prayer Barbara Nuzzo 35 Rhapsodies Within Jeani M. Picklesimer 36 Grandma and Grandpa's Backyard Sheryl L. Nelms 37 Affair in a Garden Arlene Gay Levine 39 2. The Gardener Proverb 40 Gardener's Prayer Karel Capek 41 Gardening Mother Paula E. Kirman 43 Reflections About Gardeners Marjorie Harris 44 Vita Sackville-West 44 H. G. Dwight 44 Love Poem for the Gardener Jean Tupper 45 Why? Sandra E. McBride 47 Natural Lois Greene Stone 48 Interlude Christina Keenan 49 The Gardener Reverend Edie Weinstein 51 The Old Gardener Nancy A. Lynch 52 Grandmother Katharyn Howard Machan 53 Into a Bountiful Season Carol L. MacKay 55 A Poet Returns to the Garden B.G. Thurston 56 Glory to the Gardener Heather Berry 57 A Gardener Knows Another Gardener Pamela Burke 58 Bless the Gardener Who Mary Kolada Scott 59 A Gardener's Prayer Arlene Gay Levine 60 3. Gardening Tina James 61 Reflections on Gardening Patricia R. Barrett 62 John Erskine 62 Jerry Baker 62 Edgar Allen Poe 62 Ruth Stout 62 Mirabel Osler 63 Elizabeth Murray 63 Lewis Gannett 63 Author unknown 63 C. Z. Guest 63 Our Personal Work of Art Julia Moir Messervy 64 Ground Maryanne Hannan 65 August Clearing Barbara Glynn 66 Gardening Credo Susan J. Erickson 68 What Remains Nancy Tupper Ling 69 Old Gardener's Confession Dianne M. Del Giorno 70 Gardener's Winter Lament Arlene L. Mandell 72 A Gardener's Springtime Prayer William Cleary 73 Spring Raking Lisa Timpf 74 Garden Gift DeMar Regier 76 Your Flowers Are Pretty Sheryl L. Nelms 77 Spiritual Gardening Norman Wirzba 79 Garden Confessional Jill Johnson 81 4. The Seasons Percy Bysshe Shelley 82 To Everything There Is a Season Ecclesiastes 83 Psalm of Praise Joan Stephen 84 Trees Marion Schoeberlein 85 Suddenly, Barbara Crooker 86 Spring Pledge Shirley S. Stevens 87 Snowflakes of Spring Bonnie Compton Hanson 88 And What Is So Rare As a Day in June? James Russell Lowell 89 This Summer Day Barbara Crooker 90 Diminuendo Barbara Crooker 92 Summer Passing Thomas L. Reid 93 Leaves Falling Mike Blottenberger 95 To Marigolds in Autumn Thomas L. Reid 96 All Because Autumn Came Denise A. Dewald 97 Lady Autumn Emily King 99 Contractions Hazel Smith Hutchinson 100 It's Early Winter Gary Young 101 Winter Blessing Paula E. Kirman 102 January Thaw Barbara Crooker 103 Late February, Barbara Crooker 105 5. Planting & Harvesting Douglas Jerrold 106 The Promise Joan No ldechen 107 Liturgy Mary Ellen Hansburg 108 Turning the Garden Under, Barbara Crooker 109 The Gardener Mary Lenore Quigley 110 Harmony Marcus Aurelius 111 Child's Garden Blessing Jill Johnson 112 Four O'Clocks Brenda Knight 113 Discovery Barb Mayer 114 Your Gift of Tomatoes Elisavietta Ritchie 116 Making Soup for Selah Michael S. Glaser 118 Harvest Time Susan Landon 120 Fall Bounty Mary Maude Daniels 121 6. Flowers Ralph Waldo Emerson 122 I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud William Wordsworth 123 Early Daffodils Steven Ratiner 124 Flowering Trees Barbara Crooker 125 Never Lose an Opportunity Ralph Waldo Emerson 126 An Island Garden Celia Thaxter 127 Flowers Rochelle L. Holt 128 The Wilding C. David Hay 129 Morning Glories Stephanie Palladino 130 Morning Glories Norbert Krapf 131 A Poet's Prayer Sandra E. McBride 133 Lilies Meg Campbell 134 I Know a Bank Whereon the Wild Thyme Grows William Shakespeare 135 These Roses Under My Window Ralph Waldo Emerson 136 The Rose Fanny Levin 137 My Neighbor's Roses A.L. Gruber 138 My Neighbor's Reply Author unknown 139 Joint Garden Maureen Tolman Flannery 140 And They Say There Are No More Nita Penfold 141 Lovely Camellia Janine Canan 142 7. Fruits & Vegetables Frances Moore Lapp 144 Squash Blossom Cassie Premo Steele 145 Garden Laurence Snydal 146 Kindness Sally Clark 147 Choking Gayle Brandeis 148 Holy Tomatoes Ginny Lowe Connors 150 Tomato William Orem 151 Shelling Peas Penny Harter 153 Avocado Gayle Brandeis 155 Raspberries Barbara Crooker 157 Orchard Blessing Marjorie Rommel 159 Pear Tree at Sunset Lisa Zimmerman 161 8. All Creatures Anne Raver 162 Leap Frog Sheryl L. Nelms 163 Warts Helen Ruggieri 165 Bumble Bees in Bloom Jill Morgan Hawkins 166 Cycle: for the Deer Sharon Hudnell 167 Blessings Barbara Van Noord 168 The Butterfly Ballet Marion Schoeberlein 169 In the Garden with My Grandson Donna Wahlert 170 A Hummingbird Moment Gwyneth M. Bledsoe 171 The Visit Ann Reisford Boutt 172 My Garden's Protected Robin Svedi 174 Katydid Maureen Tolman Flannery 175 Cricket's Coda Rebecca K. Wyss 177 Buried Treasure Nancy A. Lynch 178 The Garden Warbler Ramnath Subramanian 179 A Gardener's Lament Susanne Wiggins Bunch 181 Making the Rounds Gary E. McCormick 183 Birds at the Feeder Donna Wahlert 185 Honored Bees Janine Canan 186 9. Reflections Author unknown 187 Reflections Willa Cather 188 Hal Borland 188 Frances Moore Lapp 188 Thomas Jefferson 188 Author unknown 189 Emma Goldman 189 Author unknown 189 To Be of the Earth John Soos 190 The Garden Tereasa Bellew 191 Curator Reverend Jack Skiles 192 My Beloved Janine Canan 193 Weed Wrestling Susan R. Norton 194 Watching from the Window Martha K. Baker 196 Sweet Banquets Hilda Sanderson 197 The Shady Corner Norbert Krapf 198 In the Garden Peter Markus 200 Why Do Plants Have Such a Positive Impact on Us? Author unknown 201 Working in the Garden Ellen Bass 202 Do Tell Martha K. Baker 204 At the End of a Season Marilyn Johnston 205 10. Inspiration Veronica Hunsucker 206 Short Inspirations John Jeavons 207 Jean-Jacques Rousseau 207 Russell Page 207 Joni Mitchell 207 Be a Gardener Julian of Norwich 208 Blessing for a Gardener Maryanne Hannan 209 Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun Walt Whitman 210 Pilgrim's Progress Ida Fasel 211 When I Dance, I Dance Michel de Montaigne 212 Garden Meditation Reverend Max Alden Coots 213 A Little Prayer Theresa Mary Grass 215 The Simplest Miracle Mary Maude Daniels 216 Garden Credo Thelma J. Palmer 218 Garden Blessing Shirley Vogler Meister 219 Illumination Sarah J. Diehl 220 A Gardener's Prayer Nancy Priff 221 Heirloom Seeds Cindy Chuksudoon 222 A Community Garden Blessing Carol L. MacKay 223 The Gardener's Toast Thelma J. Palmer 224 Plowing a New Furrow Margaret Anne Huffman 226 Keeper of the Gates Father John B. Giuliani 227 Beautitudes for the Gardener Gail Kavanagh 228 Miracle Theresa Mary Grass 230 A Garden Prayer Marian Olson 231 God's Evergreenness Martha K. Baker 232 Garden Prayer Sharon Hudnell 234 Bless the Gardener Kay Reall 235 Garden Light Michael S. Glaser 236 AUTHOR INDEX 237 PERMISSIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS "4 pages still to come" 240 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

About the Author

June Cotner is the author or editor of 28 books, including the best-selling Graces, Bedside Prayers, and Dog Blessings. June's latest love and avocation is giving presentations on "Adopting Prisoner-Trained Shelter Dogs." In 2011 she adopted Indy, a chocolate lab/Doberman mix (a LabraDobie!), from the Freedom Tails program at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, WA. June works with Indy daily to build on the wonderful obedience skills he mastered in the program. She and Indy have appeared on the television shows "AM Northwest" (Portland, OR) and "New Day Northwest" (Seattle). A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, June is the mother of two grown children and lives in Poulsbo, WA, with her husband. Her hobbies include yoga, hiking, and playing with her two grandchildren. For more information, please visit June's Web site at junecotner.com.

Reviews

"Best-selling author June Cotner is lifting up her readers with an offering of prayer and poetry based on gardening." --Fox News "Beautifully designed, and lovingly compiled over a decade, this book will be a delight for those who toil in the garden or those who just enjoy the beauty of others' labors. It provides witness to the gifts of the earth and the joy of carefully thought-out, cultivated abundance. Writings drawn from several centuries grace the pages as the smell of flowers and the sound of birds fill the reader's mind. The cover will draw customers in and, once inside, they will find many hours of uplifting companionship." --Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight "A great book of poems, prose and prayers celebrating the love of gardening." --The Baby Spot "This is a beautiful book to enjoy leisurely. It is not something you sit down and read through, but you should read through it slowly, contemplating as you go. While it is too small to be considered a 'coffee table' book, that is actually a good way to display it for your visitors to enjoy. The cover is beautiful and a great draw to open the book. The writings inside are from various authors or literary greats, some better known that others, but thought provoking and intriguing. You will wax nostalgic as you meander through this delightful little book." --Lifelong Learning "An ode to the places where land is sown and memories reaped." --Edge "Garden Blessings offers many different ways to contemplate and appreciate gardens and gardening. Whether you prefer to concentrate on roses or radishes in your garden, this little book aims to help you enjoy the nourishment for both body and soul." --The Kitsap Sun "Garden Blessings is a one-of-a-kind treasury of uplifting prayers, prose and poems that share a common appreciation for the love of gardening and the many blessings that gardens bring to our lives." --LA Splash "This is a collection of little poems and thoughts from different authors that cover all aspects of the garden - from the different seasons to flowers to vegetables and just about everything in between. If you're looking for some inspirational thoughts as you sit in your garden drinking your tea, or perhaps just looking for a gift for a gardener in your life, you've come to the right place." --Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife