“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.” Genesis 1:29-30 (KJV)
Spring: so near, yet so far in early March. I scan the garden for flower buds and new green shoots, as I watch the weather reports for yet another snow storm. I’ve always felt closest to the Creator in the garden, with its yearly rhythms of life, death and resurrection. During the Lenten season, as we walk with the Lord through the desert, these rhythms are keenly felt.
Every now and then, this blog will include posts about some of my favorite plants, especially herbs. Know as “useful plants,” herbs have a special place in my heart because of their nourishing and healing properties — gifts from God, indeed. I will begin with violet (Viola spp.), which I will be studying in-depth this year.
There are many species and varieties of violet, including sweet violet (V. odorata), white violet (V. alba), and wild pansy or Johnny jump-up (V. tricolor). You’ll see them growing low in moist, cool, shaded areas — if you look carefully. A patch of violets grows in a corner of our garden, shaded by a towering black walnut tree.
Herbalists value violets for their sweet fragrance and healing properties. Traditional uses for the leaves, roots and flowers include perfumes, food flavorings, cough syrups and salads.*
As a bonus, the colorful violet “flowers” aren’t really flowers at all. The true flowers are light green and hidden, so you can pick the colorful blooms to your heart’s content without disturbing the plant’s life cycle. More will appear soon enough, and you can enjoy them again!
Violets have even inspired sermons! H.J. Wilmot-Buxton (1843-1911) praised them in his sermon The Preaching of Nature:
“But, my brothers, the sweetest spot is where the violet blooms, and it is better to be sweet than to be grand.”
“God put you there as He puts a violet in a lonely nook, that you might make your corner sweet.”
Violets make early spring sweet, with their unassuming beauty and fragrance. It’s hard to believe that they are considered undesirable weeds by some.
I hope you’ll look for violets in otherwise overlooked places. You’ll be glad you did!
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*This post is for information only, and does not provide medical advice. Talk to your doctor before trying medicinal herbs.
I really enjoy the manner in which you describe the cycles of the seasons in terms of life, death, and resurrection. I have not ever heard the season e.g. winter, mentioned in this way and it all makes perfect sense rendering us a perfect cycle of not only seasons but life and the Gospel story.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the post, John! love the way we can see parallels to the Gospel story throughout nature. Thanks for stopping by!
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