At our church, the garden next to the building isn’t just a patch of soil; it’s a place of care, community, and quiet faith. It feeds people through the Food Pantry and builds community among those who tend it. One of those faithful gardeners is Leslie, whose love for growing things runs deep, especially when it comes to tomatoes 🍅.

We had an amazing conversation with Leslie about how gardening has shaped her life, what she’s learned along the way, and how working with the earth has deepened her understanding of hope, patience, and God’s gentle presence.

“Tomatoes! It’s the main reason to have a garden, in my opinion.” Leslie says with a big smile. 😁

Her love for gardening is rooted in both taste and tradition. Inspired by her great-grandmother and grandmother, both skilled home growers, she learned early on that a homegrown vegetable isn’t just better for the budget; it also tastes like joy.🌱

Over the years, her garden has been a space of learning, patience, and peace. “I like to eat good food without chemicals,” she says, “and I meet the nicest people!” For Leslie, gardening is more than just planting and harvesting, it’s about community and the quiet spiritual lessons found in the soil.

Learning Through Drought and Tomatoes 💦

Every seasoned gardener has a few hard-earned lessons, and for Leslie, those came during two major droughts, one in Georgia and another in Ohio. “I am now obsessed with water-wise planting and water harvesting methods,” she says with a smile. “There is learning through failure!”

One lesson she’s happy to pass on to others: crushed, boiled eggshells. Sprinkled into the planting hole, they can help prevent blossom-end rotting in tomatoes, just one of the many things she’s picked up over the years through experience and shared wisdom.🥚

The Church Garden 💒

Leslie helps to tend to the church’s garden as well, where tomatoes (of course!), collards, and peppers are grown with love and intention. “That’s what folks from the pantry seem to like,” she explains. She’s also snuck in some lettuces and carrots, hoping to introduce a little surprise and see how they’re received.🥬

Faith in the Process 🙏🏼

Leslie also carries tender memories in her love for flowers, especially azaleas.🌸 “My grandmother had the most beautiful ones,” she recalls. That connection between gardening and memory adds another layer to her work in the soil; it’s not just about growing things but about honoring the people who planted seeds in her life.

When asked how gardening connects to her faith, Leslie is thoughtful: “Gardening represents hope and a chance to try again. Both ground me.” There’s a quiet spirituality in the work of tending to the earth, the kind that doesn’t need loud answers to feel sacred.

“I feel at peace when I’m outside in nature, especially in a well-loved garden,” she says.

That peace, paired with the challenge of learning patience (a trait she admits isn’t natural to her), brings a sense of joy and renewal.🌿

Azaleas—Image credits: The Good Earth Garden.

For New Gardeners: Just Try It 👩🏼‍🌾

Leslie has one bit of encouragement for anyone just starting out: “Just try it! Don’t be afraid to ask for help—most gardeners are happy to share techniques and experience.”

And if you could only grow one thing for the rest of your life? No hesitation, she said: “Tomatoes!”🍅

This conversation reminds us that gardening isn’t just about plants, it’s about paying attention, showing up, and finding peace in the process. Whether you’re tending tomatoes or planting something new in your faith, her encouragement is the same: “Just try it.”

In the quiet rhythm of digging, watering, and waiting, we’re reminded that something good is growing, even when we can’t yet see it. 🌾

If you’ve been digging in the dirt this season, we’d love to hear from you! Whether you have a favorite plant, a go-to gardening trick, or a story from your own plot or pots, share it in the comments below. Your experience might be just what another gardener in our church family needs to grow something beautiful. 👇🏼💬🧤

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Written by Debbie Castro.