There are days when sitting still in a room and praying feels more like a battle with your own attention span than a conversation with God. Your phone buzzes. Your mind drifts. You’re halfway through a prayer and suddenly thinking about the dishes giving you the side eye in the sink.
If you want your time with God to be more focused and fruitful, you might need a prayer garden. Maybe that’s why Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, yet we have forgotten that in the age of screen time and artificial light.
A prayer garden gives your soul room to breathe and be intentional about your time with your creator, as TikToker @s.bine.t described hers. Sounds heavenly? Here’s how to make one for yourself.
1. Frame the Space with Beds
Start with structure. Raised cedar beds are a solid choice—they define the space, they age beautifully, and they naturally resist decay without chemicals. @s.bine.t used two beds: one for vegetables, one for flowers.
The garden beds don’t have to be big. Two 4-by-4-foot beds are enough to get started. Place them somewhere that gets at least six hours of sun, and if possible, close to a hose or water source, so you don’t have to haul watering cans across the yard.
2. Layer and Level the Soil
The beds were laid on gravel. Then she added leaves, compacted them, and created a soft, living layer before adding the soil. Use a good-quality raised bed mix or compost-rich garden soil. It should hold moisture but still drain well.
Rake the surface flat before planting. Smooth, even soil helps seeds stay in place and makes watering more consistent. If you leave big dips and bumps, you’ll end up with dry spots and puddles.
3. Unpot and Plant the Seedlings
Grab some seed packets and fluff out the seedlings before dropping them into the soil. You can plant a variety of vegetable starters (from the store or your windowsill) like she did: peppers, tomatoes, jalapeños, even melons. Plants that do better from seed include carrots, beets, beans, and lettuce. Nevertheless, you need to be careful with the plants that tend to take over the world, like watermelons if you’re looking to have a contained garden.
The mix of seedlings and seeds almost feels poetic. Some things are already growing. Some are just getting started, exactly like life. You can do this as you pray over things that are already blooming and things that haven’t even sprouted. You show up for both. For the seeds that went in, they’re quiet growers, hidden beneath the surface. Faith works that way sometimes. When all the seeds and seedlings are in, water them as generously as they need.
4. Don’t Skip the Flowers
The second bed in her garden wasn’t for food. It was for beauty. It’s easy to treat flowers as a luxury, but in a prayer garden, they’re essential. Vegetables feed your body. Flowers feed your spirit.
Plant blooms that make you smile, even if they have no practical purpose, are key. A garden filled with only utility is missing something. God didn’t create the world in grayscale. You don’t have to either.
5. Invite the Senses In
A prayer garden should feel like an invitation. Add herbs like lavender, thyme, or rosemary that release fragrance as you walk past. Place a wind chime to catch the breeze or a small birdbath to draw life into the space. Even a simple bench or kneeling stone helps you stay present.
Why A Prayer Garden?
A prayer garden is where you show up again and again—with coffee in the morning, with your hands in the soil, with whatever you’re holding in your heart. Some days, you’ll talk to God. Other days, you’ll be quiet and just pull weeds. Both count. Both are prayers. It’s the place where your spirit can unclench.
You’ll learn things out there that you won’t find in a devotional or a sermon. You’ll learn patience when the seeds take forever to sprout. You’ll learn humility when the weeds grow faster than the tomatoes. And you’ll learn to keep showing up, even when you don’t feel particularly holy. You’re creating space to meet with God on purpose and clear your head. And maybe, as the garden grows, so will you.
See other gardening benefits!
Cultivate Inner Peace with Anxiety-Relieving Plants
Want a Healthier Life? Start by Growing Your Own Vegetables
