The Jewish garden: History, traditions and ingredients

There is much written about the Jewish garden, which is deeply rooted in spiritual, cultural and historical traditions.

Here are some of the insights I found:

The Garden of Eden is central to Jewish theology, symbolizing humanity’s first task of caretaking the earth (Genesis 2:8-9)

Shelley S. Cramm in “Biblical Feasts, Garden Poetry, Gardens to Visit” writes, “in a personal patterning of Genesis 2, the Lord gently revealed the way He had for them to get started, like Him, from the ground up.

“And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food…”

Speaking of the importance of trees, I found this information about the significance of the olive tree at myolivetree.com. There is a movement that plants trees for long-term sustainability in Israel. Their website states:

“The olive tree is mentioned frequently in the Bible with regard to fruitfulness, health, and blessings. It is one of the seven species with which the land was blessed. Eventually, people began to associate it with the concept of “putting down roots” in the Holy Land. The olive tree and olive branch are symbols of peace, wisdom, and prosperity in Judaism. They are also associated with renewal, hope, and the eternal connection between humans and the earth.”

In addition to the importance of planting trees, we can create our own gardens with plants that have Jewish significance. I discovered and read, with great interest, articles on how to create a Jewish garden. These resources are Mike Brown’s article in Kveller.com “How to Create Your Own Jewish Garden” (Yes, It’s a Real Thing!” and Katherine Greenberg’s article in pacifichorticulture.org, “Making a Garden in Jerusalem.”

A good way to start is to choose plants mentioned in the Bible. Examples are pomegranates and figs, and also horseradish. Yes, horseradish.

So, if you If you are thinking ahead to Passover, Mike Brown suggests this method to grow your own horseradish. “It is best to start off growing horseradish in a large container, at least five gallons or so. This will give the plant enough room to develop nice roots, which is the part used to make horseradish condiment. It will also grow nicely in the ground but it spreads easily from the roots and so it is very hard to get rid of once it is in the ground.”

Katherine Greenberg’s article article lists the plants in her garden in Jerusalem. The biblical plants included are fig (“Ficus carica”), olive (“Olea europaea”), dwarf pomegranate, (“Punica granatum” or “Nana”) and myrtle (“Myrtus communis”).

Other plants, spices, seeds, herbs and flowers listed in the Hebrew bible (in that order) are papyrus, acacia, cedar, anise, cinnamon, frankincense, almonds, cassia and lilies.

The best advice given in the articles is to start small. Growing your own garden and teaching your children and grandchildren how to tend it also gives you the opportunity to pass on Jewish tradition and use eco-friendly practices.

And last but not least, to give gratitude for the fruits of our labor in planting our garden, we can recite the shehecheyanu blessing, “Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.”

PATRICIA RASKIN, owner of Raskin Resources Productions, is an award-winning radio producer, business owner and leader. She has served on the board of directors of Temple Emanu-El, in Providence. Her “Positive Living with Patricia Raskin” podcast can be heard on voiceamerica.com