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A Glory of Lebanon Garden

Home » Garden Design » A Glory of Lebanon Garden
Cedar of Lebanon Cones upright on the branch

by Shelley S. Cramm In: Garden Design on Dec 11, 2014

‘Tis the season for greenery! How glorious to celebrate Christmas by decking the halls with evergreen boughs – their faithful hues and fresh fragrance soothing and triumphant all in one whiff! Wreaths, garlands, and Christmas trees add wonder; God’s Word agrees, proclaiming the glory of bringing in branches to beautify:

The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the juniper, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn my sanctuary
Isaiah 60:13 NIV

Discovering this place of evergreen congregation in the Bible, and a similar passage in Isaiah 41:19-20, whispered a creative whim to my inner garden-designer. Why not plant a little “glory of Lebanon” in our yard, refreshing us with Christmas wonder all year long?

Landscaping plans rely on many of the evergreen plants on this list, or species similar to them, to screen foundations, gas meters, A/C units, and the like, giving neighbors more pleasing views. Along the west side of our house, the former hedges had grown dull and scraggily; how much more invigorating to replace them with a few fresh scents and flowering shrubs from Isaiah’s promise of the Lord’s thirst-quenching revival (Isaiah 41:17-18)?!

Isaiah’s Plant List

These passages of Scripture have always been a botanical challenge, as the original Hebrew words indicating the plant identities are not straightforward. What NIV translators have called “fir” and “cypress” have been designated laurustinus and boxwood by other researchers. Furthermore, Michael Zohary, author of Plants of the Bible and former Chair of Botany at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, considered the single term translated “juniper” in the NIV to be “a collective name for three species [Evergreen Cypress, Cicilian Fir, and Eastern Savin, a juniper].”

Yet this conifer conundrum is good news for those who love to garden, opening up Isaiah’s lists to include a wider range of plant material, including broadleafs among the traditional Christmas tree types.

In the days of his revealing, [God] will plant the soaring species with understory trees, so abundantly full is his forest.
—from “Lay of the Land” for the Cedars of Lebanon landscape, NIV God’s Word for Gardeners Bible

Additionally, the prophet spoke of water-wise evergreens whose home borders the desert: acacia, olive, and myrtle. Marrying the desert dwellers with the majestic highland trees once again reminds us of God’s expanse, planting everything from the wasteland to the forest together, refreshing us with the glory of his possibility and mighty strength.

… so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Isaiah 41:20 NIV

Then you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
Isaiah 60:16 NIV

Planting a Glory of Lebanon Garden

Imagining the “glory of Lebanon” brought grander delight to an otherwise lackluster homeowners’ mandate to conceal our foundation and A/C compressors along the sideyard. Our clay soils are not the greatest host to firs, but boxwood endures nearly any condition, and I was happy to learn more about laurustinus, its spring flowers sweet-scented and showy. Both plants should take the shady morning exposure in stride.

And now for artistic license (i.e. NOT Bible plant additions): Bald cypress trees, dwarf Atlas cedar, ever-blooming azaleas, and a crepe myrtle.

bald cypress tree canopyWe planted bald cypress saplings 3 years ago after photina shrubs began to rot. These conifers grow successfully in our area. They have a classic Christmas tree form with fragrant, merry and bright needles, yet they are not evergreens (which sort of misses the point of Isaiah’s botanical picture of the Lord’s everlasting-ness!). O well!

 

 

Gardener’s Scrapbook

 

"BEFORE"
“BEFORE” Newly delivered azaleas wait for planting…we first we have a lot of clean up and weeding to do!

 

boxwood shrub
These boxwood have grown “unboxed” from one gallon pots for 3 years, now shielding the foundation line. Hopefully in the next year they will grow to 5 feet and disguise the A/C units.

 

 

 

 

 

 

new 3 gallon laurustinus schurb
Laurustinus newly planted from 3 gallon pots. I’m looking forward to their spring bloom…I mean, if Christmas greens and garlands have to end, at least we have spring flowers to await!

 

 

 

 

Red Tiara Azalea
Many thanks to J.Berry Nursery for supplying Deja-Bloom azaleas to trial. I included them in the Glory of Lebanon garden as a nod to the blooming understory that laurustinus implies. Additionally, these ‘Red Tiaras’ provide a beautiful red splash to the evergreens of this garden; red and green, Christmas reminders where this whole idea began!

 

pine needle mulch
Save your needles to mulch a woodland garden and continue to add acidic material that evergreens need.
J.Berry Nursery also provided a Black Diamond Crepe Myrtle to trial. No relation to the myrtle of Scripture other than its name…and not evergreen, but deep purple, deciduous foliage. Mixing contrasting colors of foliage makes the greens really “pop,” another splash in this hopefully glorious garden.
J.Berry Nursery also provided a Black Diamond Crepe Myrtle to trial. No relation to the myrtle of Scripture other than its name…and not evergreen, but deep purple, deciduous foliage. Mixing contrasting colors of foliage makes the greens really “pop,” another splash in this hopefully glorious garden.

 

 

dwarf blue Atlas cedar
A dwarf Blue Atlas Cedar standing in for Cedar of Lebanon. I chuckle at this “dwarf,” knowing Isaiah’s cedar majesty would fill the whole space between our house and the next…our house would be the dwarf in that case!
dwarf blue atlas cedar shining Christmas light
We didn’t finish planting the garden until after sundown, just in time for Christmas lights!

 

 

boxwood and laurustinus join a cedar to make a glory of Lebanon garden

“AFTER:” Evergreens all tucked in! Limestone edging connects a Texas garden to the Holy Land. The mountains of Lebanon, home to the great cedar, juniper, and fir are made of limestone, though these rocks are locally “grown.”

May God’s glorious truth echo to all who pass by here: “that the Holy One of Israel has created” everything, from the little blue to the splendid cedar of Lebanon!

Discover more in the Plant Guide:

Garden in Delight gate logo

 

Boxwood – gardenndestage.wpengine.com/plant-guide/boxwood/

Cedar of Lebanon – gardenndelight.wpengine.com/plant-guide/cedar-lebanon/
Laurustinus – gardenndelight.wpengine.com/plant-guide/laurustinus/

 

 

Visit J. Berry Nursery for more information on ever-blooming azaleas and dark-leaved crepe myrtles.

 

All photos ©2014 Shelley S. Cramm except the Black Diamond Crepe Myrtle

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Charlotte Macfee

    December 12, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    What a difference these new plants make, Shelley. Lovely to think you have your own ” Garden of Lebanon” along side your own home. Did you move the bench, too?

    Reply
    • Shelley Cramm

      December 16, 2014 at 10:59 am

      Yes, I hope it will be a lovely spot! The bench sadly rotted out, too, so we put the new little cedar it its place. You’ll get to see it soon!

      Reply
  2. J. Berry Nursery

    December 12, 2014 at 9:38 pm

    Thank you so much for including us in this perfect Glory of Lebanon Garden! We sincerely appreciate your time and talent!

    Reply
    • Shelley Cramm

      December 16, 2014 at 11:00 am

      You are more than welcome, and thank you for all the inspiration your plants bring to the garden. I’ll post another picture when they bloom in full glory next spring!

      Reply
  3. Deborah McKissic

    December 16, 2014 at 8:12 am

    This garden is just beautiful, Shelley! What inspiration I will get this winter when planning out a new garden…I think I might have to copy this one! I do not have any azaleas in my yard…how did that happen? ha ha…The photos are just wonderful..thanks for sharing and inspiring me to continue to achieve new ways in my plantings…to really think about the plants and their relationship to the bible..it is so inspiring! Have a blessed holiday season and enjoy those new plants and the twinkling lights! How great they are!

    Reply
    • Shelley Cramm

      December 16, 2014 at 11:04 am

      It is so inspiring, I agree! A whole new energy and delight grow up when considering and connecting to God’s Word. Thank you for sharing your excitement! Always a pleasure!

      Reply

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