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A Bit of Earth: A Year in the Garden with God
In A Bit of Earth, Andrea G. Burke looks at the seasonal practice and common grace of gardening through a devotional lens. Part memoir, part prayer book, A Bit of Earth weaves care and intent through moments of ordinary living. This book is a lifelong resource of Scripture, poetry, and prose on the life of faith for contemplatives, gardeners, and believers.
God walks in the garden at the cool of the day. The Lord is with us when we dream about what plants to grow and when we drag our feet to pull weeds. He is with us when we preserve the fruit of our hard labors. He is with us even when we weep at the desolate, snowbound landscape of winter.
Whether you're new to gardening or already have a green thumb, anyone can learn how to garden and cultivate the soil of their hearts through A Bit of Earth.
God walks in the garden at the cool of the day. The Lord is with us when we dream about what plants to grow and when we drag our feet to pull weeds. He is with us when we preserve the fruit of our hard labors. He is with us even when we weep at the desolate, snowbound landscape of winter.
Whether you're new to gardening or already have a green thumb, anyone can learn how to garden and cultivate the soil of their hearts through A Bit of Earth.
272 pages, Paperback
Published July 31, 2024
69 people are currently reading
579 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 12, 2024
I just can’t praise this book enough. Whether or not you’re a gardener, I urge you to follow Andrea through her garden and find yourself walking not just with her, but also with the Lord through his creation. Andrea brilliantly and beautifully runs the full spectrum from raw honesty and admitted doubt and defeat all the way to abundance and overflowing gratitude. What an absolute joy to read this book! As soon as I finished, I just put my bookmark right back in the beginning to start over again. These short chapters are perfect for adding a moment of joy and Christ-centered perspective to every single day.
July 24, 2025
It took me so long to read this book because I kept putting it down to go work on the garden! Motivating and beautiful and metaphorical in lovely ways
December 17, 2024
Wonderful!
May 12, 2025
This book has easily become my favorite book that I’ve ever read! Andrea does a beautiful job of relating the everyday moments of gardening to the Christian walk. I love how the book is divided into four seasons and how the book starts in the winter and ends with the harvest. I picked up this book to read in a winter season of my life, and it has been healing to my heart! Even if you don’t enjoy gardening, you will still enjoy this book! Can’t wait to reread this one.
March 23, 2025
I loved this. I love anything that sweetly intertwines gardening into daily rhythms and the Christian walk and the changing of the seasons. This is a beautiful, lyrical but also practical book that allows for reflection and pause in the mixing of poetry and prose. Also, the cover art is so perfect!
September 17, 2024
“And God formed the man out of dust from the ground…” - Genesis 2:7
My heart was filled with so many emotions throughout this book because it was simply beautiful!
Honestly, I’m not sure why I picked up A Bit of Earth: A Year In the Garden With God since I’m not a gardener, so I was surprised that I really loved it and would like to get a physical copy for myself and the garden enthusiasts in my life.
As I read this, I felt God also working in the garden of my heart, and I was reminded of how He is so faithful to us throughout the seasons of our lives.
This little book is made up of a garden of wide variety: poetry, prayers, scripture, reflections, stories, gardening advice, and recipes. The author uses these elements to paint a vivid picture of the quiet stillness of winter, the way the world blooms in spring, the vivaciousness and abundance of summer, and the crispness of autumn - all captured in her garden. Therefore, I would recommend that you read it slowly and savour it instead of reading it quickly (which is a mistake I made).
In the end, I’m so grateful I picked up this book (despite not being a gardener!). It’s the kind of book where you want to underline every sentence. Plus I learned a bit about gardening.
Also, the cover is gorgeous and I’m tempted to start a garden.
Release date: 31 July 2024
Song: For the Beauty of the Earth
Verse: Genesis 2:7-9
***thank you NetGalley and Lexham Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My heart was filled with so many emotions throughout this book because it was simply beautiful!
Honestly, I’m not sure why I picked up A Bit of Earth: A Year In the Garden With God since I’m not a gardener, so I was surprised that I really loved it and would like to get a physical copy for myself and the garden enthusiasts in my life.
As I read this, I felt God also working in the garden of my heart, and I was reminded of how He is so faithful to us throughout the seasons of our lives.
This little book is made up of a garden of wide variety: poetry, prayers, scripture, reflections, stories, gardening advice, and recipes. The author uses these elements to paint a vivid picture of the quiet stillness of winter, the way the world blooms in spring, the vivaciousness and abundance of summer, and the crispness of autumn - all captured in her garden. Therefore, I would recommend that you read it slowly and savour it instead of reading it quickly (which is a mistake I made).
In the end, I’m so grateful I picked up this book (despite not being a gardener!). It’s the kind of book where you want to underline every sentence. Plus I learned a bit about gardening.
Also, the cover is gorgeous and I’m tempted to start a garden.
Release date: 31 July 2024
Song: For the Beauty of the Earth
Verse: Genesis 2:7-9
***thank you NetGalley and Lexham Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2024
Part gardening guide, part devotional. This was a poetic expression of the joy of creation. It was divided by season and included poems and prayers. This would be the perfect gift for the Christian gardener in your life!
June 17, 2024
A must read for the Christian who needs to stop and smell the roses.
"Creation is established and moves in a certain cadence of hope mixed with longing, repeating itself over and over again.”
The Creator designed a seasonal world. As the wise King Solomon reminds us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Eccl 3:1). Andrea Burke urges the reader to reflect on the seasonal nature of both the garden and our spiritual lives. I am not a gardener; I don’t even have a place to garden in our two bedroom apartment. But I felt myself drawn into Burke’s garden, enjoying both her practical agriculture tips and extension of the garden to our spiritual lives. This of course is very Biblical. We began in a garden, and the entire Bible is rife with farming metaphors. It seems the most apt place to draw wisdom.
Burke’s writing transports the reader, placing them among the blossoming flowers and vegetables. Part prayer book, the author shares reflections before the Lord on each chapter and occasionally urges independent study of scripture or moments for reflection.
The book is divided by season. Burke opens in winter, a time of rest. God himself rested on the seventh day. Winter is the natural time for the garden to rest, why not the gardener as well.
"I will turn down the volume on the world that tells me rest is for the weak. In fact, it’s true. Rest is for the weak and we are all desperately so, and when we can finally admit that to one another, maybe we’ll all be free.”
Winter, though, is not a time when nothing is happening. Winter vegetables, like garlic, are growing roots:
"[Garlic] works only because it grew roots and rested. If only we could learn these same rhythms. Root, rest, grow. To the young mother who hasn’t slept, the tired pastor faithfully preaching each Sunday, the struggling husband or wife who has lost hope in their marriage, the college student who feels overwhelmed, the doubter, the weary, the wrestling one- resist the urge to present a perfect outward image and instead, go deep. Grow roots and rest. Cease your striving to produce something it is simply not time for. The cold is not the end; it’s just the way through. Dormancy is not the same as death. It’s okay to breathe. Light a candle and hold on.”
Being brought to tears by garlic metaphors was not on my 2024 bucket list, but it happened nonetheless. Garlic gives us permission to cease our striving and simply know God. Not every season is one of growth. Without rest, fields fail. The Lord knows this, it’s why a Sabbath rest is prescribed for the land in Leviticus 25. Even the ground needs rest. Why should we, creation just the same, neglect this wisdom.
Burke is a self admitted melancholy and nostalgic, a crime I am guilty of as well. But this gifting allows her to draw out the emotions of the garden, a longing for what could have been or never was, as well as a deep appreciation for the harvest. She reminds the reader that Christianity is a religion both of death, and of resurrection.
"That crushed dream, lost hope, imagined life plan that never came to fruition? Grieve. Take a deep breath. And then clear the beds. It’s time for something new.”
While much of the book encourages this melancholic reflection, it is not devoid of action. No one works harder than the farmer. Our Christian life is like this as well- there must be service. There are back-breaking days in the scorching summer heat. Sometimes these days are fruitless- the crops die, the bugs overtake, the weeds win. But some days there is harvest. And this makes the work worth it.
Readers will do well to accept this wisdom, to work hard in season, to rest out of season, to depend on the Lord for the harvest. Gardening novices such as myself will be surprised to learn all of the elements that go into a successful garden. It is much more than plant, water, and harvest. I certainly recommend this book for an aspiring gardener, if only so they know what they’re getting into. And surely those with gardens of their own will laugh along with the anecdotes, knowing all too well the pain, joy, and toil.
"I don’t know what this winter holds for us. I don’t know how many gardens I have left. Perhaps it is fifty more. Maybe it’s none. But I’m going to keep planting sequoias, singing songs with the old farmers, and working the ground until the Lord calls me home. The katydids are singing; it’s time to get ready for bed.”
This quick but challenging book urges the reader to reflect on the garden, both the one in their backyard and the one the Lord has planted in their heart.
Thank you Lexham Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
"Creation is established and moves in a certain cadence of hope mixed with longing, repeating itself over and over again.”
The Creator designed a seasonal world. As the wise King Solomon reminds us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Eccl 3:1). Andrea Burke urges the reader to reflect on the seasonal nature of both the garden and our spiritual lives. I am not a gardener; I don’t even have a place to garden in our two bedroom apartment. But I felt myself drawn into Burke’s garden, enjoying both her practical agriculture tips and extension of the garden to our spiritual lives. This of course is very Biblical. We began in a garden, and the entire Bible is rife with farming metaphors. It seems the most apt place to draw wisdom.
Burke’s writing transports the reader, placing them among the blossoming flowers and vegetables. Part prayer book, the author shares reflections before the Lord on each chapter and occasionally urges independent study of scripture or moments for reflection.
The book is divided by season. Burke opens in winter, a time of rest. God himself rested on the seventh day. Winter is the natural time for the garden to rest, why not the gardener as well.
"I will turn down the volume on the world that tells me rest is for the weak. In fact, it’s true. Rest is for the weak and we are all desperately so, and when we can finally admit that to one another, maybe we’ll all be free.”
Winter, though, is not a time when nothing is happening. Winter vegetables, like garlic, are growing roots:
"[Garlic] works only because it grew roots and rested. If only we could learn these same rhythms. Root, rest, grow. To the young mother who hasn’t slept, the tired pastor faithfully preaching each Sunday, the struggling husband or wife who has lost hope in their marriage, the college student who feels overwhelmed, the doubter, the weary, the wrestling one- resist the urge to present a perfect outward image and instead, go deep. Grow roots and rest. Cease your striving to produce something it is simply not time for. The cold is not the end; it’s just the way through. Dormancy is not the same as death. It’s okay to breathe. Light a candle and hold on.”
Being brought to tears by garlic metaphors was not on my 2024 bucket list, but it happened nonetheless. Garlic gives us permission to cease our striving and simply know God. Not every season is one of growth. Without rest, fields fail. The Lord knows this, it’s why a Sabbath rest is prescribed for the land in Leviticus 25. Even the ground needs rest. Why should we, creation just the same, neglect this wisdom.
Burke is a self admitted melancholy and nostalgic, a crime I am guilty of as well. But this gifting allows her to draw out the emotions of the garden, a longing for what could have been or never was, as well as a deep appreciation for the harvest. She reminds the reader that Christianity is a religion both of death, and of resurrection.
"That crushed dream, lost hope, imagined life plan that never came to fruition? Grieve. Take a deep breath. And then clear the beds. It’s time for something new.”
While much of the book encourages this melancholic reflection, it is not devoid of action. No one works harder than the farmer. Our Christian life is like this as well- there must be service. There are back-breaking days in the scorching summer heat. Sometimes these days are fruitless- the crops die, the bugs overtake, the weeds win. But some days there is harvest. And this makes the work worth it.
Readers will do well to accept this wisdom, to work hard in season, to rest out of season, to depend on the Lord for the harvest. Gardening novices such as myself will be surprised to learn all of the elements that go into a successful garden. It is much more than plant, water, and harvest. I certainly recommend this book for an aspiring gardener, if only so they know what they’re getting into. And surely those with gardens of their own will laugh along with the anecdotes, knowing all too well the pain, joy, and toil.
"I don’t know what this winter holds for us. I don’t know how many gardens I have left. Perhaps it is fifty more. Maybe it’s none. But I’m going to keep planting sequoias, singing songs with the old farmers, and working the ground until the Lord calls me home. The katydids are singing; it’s time to get ready for bed.”
This quick but challenging book urges the reader to reflect on the garden, both the one in their backyard and the one the Lord has planted in their heart.
Thank you Lexham Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
November 13, 2024
Andrea Burke has lived the gardening life as well, so I read A Bit of Earth with a feeling of collegiality, a deep understanding of someone who has planted garlic in the fall and, feeling a kinship with the small cloves buried under earth and leaves, has asked herself, “How will it survive the winter? I barely do.”
She writes about Mud Season and reminds me to cultivate the days of muck boots and slow slogging by “letting the churn of mud slow [me] down enough so [I] can see who God actually is and where on earth he actually has [me].”
She recounts the blessings of hard work, the benefits the uninitiated chalk up to luck, but gardeners know require bent-over hours in the tasks of planting and tending.
The forty-nine inspirational readings are divided by season and include insights both poetical and practical:
As you plan what seeds you’ll plant this spring, consider also the growth you want to see in your life.
Learn the names of the weeds you’re fighting in the garden and, likewise, identify the sins you’re fighting in your life. Call them by name and uproot them ruthlessly.
Harvest the fruit of your labor with joy, all the while praying for a fruitful life: “Please let there be something to harvest in the end.”
For seasoned gardeners or for the curious about cultivation, Burke’s winsome words will encourage and motivate those who feel the call to tend their own “bit of earth” while being more intentional about cultivating the soil of their h
She writes about Mud Season and reminds me to cultivate the days of muck boots and slow slogging by “letting the churn of mud slow [me] down enough so [I] can see who God actually is and where on earth he actually has [me].”
She recounts the blessings of hard work, the benefits the uninitiated chalk up to luck, but gardeners know require bent-over hours in the tasks of planting and tending.
The forty-nine inspirational readings are divided by season and include insights both poetical and practical:
As you plan what seeds you’ll plant this spring, consider also the growth you want to see in your life.
Learn the names of the weeds you’re fighting in the garden and, likewise, identify the sins you’re fighting in your life. Call them by name and uproot them ruthlessly.
Harvest the fruit of your labor with joy, all the while praying for a fruitful life: “Please let there be something to harvest in the end.”
For seasoned gardeners or for the curious about cultivation, Burke’s winsome words will encourage and motivate those who feel the call to tend their own “bit of earth” while being more intentional about cultivating the soil of their h
July 5, 2024
This book was a joy to read. Andrea beautifully compares life, ordinary every day and our spiritual walks to the garden. This book can be read daily like a devotional, or as an ordinary book read. It could also be read according to the seasons. I read straight through, mainly because I couldn’t put it down. She is a beautiful writer, and this is an easy read for anyone who might pick it up (gardener or not). It’s vulnerable, humble, inspiring, comforting, and uplifting. You don’t have to be a gardener to read this book, but if you aren’t a gardener yet, I can guarantee that after reading this book — you will become one!
August 13, 2024
A Bit of Earth: A Year in the Garden with God is a beautifully written book, combining practical gardening advice with life lessons gleaned from tending a garden and observing the seasons.
Sprinkled with scripture, hymns, poems, and prayers, the author imparts insights and words of wisdom.
This is a book to return to year after year.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Net Galley. A positive review was not required and the opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Sprinkled with scripture, hymns, poems, and prayers, the author imparts insights and words of wisdom.
This is a book to return to year after year.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Net Galley. A positive review was not required and the opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
December 28, 2025
My heart was so encouraged and strengthened through this book. Andrea is an avid gardener, but it's not the garden she's focused on--it's on the ways the garden reveals more to her about the Lord through His creation and seasons. Written season-to-season, each chapter is raw, honest, full of beautiful prose and poetry, and ends with a 'Cultivate' section--meant to help you cultivate your own garden, and even more so, your walk with the Lord. I've been inspired in many ways through this book and plan to revisit it throughout the upcoming year.
July 13, 2024
Andrea Burke brings the wisdom of her own humble gardening experiences and combines them with what God has inspired her about faith and life. The good, the bad, and the weeds that hold us back. The rhythm of the book also reflects the rhythm of the seasons. It
was so enjoyable to read!
You don’t need to have a garden or even know how to garden when you read this book because she makes everything feel so relatable. (But you may end up wanting a garden when you’re done with this book!)
was so enjoyable to read!
You don’t need to have a garden or even know how to garden when you read this book because she makes everything feel so relatable. (But you may end up wanting a garden when you’re done with this book!)
July 28, 2025
I savored and appreciated this glimpse into a gardener’s life. Her parallels between nature and faith always struck a chord. I sometimes wished for more direct references to Scripture, but her informal, poetic format and personal musings were a joy to read. I will re-read for sure. And maybe try gardening!
February 9, 2025
Andrea captures the holy work of planting and trusting God for growth, Not only in the dirt but most of all in our hearts and lives ! In faith and hope we rely on his goodness to provide. Thankyou for this reminder to wait in expectant hope❣️🙌🏼
January 26, 2025
One of the most beautiful books I’ve read on the Christian life - pulling from both garden imagery and scripture . Highly recommend. Will be reading this again and again.
February 10, 2025
Might be one of the best books I read all year. Planning to read again with the season. So many beautiful metaphors to ponder and carry. Not pretentious or overly preachy. Just right.
June 18, 2025
Loved, loved, loved. Beautiful writing and reflections that really ministered to me!
March 28, 2025
Spent time with this book over the past year and it is just a delight. It’s a devotional that’s broken up by season and gives gardening tips as well as musings on the correlations between gardening and faith.
My favorite from the spring section: “Lord, why do I forget? You have written your plan for making all things new right onto the cellular design of every living thing in creation. You have been shouting this to us every spring, when we see the earth made new. When we see dead things come to life. Your creation has been waiting to celebrate. Your creation groans with expectation. ‘Can’t you see? He will make all things new. He will do it again.’” 🥹😭
My favorite from the spring section: “Lord, why do I forget? You have written your plan for making all things new right onto the cellular design of every living thing in creation. You have been shouting this to us every spring, when we see the earth made new. When we see dead things come to life. Your creation has been waiting to celebrate. Your creation groans with expectation. ‘Can’t you see? He will make all things new. He will do it again.’” 🥹😭
August 17, 2024
Scripture Connection
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot…”
Ecc. 3:1-2
This passage is doubly fitting. It emphasizes times and seasons, and each devotional corresponds to a specific time of year. Plus, the references to planting and uprooting, in verse two, are perfect for a book on gardening.
What to Expect
At forty nine chapters, the devotional is designed to span a year, with roughly one chapter per week. Chapters span a gardening year, and the book is divided into four sections, corresponding to the seasons. Each entry starts with an epigraph, followed by body content that derives a spiritual principle from tending the earth. Chapters often draw on poetry or hymns, while offering Scriptural precedence for the tenets discussed.
Each entry ends with a “Cultivate” section, which offers a concrete task for the week. Readers are invited to plan for or work in the garden, while praying about the
Impressions
I first started reading this book immediately after I stopped reading an environmental book that promoted false teaching. I care deeply about stewardship, but I was disappointed with the way that “Christian” environmental books often turn aside from truth in support of the LGBTQ agenda.
I say this by way of preface: After the negative experience with the environmental title, I felt immediately refreshed by Burke’s writing. She emphasizes close relationship with God (I felt that the other title presented a distant God) and consistently appeals to the truth in Scripture.
Burke’s writing gravitates toward the solemn, and a lot of the messages are on the serious side. (She references, in one entry, her appreciation for the book of Ecclesiastes). While I am more inclined to gravitate toward lighter reading, I do appreciate Burke’s consistent emphasis on our complete reliance on God. Really, John 15:1 (I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener) would also be a very fitting “Scripture Connection,” above. Devotionals are a call to surrender to the work of the Gardener, to open our hearts and lives to Him. And, because each week’s entry is written with a specific time frame in mind (passages in the winter section describe the barrenness of the garden; passages about endurance accompany the robust growing season), entries bear a specific correspondence to what is going on outside. I do really like that Burke not only draws upon the parallels, but also relays them in a timely way—engaging with things the reader is likely experiencing.
Certain references imply that Burke, herself, was writing these sections at the time of the year for which they are intended. Even if they were written after the fact, I believe Burke keeps her own gardening journals, contributing to her very personal reflections. She writes not as an outsider, but as an insider.
My mom and I are cultivating a young, suburban food forest / wild life sanctuary. Although my mom is the one who plans the garden (I so appreciate the results, but visualizing overwhelms me… possible autistic trait), I do enjoy planning other things– and planners– so I liked reading Burke’s tangible suggestions for planning the garden. These suggestions follow the chronology of the book, so I think the guidelines would be very helpful for someone who is planning and cultivating.
I just realized… the book is 49 chapters, which is a significant biblical/Jewish number (the length of the cycle of Jubilee, for instance).
Favorite Passage
One of my favorite devotionals is #27, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.” The chapter makes an unexpected comparison, phrasing contentment in terms of boundaries. And it offers a solid Scriptural reminder for day-to-day life.
“When I don’t get answers to all of my prayers, when my hopes wither away, when the answer is ‘no’ or ‘not right now’ — the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.”
p. 140
“When I feel trellised, tied, knotted, held back, fenced in, hemmed in, limited, or kept out– the boundaries are not a punishment but a careful hand of the Good Shepherd.”
p. 140
Isn’t that beautiful?
Content Notes
Just one that I can recall– a use of “L—, have mercy.” It may have been prayerful; I wasn’t sure one way or the other.
Respectful Discussion
Burke emphasizes hard work and meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of the garden, including when it comes to weeding and pest management. Although I didn’t agree with all of Burke’s gardening advice (nor am I a traditional gardener) I did appreciate many of her applications. For instance, she emphasizes the importance of getting rid of all the weeds in the garden, and allowing God to do the same in our lives. These strict rules may be overwhelming for readers who are unable to maintain these gardening standards, but Burke is candid about her own experiences and moments where she feels she’s fallen short. Throughout the book, she emphasizes the importance of working with diligence, even in the small things, while also acknowledging that there are going to be unexpected circumstances beyond our control.
This is part of the reason that the spiritual comparisons are so effective: when it comes to the gardens of our hearts, we’re able to surrender control to the Gardener, inviting Him into the work of weeding and pest control. While we can’t get rid of all the pests in our spaces, He can. And, in our work in our physical landscapes, we can cry out to Him for the physical and emotional endurance to carry on.
Recommendation Status
A Bit of Earth is about getting down in the dirt with God: in our physical gardens, and in the spiritual “garden” of our souls. Much of the reading is on the solemn side (moreso than my usual devotional fare), but I so appreciate the continual directive to turn to, and rely upon, God.
This chronological journey through the gardening year is recommended for readers who are tending their own “bits of earth.”
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot…”
Ecc. 3:1-2
This passage is doubly fitting. It emphasizes times and seasons, and each devotional corresponds to a specific time of year. Plus, the references to planting and uprooting, in verse two, are perfect for a book on gardening.
What to Expect
At forty nine chapters, the devotional is designed to span a year, with roughly one chapter per week. Chapters span a gardening year, and the book is divided into four sections, corresponding to the seasons. Each entry starts with an epigraph, followed by body content that derives a spiritual principle from tending the earth. Chapters often draw on poetry or hymns, while offering Scriptural precedence for the tenets discussed.
Each entry ends with a “Cultivate” section, which offers a concrete task for the week. Readers are invited to plan for or work in the garden, while praying about the
Impressions
I first started reading this book immediately after I stopped reading an environmental book that promoted false teaching. I care deeply about stewardship, but I was disappointed with the way that “Christian” environmental books often turn aside from truth in support of the LGBTQ agenda.
I say this by way of preface: After the negative experience with the environmental title, I felt immediately refreshed by Burke’s writing. She emphasizes close relationship with God (I felt that the other title presented a distant God) and consistently appeals to the truth in Scripture.
Burke’s writing gravitates toward the solemn, and a lot of the messages are on the serious side. (She references, in one entry, her appreciation for the book of Ecclesiastes). While I am more inclined to gravitate toward lighter reading, I do appreciate Burke’s consistent emphasis on our complete reliance on God. Really, John 15:1 (I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener) would also be a very fitting “Scripture Connection,” above. Devotionals are a call to surrender to the work of the Gardener, to open our hearts and lives to Him. And, because each week’s entry is written with a specific time frame in mind (passages in the winter section describe the barrenness of the garden; passages about endurance accompany the robust growing season), entries bear a specific correspondence to what is going on outside. I do really like that Burke not only draws upon the parallels, but also relays them in a timely way—engaging with things the reader is likely experiencing.
Certain references imply that Burke, herself, was writing these sections at the time of the year for which they are intended. Even if they were written after the fact, I believe Burke keeps her own gardening journals, contributing to her very personal reflections. She writes not as an outsider, but as an insider.
My mom and I are cultivating a young, suburban food forest / wild life sanctuary. Although my mom is the one who plans the garden (I so appreciate the results, but visualizing overwhelms me… possible autistic trait), I do enjoy planning other things– and planners– so I liked reading Burke’s tangible suggestions for planning the garden. These suggestions follow the chronology of the book, so I think the guidelines would be very helpful for someone who is planning and cultivating.
I just realized… the book is 49 chapters, which is a significant biblical/Jewish number (the length of the cycle of Jubilee, for instance).
Favorite Passage
One of my favorite devotionals is #27, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.” The chapter makes an unexpected comparison, phrasing contentment in terms of boundaries. And it offers a solid Scriptural reminder for day-to-day life.
“When I don’t get answers to all of my prayers, when my hopes wither away, when the answer is ‘no’ or ‘not right now’ — the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.”
p. 140
“When I feel trellised, tied, knotted, held back, fenced in, hemmed in, limited, or kept out– the boundaries are not a punishment but a careful hand of the Good Shepherd.”
p. 140
Isn’t that beautiful?
Content Notes
Just one that I can recall– a use of “L—, have mercy.” It may have been prayerful; I wasn’t sure one way or the other.
Respectful Discussion
Burke emphasizes hard work and meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of the garden, including when it comes to weeding and pest management. Although I didn’t agree with all of Burke’s gardening advice (nor am I a traditional gardener) I did appreciate many of her applications. For instance, she emphasizes the importance of getting rid of all the weeds in the garden, and allowing God to do the same in our lives. These strict rules may be overwhelming for readers who are unable to maintain these gardening standards, but Burke is candid about her own experiences and moments where she feels she’s fallen short. Throughout the book, she emphasizes the importance of working with diligence, even in the small things, while also acknowledging that there are going to be unexpected circumstances beyond our control.
This is part of the reason that the spiritual comparisons are so effective: when it comes to the gardens of our hearts, we’re able to surrender control to the Gardener, inviting Him into the work of weeding and pest control. While we can’t get rid of all the pests in our spaces, He can. And, in our work in our physical landscapes, we can cry out to Him for the physical and emotional endurance to carry on.
Recommendation Status
A Bit of Earth is about getting down in the dirt with God: in our physical gardens, and in the spiritual “garden” of our souls. Much of the reading is on the solemn side (moreso than my usual devotional fare), but I so appreciate the continual directive to turn to, and rely upon, God.
This chronological journey through the gardening year is recommended for readers who are tending their own “bits of earth.”
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.
November 29, 2025
The structure of this book is where its genius lies, I found it illuminating and delightful. I feel like I could read this book at multiple points in my life and glean from different insights. Read for rich descriptions of the bountiful world and its overlap with daily Christian life. The world speaks, and Burke names what it teaches.
June 2, 2025
In A Bit of Earth, Andrea Burke looks at the seasons and common rhythms of gardening through a spiritual lens. Part gardening book, part memoir and part devotional, it intentionally intertwines the perseverance, patience and joyful moments in the life of a garden. This book is a resource of scripture and prose on the life of faith for contemplatives, gardeners, and believers.
It points us to the Master Gardener; God walks in the garden at the cool of the day. The Lord is with us when we dream about what plants to grow and when we procrastinate weeding and deadheading. He is with us when we give Him thanks for the results of our labors and is with us when we are in despair, praying for rain and a harvest. Our gardens see all our emotions.
Whether you’re new to gardening or are known as having a green thumb, you can learn something of how better to garden and cultivate the soil of your heart through A Bit of Earth.
Andrea Burke graciously welcomes us into her garden so that we can almost smell the earthy fragrance of dirt, feel the anticipation of waiting for growth, the frustrating battle against weeds and bugs, and the fruits of our labors, whether they be food to nourish our bodies or nourish our souls.
Andrea's poetic reflections on the gospel through the lens of gardening are breathtaking. Her writing style invites readers to slow down and become more observant and appreciative. If you are a gardener, you will relate, if you have never planted anything you will want to start, and all of us will be compelled to learn and rest in the Master Gardner.
EXCERPTS
“All seeds start in the dark, most of them not even needing light to germinate. The seed senses gravity and direction to grow; the perfect balance of moisture and nutrients and time dance together in the symphony of the dark, signaling the seed to grow. Like our DNA, how tall it will grow, the color of its bloom, the bend of its stem – it’s all there. God sees the smallest seed of faith in me – this conviction, this love, this desire for more of Him. The ability to see where He wants me to go or do deep in my soul. Often when we emerge from the dark, we see that the darkness was necessary. The Lord does His best work in the dark. Before there was light God said: “I AM.” Before the resurrection, He was. Before there was any life, He was. In the darkness of each womb, the Lord was. Hope begins in the dark.
There is a relief that come following a summer shower. Grass bounces back even greener, the sky becomes a spectacular display of color and rain drips from each planting like something from a Disney movie. The birds sing and hop about the yard in cartoon-like fashion, splashing in the birdbath and fluttering about amidst the sunflowers in song. In a Hallelujah chorus, all creation praises the God who sustains them. Even the worms and frogs appear to give Him praise.
The heat suffocates the joy out of most flowers until they are wimpy mimics of what they were. But there is nothing in God’s redemptive creation that doesn’t produce fruitfulness somehow. This is His Holy economy where, in beds of cracked and parched soil, there are somethings that are abundantly happy: bougainvillea, succulents and tricolor schefflera stand proudly and joyfully. John Newton’s views of suffering come to mind: “Some Christians are called to endure a disproportionate amount of suffering. Such are a spectacle of grace to the church, like flaming bushes unconsumed and cause us to ask, like Moses: ‘Why is this bush not burned up?’ The strength and stability of these believers can be explained only by the miracle of God’s sustaining grace. The God who sustains them, in unceasing pain, is the same God who sustains me in my smaller sufferings. “
It points us to the Master Gardener; God walks in the garden at the cool of the day. The Lord is with us when we dream about what plants to grow and when we procrastinate weeding and deadheading. He is with us when we give Him thanks for the results of our labors and is with us when we are in despair, praying for rain and a harvest. Our gardens see all our emotions.
Whether you’re new to gardening or are known as having a green thumb, you can learn something of how better to garden and cultivate the soil of your heart through A Bit of Earth.
Andrea Burke graciously welcomes us into her garden so that we can almost smell the earthy fragrance of dirt, feel the anticipation of waiting for growth, the frustrating battle against weeds and bugs, and the fruits of our labors, whether they be food to nourish our bodies or nourish our souls.
Andrea's poetic reflections on the gospel through the lens of gardening are breathtaking. Her writing style invites readers to slow down and become more observant and appreciative. If you are a gardener, you will relate, if you have never planted anything you will want to start, and all of us will be compelled to learn and rest in the Master Gardner.
EXCERPTS
“All seeds start in the dark, most of them not even needing light to germinate. The seed senses gravity and direction to grow; the perfect balance of moisture and nutrients and time dance together in the symphony of the dark, signaling the seed to grow. Like our DNA, how tall it will grow, the color of its bloom, the bend of its stem – it’s all there. God sees the smallest seed of faith in me – this conviction, this love, this desire for more of Him. The ability to see where He wants me to go or do deep in my soul. Often when we emerge from the dark, we see that the darkness was necessary. The Lord does His best work in the dark. Before there was light God said: “I AM.” Before the resurrection, He was. Before there was any life, He was. In the darkness of each womb, the Lord was. Hope begins in the dark.
There is a relief that come following a summer shower. Grass bounces back even greener, the sky becomes a spectacular display of color and rain drips from each planting like something from a Disney movie. The birds sing and hop about the yard in cartoon-like fashion, splashing in the birdbath and fluttering about amidst the sunflowers in song. In a Hallelujah chorus, all creation praises the God who sustains them. Even the worms and frogs appear to give Him praise.
The heat suffocates the joy out of most flowers until they are wimpy mimics of what they were. But there is nothing in God’s redemptive creation that doesn’t produce fruitfulness somehow. This is His Holy economy where, in beds of cracked and parched soil, there are somethings that are abundantly happy: bougainvillea, succulents and tricolor schefflera stand proudly and joyfully. John Newton’s views of suffering come to mind: “Some Christians are called to endure a disproportionate amount of suffering. Such are a spectacle of grace to the church, like flaming bushes unconsumed and cause us to ask, like Moses: ‘Why is this bush not burned up?’ The strength and stability of these believers can be explained only by the miracle of God’s sustaining grace. The God who sustains them, in unceasing pain, is the same God who sustains me in my smaller sufferings. “
December 23, 2024
This book moved me to tears several times. Beautiful and poetic. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys gardening of any type or being out in nature. It was a sweet reminder of God's goodness throughout the seasons of our life.
In the thinning season of my own life, I can almost feel the breath of the Gardener on my face. He pulls gently at what must be moved. He relocates that which I hoped would stay. He tosses those things which do not help. He pulls gently at the tender root systems, untangling them from what will remain. He is slow. Gentle. Patient. Careful. This is the work he does through his word: removing, dividing, and piercing to the roots. This is the work of the Spirit, who does the sanctifying work of knowing what belongs, where it belongs, when it stays, and when it's time to pull it away before it takes full root.
Lord, make us relentless. Give us the energy to pull at the surface to see what's connected. To rid ourselves of hidden networks of sin that seek to steal, kill, and destroy. Give us the fortitude, the time, the heart, the sharp tools to dig beneath the surface to get to the healthy in order to uproot what is sick and deadly.
This is the reminder as I walk these beds and look at all of the things that I was unable to do well--a dichotomy of failure and faithfulness. All of the failed crops, failed blooms, failed harvests. And yet, look at all that was good. Failures aren't the final summation of this work, even if failure is all I have to show. Because next year, I am less likely to fail in these things, at least, not in the same way. Next year, the garden will grow differently. This year, the garden grew, I learned, and I failed, and somehow the end is still sweet. This is the common grace of God, right here in these garden paths.
In the thinning season of my own life, I can almost feel the breath of the Gardener on my face. He pulls gently at what must be moved. He relocates that which I hoped would stay. He tosses those things which do not help. He pulls gently at the tender root systems, untangling them from what will remain. He is slow. Gentle. Patient. Careful. This is the work he does through his word: removing, dividing, and piercing to the roots. This is the work of the Spirit, who does the sanctifying work of knowing what belongs, where it belongs, when it stays, and when it's time to pull it away before it takes full root.
Lord, make us relentless. Give us the energy to pull at the surface to see what's connected. To rid ourselves of hidden networks of sin that seek to steal, kill, and destroy. Give us the fortitude, the time, the heart, the sharp tools to dig beneath the surface to get to the healthy in order to uproot what is sick and deadly.
This is the reminder as I walk these beds and look at all of the things that I was unable to do well--a dichotomy of failure and faithfulness. All of the failed crops, failed blooms, failed harvests. And yet, look at all that was good. Failures aren't the final summation of this work, even if failure is all I have to show. Because next year, I am less likely to fail in these things, at least, not in the same way. Next year, the garden will grow differently. This year, the garden grew, I learned, and I failed, and somehow the end is still sweet. This is the common grace of God, right here in these garden paths.
July 31, 2024
I have loved every moment of reading A Bit of Earth! Each chapter has been a delight to experience and meditate on. The wisdom Andrea has shared in her writing has been a joy to unpack for my own spiritual journey through gardening.
I have honestly never finished a book that has been formatted devotionally. I usually start off reading a chapter a day and then lose steam and move on to something else. This book has been an inspiration to me each day and has left me curious and excited to absorb more! The seasonal themes throughout A Bit Of Earth have connected me to an awareness of my experiences of seasonal change in my own walk with the Lord. I love how each chapter, through beautiful language, relatable personal stories, scripture, and poetry, have deepened my love for my Heavenly Father and renewed a sense of wonder in my heart for God's work in nature. I have finished and will definitely be giving this gem a periodic re-read!
It is truly not required for you to be a gardener to enjoy the beauty of this book, but once you begin reading, know that you will be itching to try your hand at sowing and tending some small patch of flowers or vegetables. For the beginner like me, just starting to wade into the waters of backyard hobby gardening, there are so many practical bits of helpful information for a year of learning to grow things! From zinnias and tomatoes, to patience and persevering hope, these words have helped me to learn and grow much.
I was given a free advanced copy of this book but in no way required to give a positive review. It has been a privilege to share my excitement for A Bit Of Earth!
I have honestly never finished a book that has been formatted devotionally. I usually start off reading a chapter a day and then lose steam and move on to something else. This book has been an inspiration to me each day and has left me curious and excited to absorb more! The seasonal themes throughout A Bit Of Earth have connected me to an awareness of my experiences of seasonal change in my own walk with the Lord. I love how each chapter, through beautiful language, relatable personal stories, scripture, and poetry, have deepened my love for my Heavenly Father and renewed a sense of wonder in my heart for God's work in nature. I have finished and will definitely be giving this gem a periodic re-read!
It is truly not required for you to be a gardener to enjoy the beauty of this book, but once you begin reading, know that you will be itching to try your hand at sowing and tending some small patch of flowers or vegetables. For the beginner like me, just starting to wade into the waters of backyard hobby gardening, there are so many practical bits of helpful information for a year of learning to grow things! From zinnias and tomatoes, to patience and persevering hope, these words have helped me to learn and grow much.
I was given a free advanced copy of this book but in no way required to give a positive review. It has been a privilege to share my excitement for A Bit Of Earth!
September 5, 2024
Andrea G. Burke's A Bit Of Earth is an absolute gem. In fact, I loved the book so much that I purchased a copy on Amazon. Although I am not a gardener, the words within the pages of this book spoke to me on a very personal level and I knew I needed a physical copy to take notes in and highlight. It is divided into four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Seasons speak not only to what grows within the garden, but also to what is gradually coming to an end. God's goodness is evident at all times, even in the midst of heartbreak. Throughout the book, Burke shares many personal stories to illustrate God's goodness, faithfulness, and steadfastness. All of this is woven into the seasons and gardening. Burke's writings reveal her passion for outdoor living and gardening and a great deal of knowledge about the subject. My original intention was to use this book as a devotional, but I found myself reading it all the way through. I plan to read it again slowly and meditate more on the prayers and scriptures throughout. I encourage anyone to get this book and spend a year in the garden with God.
July 16, 2024
A Bit of Earth, A Year in the Garden with God is a devotional by Andrea G. Burke. I enjoy gardening so I found this to be not only an enlightening read but also an inspiring one. I do think that gardeners, whether recreational or more, would enjoy this book. Perhaps you like vegetables and flowers but don’t necessarily grow them, you could enjoy this devotional too. I found it easy to read then to relate to for your daily life.
It is listed as part memoir and part prayer book which it is but it is also part pointing you to see God’s hand in your daily life. Such as the two-day devotion about weeds. Yes, we are often reminded that sin is like the weeds that need to be taken out of our lives, but this devotional pointed out something I had never thought of before. Weeds take the space and nutrients needed for the plants that were sown, so does sin take the time and resources from our lives that could be better spent. As I was pulling weeds today, I thought again about that concept. Deep thoughts for weed pulling. So this book is profitable not just for gardeners but for us all.
It is listed as part memoir and part prayer book which it is but it is also part pointing you to see God’s hand in your daily life. Such as the two-day devotion about weeds. Yes, we are often reminded that sin is like the weeds that need to be taken out of our lives, but this devotional pointed out something I had never thought of before. Weeds take the space and nutrients needed for the plants that were sown, so does sin take the time and resources from our lives that could be better spent. As I was pulling weeds today, I thought again about that concept. Deep thoughts for weed pulling. So this book is profitable not just for gardeners but for us all.
August 3, 2024
This is such an interesting book. I haven’t read one like it. There are personal stories, gardening advice, spiritual connections, scripture references, prayers and poems. That sounds like a lot, but it is woven together beautifully. It feels like you’re talking with a wise mentor or friend. You start by talking about your normal, everyday life and then she helps you make the connection to your spiritual life and what living for Christ really looks like.
It is written like a devotional so you can read small sections at a time and take the time to reflect and pray and/or plan. I already have several pages marked to go back and read again- some prayers or just encouraging words, but also gardening tips! Oh and a recipe that I can’t wait to try.
I am planning to go back and read it in the appropriate season to prepare my garden for next year!
I was given this book for free but in no way required to give a positive review
It is written like a devotional so you can read small sections at a time and take the time to reflect and pray and/or plan. I already have several pages marked to go back and read again- some prayers or just encouraging words, but also gardening tips! Oh and a recipe that I can’t wait to try.
I am planning to go back and read it in the appropriate season to prepare my garden for next year!
I was given this book for free but in no way required to give a positive review
August 1, 2024
I loved this book.
I didn’t know how much I needed this book this summer. this book has invited me to stop, plant, rest and wait.
I have a tiny little garden box that I’ve been pulling weeds from and cultivating herbs, tomatoes and more zucchini than I know what to do with this summer (oops!) but wouldn’t really call myself a gardener. But this book helped encourage me to see how all the little things matter.
Andrea gives the right words, scripture, poetry and prayers to the deep, the hard and the sweetness of life that I rarely can put into words.
There are phrases in this book that I keep coming back to over and over that bring tears, conviction, comfort and hope.
You don’t have to be a gardener to love this book. If you ever walked through any season of life with Jesus, this book is for you
I was given a free advanced copy by Lexham Press for my unbiased review.
I didn’t know how much I needed this book this summer. this book has invited me to stop, plant, rest and wait.
I have a tiny little garden box that I’ve been pulling weeds from and cultivating herbs, tomatoes and more zucchini than I know what to do with this summer (oops!) but wouldn’t really call myself a gardener. But this book helped encourage me to see how all the little things matter.
Andrea gives the right words, scripture, poetry and prayers to the deep, the hard and the sweetness of life that I rarely can put into words.
There are phrases in this book that I keep coming back to over and over that bring tears, conviction, comfort and hope.
You don’t have to be a gardener to love this book. If you ever walked through any season of life with Jesus, this book is for you
I was given a free advanced copy by Lexham Press for my unbiased review.
July 16, 2024
A beautiful book of prose, metaphor, scripture and life lessons. If you love the rhythm of the seasons and you have gardened at all, this book will speak to you. It can be used as a daily devotional or read for the season you're in. The book begins at Winter, so I read some of it, then skipped to Summer as my calendar turned to July. It is so meaningful to me, full of both practical gardening advice AND spiritual insight. I am ordering myself a physical copy and will gift one to my mom and daughter. HIGHLY recommended!
My favorite humorous quote: "Like the time I tried giving up coffee and I realized I'm not a kind and patient person; I'm just caffeinated."
I received this book from NetGalley. Opinions are my own.
My favorite humorous quote: "Like the time I tried giving up coffee and I realized I'm not a kind and patient person; I'm just caffeinated."
I received this book from NetGalley. Opinions are my own.
October 14, 2025
I read through this book quickly when I received it last year, but knew that it would mean a lot more to read it throughout the year. Did not disappoint!! I started in January, in the dead of winter, and read through each section of the book with the changing seasons, soaking it all in as the year progressed. Part memoir and part devotional, this book had me feeling all the feels. It was poetic and spiritual and beautiful and I loved it so much. My mother in law ignited my love of gardening and she passed away a few years ago, but with the turn of every page I was wishing that I could share it with her. I will be buying copies for all my gardening friends for Christmas this year. ❤️
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