The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom
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- Create Date：2021-12-18 06:51:25
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Andrew Peterson
- ISBN：1087736951
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Summary
There’s a strong biblical connection between people and trees。 They both come from dirt。 They’re both told to bear fruit。 In fact， arboreal language is so often applied to humans that it’s easy to miss， whether we're talking about family trees， passing along our seed， cutting someone off like a branch， being rooted to a place， or bearing the fruit of the Spirit。 It’s hard to deny that trees mean something， theologically speaking。
This book is in many ways a memoir， but it’s also an attempt to wake up the reader to the glory of God shining through his creation。 One of his first commands to Adam and Eve was to “work and keep” the garden （Genesis 2:15）。 Award-winning author and songwriter Andrew Peterson， being as honest as possible， seeks to give glory to God by spreading out his roots and raising his branches， trusting that by reading his story， you’ll encounter yours。
Hopefully， you’ll see that the God of the Garden is and has always been present， working and keeping what he loves。 Sometimes he plants， sometimes he prunes， but in his goodness he intends to reap a harvest of righteousness。
This book is in many ways a memoir， but it’s also an attempt to wake up the reader to the glory of God shining through his creation。 One of his first commands to Adam and Eve was to “work and keep” the garden （Genesis 2:15）。 Award-winning author and songwriter Andrew Peterson， being as honest as possible， seeks to give glory to God by spreading out his roots and raising his branches， trusting that by reading his story， you’ll encounter yours。
Hopefully， you’ll see that the God of the Garden is and has always been present， working and keeping what he loves。 Sometimes he plants， sometimes he prunes， but in his goodness he intends to reap a harvest of righteousness。
Reviews
Corey
，
A memoir based on trees。 Sounds odd， you say？ A little。 But what a beautiful book， what great memories conveyed through the lives of trees！
Leah
，
I wasn’t sure where this book was going at first but it was well worth sticking with it。 Fans of Andrew Peterson’s music will enjoy hearing the stories behind his songs。 In telling these stories， he is appropriately transparent about struggles in ways that will resonate with readers。 Those who are less familiar with his songwriting will still end the book with much to think about。 I particularly enjoyed his thoughts about footpaths in Great Britain and how Americans tend to design neighborhoods I wasn’t sure where this book was going at first but it was well worth sticking with it。 Fans of Andrew Peterson’s music will enjoy hearing the stories behind his songs。 In telling these stories， he is appropriately transparent about struggles in ways that will resonate with readers。 Those who are less familiar with his songwriting will still end the book with much to think about。 I particularly enjoyed his thoughts about footpaths in Great Britain and how Americans tend to design neighborhoods in a way that isolates us from community。 In a post-Covid world where we have experienced too much isolation and loneliness， that gave me much to chew on。Finally， trees。 Loved the thread he wove with them throughout the book。 。。。more
Jessica
，
I love Andrew Peterson and after reading Adorning the Dark I couldn't wait to read this one when I heard it was coming out。 I'm a gardener and was particularly interested to read Peterson's take on gardening and God。 But， I think the title is misleading - it's more about trees than gardening， although gardening and nature in general are also major topics。 Each chapter is about a tree/garden/natural area from Peterson's life and the memories or ties he has to that area。 I will say this book is mu I love Andrew Peterson and after reading Adorning the Dark I couldn't wait to read this one when I heard it was coming out。 I'm a gardener and was particularly interested to read Peterson's take on gardening and God。 But， I think the title is misleading - it's more about trees than gardening， although gardening and nature in general are also major topics。 Each chapter is about a tree/garden/natural area from Peterson's life and the memories or ties he has to that area。 I will say this book is much more open and vulnerable about Peterson's personal struggles。 From the outside when you see someone as creative and inspiring as Andrew Peterson I think it's easy to assume he doesn't struggle with "impostor syndrome" or depression， but obviously nobody has it all together and it's refreshing to read a book as honest as this one。 "This garden keeps me awake to the necessity of hope， and it keeps me humble because there is no end to the learning， nor the labor。" （p。 193） and that is the focus of the book how nature reflects the hope we have in God and how God uses nature to inspire us and show us that even in the bleakest winters of our lives there is always the hope of Spring。 I thought I would like this one more than Adorning the Dark since I'm not a musician or artist， but I am a gardener。 But， while I personally liked Adorning the Dark more， this is still a wonderful book with a powerful message。 As Peterson says in the Afterward， "。。。no matter what you do for a living， find a way to get your hands dirty。" （p。 198） and find some hope and humility （and food and beauty） in a garden somewhere。Some quotes I liked:"A teaspoon of garden soil contains hundreds of millions of microbes， which means that gardeners tend to have a wider variety of gut bacteria。 One of those is called mycobacterium vaccae which， when it gets under your fingernails， releases serotonin in your system。 Serotonin is a natural anti-depressant that also happens to strengthen our immune systems。" （p。 118）"Few things are more wonderful to me than a graceful integration of nature and culture， which is essentially what a garden is - and few things are less wonderful to me than the razing of a forest to plaster yet another soulless subdivision onto yet another corner of the land。" （p。 159）"Ah， the suburbs: that slice of America where we name subdivisions after the trees we've cut down to build them， where we've zoned out any hope of a bookstore or restaurant within walking distance， where we slave over lawns that we seldom use， where our front porches are too shallow for a porch swing， where we walk the dogs but can't walk to lunch， where we don't really get to know the neighbors because nobody's planning to stick around for more than a few years， where the dominant feature of every house is the two-car garage door， where getting to know people is tougher than it needs to be because there's no village pub， no local bakery， no farmer's market - in other words， no casual gathering point where it's possible to bump into neighbors in an organic way。" （p。 161） 。。。more
Mark
，
I really enjoyed this book！ I love to garden （though I’m a bit jealous of Andrew’s garden at the Warren）， I too am a P。K。 （Preacher’s Kid） and an artist， and I relate well to his love and appreciation of trees （oaks and maples are my favorites）。 Andrew is a very gifted writer and biblical thinker， which is reflected in his many song lyrics and his books。 This book is not necessarily a page turner， but more like separate short chapters， still somewhat chronological， but reads almost like blog pos I really enjoyed this book！ I love to garden （though I’m a bit jealous of Andrew’s garden at the Warren）， I too am a P。K。 （Preacher’s Kid） and an artist， and I relate well to his love and appreciation of trees （oaks and maples are my favorites）。 Andrew is a very gifted writer and biblical thinker， which is reflected in his many song lyrics and his books。 This book is not necessarily a page turner， but more like separate short chapters， still somewhat chronological， but reads almost like blog posts or short stories。 You will enjoy this book if you are an Andrew Peterson fan （and I recommend you become one）， you enjoy gardening or trees， or creative writing from a Christian perspective！ I’m thankful for this man—his music， books and exemplary life to everyone who knows him！ 。。。more
Naomi
，
This is easily one of my favorite books of the year， if not the best one I've read all year。 This is easily one of my favorite books of the year， if not the best one I've read all year。 。。。more
Margo
，
Another beautiful book （thanks， Andrew）。 It meanders from formative growing-up experiences to footpaths in England to seasons of joy and despair to love for the land （and gardens）。 And there are trees， many trees， involved。 It adds depth and background to AP songs that I love。 It reflects the influences you would expect 。。。 among them Wendell Barry， J。R。R。 Tolkien， Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings。 Amusing and poignant and moving。 Much underlining！
Jake Buller-Young
，
This is the book Andrew Peterson was put on earth to write。 Like Adorning the Dark， it’s not rigorously organized or， at times， particularly original， but Peterson’s honest meditations on faith， land， and trees are like a walk in an unassuming pasture: ordinary， peaceful， and beautiful。
Andy
，
In all of Andrew Peterson’s writings， there is a wide eyed wonder at the world around him。 Whether it’s in his songwriting， his fantasy fiction or his autobiographical memoirs， he never fails to showcase his sense of awe at the hands of the maker。This book is a look at the importance of trees in his life。 Part memoir， part love letter to nature， it continually drew me in from beginning to end。 I was sad to leave his world by the final page， but very much glad to have made the journey， ending lig In all of Andrew Peterson’s writings， there is a wide eyed wonder at the world around him。 Whether it’s in his songwriting， his fantasy fiction or his autobiographical memoirs， he never fails to showcase his sense of awe at the hands of the maker。This book is a look at the importance of trees in his life。 Part memoir， part love letter to nature， it continually drew me in from beginning to end。 I was sad to leave his world by the final page， but very much glad to have made the journey， ending lighter and more joy filled as a result。 。。。more
Nick Roark
，
Beautiful
BrontëKas
，
“With each successive moment， by the unfolding of time， Christ’s creative Word continues its pronouncement that he is King of it all。 The Word keeps speaking， and the universe whirls on。 If he stopped， we wouldn’t know it because there wouldn’t be anything left of us to know。 But his love keeps pronouncing spring， articulating childbirth， enunciating thunderheads， reciting nectar flow like a poem， conducting the orchestra of time from one movement to the next — trees clapping their hands， myrtle “With each successive moment， by the unfolding of time， Christ’s creative Word continues its pronouncement that he is King of it all。 The Word keeps speaking， and the universe whirls on。 If he stopped， we wouldn’t know it because there wouldn’t be anything left of us to know。 But his love keeps pronouncing spring， articulating childbirth， enunciating thunderheads， reciting nectar flow like a poem， conducting the orchestra of time from one movement to the next — trees clapping their hands， myrtles bursting into flower， grapes swelling on the vine， the earth tilting enough to darken the northern hemisphere and ignite the maple leaves， snowflakes piling precariously on the backs of high twigs， sequoias shooting skyward and fattening like balloons — all because Jesus said so。 He keeps the whole thing going， holds it all together because he loves us。” In The God of the Garden， Andrew Peterson teaches us lessons he’s learned about life and Love from trees， nature walks， and keeping the earth。 In a stream of consciousness， Peterson shares his story from scared little boy in a new landscape to a grown man searching for the Tree of Life。 This book points to Jesus over and over again and uses earthy imagery to help us see Him。 Very effective and raw and real。 Makes me want to garden。 Reminds me to see the magic all around me。 Turns my hope to the New Eden。 。。。more
logankstewart
，
This is an beautiful book that’s got a limited audience I believe。 Like with Adorning the Dark， beauty and wonder seep from every page。 Here， Peterson is channeling more memoir than anything else， and for me that’s ok。 I’m picky with memoirs and biographies， reserving them to people I admire or respect or am interested in。 And since Peterson fits that bill （I really feel like we could be buddies Andrew！）， I dove right in。The book is a memoir， and yet the book is about trees， too。 And the glory o This is an beautiful book that’s got a limited audience I believe。 Like with Adorning the Dark， beauty and wonder seep from every page。 Here， Peterson is channeling more memoir than anything else， and for me that’s ok。 I’m picky with memoirs and biographies， reserving them to people I admire or respect or am interested in。 And since Peterson fits that bill （I really feel like we could be buddies Andrew！）， I dove right in。The book is a memoir， and yet the book is about trees， too。 And the glory of God’s creation all around us， through nature and community and more。 Trees shape places， or they get demolished and suburbs shape places。 This tension is real and prominent in the book。 Trees bear witness to history。 They speak。 They’re beautiful， if you’ll pay attention。 For the person who struggles to believe that Jesus loves you， Peterson was very candid and honest about his same struggles。 And many others， too。 This I appreciated， reading from a man after God’s own heart who is speaking plainly with sin and doubt and fear。 It’s like reading some psalms without the verse。 True， heartfelt wonderings on important matters。There’s a passage in the book when Peterson is describing going home that could’ve been taken straight from my own account， except Kentucky instead of Florida。 From page 91: “Going back to where I grew up is hard。 As soon asI cross the Florida State line， a dark mist gathers around myankles and begins to work its way up to my heart。 The memories sting。 The accent sneaks back into vowels。 Voices of regret fill my head。 Questions churn up from the still waters and I begin to wonder， first， why I let my selfishness hurt people， and second， why I was so hurt…”When an author connects with a reader and words resonate， there’s some kind of magic happening。 When The Author connects Words with a reader， there’s something even greater going on。Who would I recommend this to？ Any person who may feel alone or isolated or like some community-shaped hole is present in their lives。 For people who wonder how their childhood shaped them and spend time thinking through this。 For the treehugger， too， obviously。 Overall this was a lovely book with some practical application to my own life。 。。。more
Carole
，
This book touches on themes of Creation， trees specifically， gardens， community， hope， and the author tells his story of God's working in his personal life， through life events and struggles and grace。 This book touches on themes of Creation， trees specifically， gardens， community， hope， and the author tells his story of God's working in his personal life， through life events and struggles and grace。 。。。more
Cameron Beidler
，
Such a beautifully written book。 Andrew Peterson is an awesome wordsmith and storyteller and truly captures your attention only to focus our attention on the God of the Garden。
Josh Head
，
There are no words for how deeply this book moved me。
Seth Scruggs
，
An absolutely beautiful reminder of the God of the Garden who loves His children and the promised New Creation。 Cannot recommend highly enough。
Rebekah Theilen
，
“Of all the places God-in-flesh could have chosen to live， he decided on a little corner of creation where people farmed， kept bees， cultivated grapes， fished， walked footpaths， and lived in close community。 He lived near to the earth， with an intimate awareness of the way things grew in their season， the way humans cultivated and cared for his creation。 What a delight he must have felt， knowing in his skin the feel of the wood and stone and water， joining his children in the deep satisfaction o “Of all the places God-in-flesh could have chosen to live， he decided on a little corner of creation where people farmed， kept bees， cultivated grapes， fished， walked footpaths， and lived in close community。 He lived near to the earth， with an intimate awareness of the way things grew in their season， the way humans cultivated and cared for his creation。 What a delight he must have felt， knowing in his skin the feel of the wood and stone and water， joining his children in the deep satisfaction of ‘making something of the world。’”“This is a book about place。” Andrew Peterson writes about the way our hearts search for homes， both past and present， and how in these homes we instinctively search for meaning。 We are undoubtedly shaped by the places we live。 His special home，The Warren， has been a place where he has been able to provide long-lasting peace and stability for his family， as well as find joy in the human work of keeping and looking after his own piece of land。 In the earthly pilgrimage of living and dying through the seasons， we become tied to the hope of the new creation， and to the Savior whose love for us cascaded forth from his gardens。 。。。more
Laura Spaulding
，
I love trees and I love all things Andrew Peterson， so it is no surprise here that I love this unique and beautiful book。 Peterson takes his reader on a journey through time and place recounting all the trees that helped raise him， ground him， heal him， and ultimately give him hope for tomorrow。 “Childhood is an art museum that has been pillaged by time， and there on the blank walls below the faint rectangular outlines are plaques that read the source of your anxiety， the reason you are so despe I love trees and I love all things Andrew Peterson， so it is no surprise here that I love this unique and beautiful book。 Peterson takes his reader on a journey through time and place recounting all the trees that helped raise him， ground him， heal him， and ultimately give him hope for tomorrow。 “Childhood is an art museum that has been pillaged by time， and there on the blank walls below the faint rectangular outlines are plaques that read the source of your anxiety， the reason you are so desperate to be loved， the day you knew the world was broken， and the day you knew you were just as broken as the world。” 。。。more
Savannah Neave
，
Few books have filled me with more wonder at creation or more longing for the new creation than this book。 Reading this book feels like sitting in an old rocking chair by a warm fire with the storms of winter blowing outside whilst a wise man tells you the stories of how God has revealed himself in his life from the perspective of trees。 Cozy。 Deep。 Provoking wonder， joy， grief， and longing all at once。 What a marvelous book。
Matt Pitts
，
He did it again。 Every bit as good as Adorning the Dark， maybe even better。 Plus this one is about trees （I love trees！）。
Cheyenne Langevelde
，
This is just as beautiful as Adorning the Dark， but with a few differences。 This book felt more deep， in some senses， darker and more personal， but just as convicting and encouraging。 I sometimes feel like Andrew Peterson and I have the same brain， or at least similar pasts， and reading his work so often helps me understand and accept my own。 Beautiful truths are presented in this。 Excellent work！
David Smith
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Andrew writes with raw authenticity combined with a romantic affection for nature， gardens， trees， footpaths， and the miracles of seeds。 In sharing his own struggles to accept God's love for him， Andrew invites readers to rediscover the nurturing nature of the Father。。。。。。speaking frankly， I loved this book。 And I was a sobbing wreck after the last chapter。 In a good way。 It's so apparent how much Andrew loves Jesus and how broken he felt/feels， and his vulnerability was able to kindly and gentl Andrew writes with raw authenticity combined with a romantic affection for nature， gardens， trees， footpaths， and the miracles of seeds。 In sharing his own struggles to accept God's love for him， Andrew invites readers to rediscover the nurturing nature of the Father。。。。。。speaking frankly， I loved this book。 And I was a sobbing wreck after the last chapter。 In a good way。 It's so apparent how much Andrew loves Jesus and how broken he felt/feels， and his vulnerability was able to kindly and gently poke and prod into some of my own brokenness， indeed， those deep wounds that only a living God can ever mend。 So beware; if you open this book expecting a pleasant and edifying read， well， as Lewis was fond of saying， God is very unscrupulous and there's no telling what He will dare and do to break down the barriers of your heart。 He will stop at nothing to raise His standard atop your battlements。。。 。。。more
Jennifer Holmes
，
One of my favourite books this year。 Beautiful writing that makes you think about God in a deeper way。 Loved it。
JD Veer
，
I love trees now。 Thank you Andrew。What a blessing to be able to hear his chocked up voice read through his own work。 Thank you Andrew。Sorry I didn't have a printed copy。 I love trees now。 Thank you Andrew。What a blessing to be able to hear his chocked up voice read through his own work。 Thank you Andrew。Sorry I didn't have a printed copy。 。。。more
Marisa Maloney
，
A beautiful memoir reflection of Christian artist singer and author Andrew Peterson。 He helps us meander through his past as， as though on a footpath stopping by his favorite trees of his childhood。 An interesting way to write about your life when you tie it too memorable trees。 A novel that I enjoyed with my sister and friend on Marco。
Caleb Jore
，
A touching book， part memoir and part theological reflection。 Definitely recommended。
Molly Grimmius
，
Read with my sister and friend Debra for our book club。 Memoir book about trees and how different trees tell the stories of Andrew Peterson’s life… how they tell his childhood stories， how they save him and how they remind Him of God and his creation and his love for us and the new creation yet to come！ His dry humor is lovely and his stories made me reflect a lot too。
Sarah
，
I appreciate not only the transparency of his history but also the focus on our great God。 God is in the ordinary as well as extraordinary…thank you for the reminder to observe both。
Anna Hardin
，
Interesting backstory I feel that I understand some of Andrew Peterson’s songs better。 He gives the backstory to several of them。 But I still do not really understand Andrew Peterson and what makes him so sad。 He doesn’t appear sad in concert， but has apparently struggled with depression。 I think he was trying to be more open about his struggles。 But I think sometimes it is best to let music stand on its own and let it speak to listeners where they are。 Like his earlier book， Adorning the Dark， Interesting backstory I feel that I understand some of Andrew Peterson’s songs better。 He gives the backstory to several of them。 But I still do not really understand Andrew Peterson and what makes him so sad。 He doesn’t appear sad in concert， but has apparently struggled with depression。 I think he was trying to be more open about his struggles。 But I think sometimes it is best to let music stand on its own and let it speak to listeners where they are。 Like his earlier book， Adorning the Dark， this one is a little hard to categorize。 While the earlier one was a memoir/essay on creativity， this one is mostly memoir， but includes a rant on urban sprawl。 I still greatly admire Peterson， and I enjoyed most of the book。 I think he is best at poetry/music， but this memoirish book is certainly worth your time。 。。。more
✨ f i o n a ✨
，
Warning: this book will most likely make you ugly cry because it is so beautiful。 Andrew Peterson explaining the lyrics for 'The Ballad of Jody Baxter' and 'The Rain Keeps Falling' is just 😭👌P。S。 I'm sorry but I couldn't help it， Ashley。 It was just sitting on the coffee table and I had to pick it up and read it。 Warning: this book will most likely make you ugly cry because it is so beautiful。 Andrew Peterson explaining the lyrics for 'The Ballad of Jody Baxter' and 'The Rain Keeps Falling' is just 😭👌P。S。 I'm sorry but I couldn't help it， Ashley。 It was just sitting on the coffee table and I had to pick it up and read it。 。。。more
Shana Stoll
，