Géza Follmann biblical garden

The Barley belonging to the Poaceae family is one of the most important cereals in the temperate zone. It is one of the earliest domesticated plants, which was first cultivated between 8000 and 7000 BC in the area of the “Fertile Crescent” (which ran from the Nile Valley, passing through northern Mesopotamia, and reached as far as the Persian Gulf).

One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves 6 and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass 7 in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets 8 with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.

(Jn 6, 8-13)

Jesus proves His divinity at the miraculous bread-multiplication. By receiving and blessing the bread, He foretells the breaking of the Last Supper bread, when he will no longer well feed the starving crowd, but give himself as a sacrifice to God for the people.

It belongs to the Poaceae family, a subfamily of millet forms (Panicoideae). A crop native to Asia has been grown for about ten thousand years. In the territory of former Israel, this food was more important than wheat and barley.

OAgain, take wheat and barley, and beans and lentils, and millet and spelt; put them in a single vessel and make bread out of them. Eat it for as many days as you lie upon your side, three hundred and ninety.

(Ez 4, 9)

Millet, which served as a “primordial grain” in biblical times, was a source of food referring to hardship for the inhabitants of Jerusalem before siege. With this, the Prophet wanted to change the opinion of the God-separated chosen people.

The wheat belonging to the family Poaceae is one of the oldest and most widespread grains on Earth. Due to its good adaptability, it has been cultivated for nearly ten thousand years and soon gained a vital role.

Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.”
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.

(Lk 22, 19-20)

During the Mass, the priest transforms the wafer made of wheat flour and the wine obtained from grapes into the body and blood of Christ. Just as bread is our most basic food, Jesus, present in the Sacrament of the Altar, is the life-giving food of our souls.

Wine grapes belonging to the family Vitaceae have been grown in the southern foothills of the Caucasus for 7,000 years. Its berries have been used to make must, wine, extract and raisins since ancient times. The oil obtained from its seeds is rich in vitamin E and antioxidants, strengthens the blood vessels, lowers cholesterol levels, externally improves skin elasticity, and regenerates hair follicles. The juice of its shoots refreshes the eyes.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

(Jn 15, 1.4-5)

Jesus’ semblance of his relationship with the Father refers to the relationship between the Master and the disciple, i.e., refers to Jesus and his followers. The Christian man can bear good fruit only from his relationship with Jesus.

It is a species of the genus Myrtales and belonging to the family Lythraceae. A plant revered in Asia and the Middle East for millennia, its elements are often found among the decorative motifs of ancient tombs. The Bible mentions the beauty and nutritional value of pomegranate in several places. As the fruit of the pomegranate is rich in seeds, the fruit is an ancient symbol of love and fertility – the “holy” fruit of Aphrodite. The fruit and peel of the pomegranate can be used to make dyestuff and fragrances.

For the LORD, your God, is bringing you into a good country, a land with streams of water, with springs and fountains welling up in the hills and valleys,
a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, of olive trees and of honey,
a land where you can eat bread without stint and where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones contain iron and in whose hills you can mine copper.

(Dt 8, 7-9)

After the loss of the Garden of Eden, God gave man the gift of Canaan flowing with milk and honey as a sign of his inherited care. The pomegranate refers to the fertility of the Promised Land and the prosperity that it contains.

A plant species belonging to the genus: Nigella of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It has been cultivated since ancient times and it could be found among the burial objects of the pharaohs. It is considered an important ornamental plant in the Mediterranean region. The decoction of the seeds are used due to its many beneficial effects – i.e. strengthens the circulatory and immune systems.

“For burning incense you shall make an altar of acacia wood,
Its grate on top, its walls on all four sides, and its horns you shall plate with pure gold. Put a gold molding around it.
“On it Aaron shall burn fragrant incense. Morning after morning, when he prepares the lamps,
and again in the evening twilight, when he lights the lamps, he shall burn incense. Throughout your generations this shall be the established incense offering before the LORD.

(Exodus 30, 1.3.7-8)

Part of the Old Testament cult was the daily offering of perfume in the temple in Jerusalem. The scented incense smoke rising into the sky is a sign of worship of God. By Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, He took upon Himself the punishment for our sins. With our exemplary life, we thank Him for this.

White and black mustard are a plant of the cabbage family (also known as Brassicaceae) that is native to Asia and the Mediterranean. In biblical times, it was mostly grown as a medicine or for its oil used for cooking. It is best known today as a spice.

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

(Mt 17, 20)

A mustard seed amount of true faith would be able to do miracles. Jesus encourages His disciples to grow steadily in the faith. However, God cannot be expected to do with miracles what man would be responsible to do so.

It is a species belonging to the order Lamiales in the family Lamiaceae. It has been cultivated since ancient times and contains an important essential oil, which is known partly as a herb due to its characteristic menthol content and partly as a spice.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes 12 of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. (But) these you should have done, without neglecting the others.

(Mt 23, 23)

At creation, God sprouted grass and vegetation from the earth to nourish and heal man. The service of tithing is a reminder that everything in our lives is due to God; therefore He deserves worship, and the fellow human beings deserve respect.

It is a genus belonging to the order Rosales of the family Moraceae. It is the first plant mentioned in Holy Writ. It is native to Asia Minor, Syria, and Israel, but has long been cultivated in North Africa and Southern Europe, making dry fruit and wine from it. It is a valuable fruit tree, the high B vitamin content of its fruit helps with digestion and absorption of food.

Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
3 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

(Lk 19, 2-5.7.9-10)

Faith is gradually fulfilled in man, but when it takes roots, it is able to accomplish great things. The encounter of the unbelieving Zacchaeus with Jesus bears the fruit of repentance. Recognizing the deity of Jesus will change your whole life. Such a fruit must be produced by the follower of Christ.

It is a genus belonging to the family Fabaceae of the order Legumes (Fabales). Lentils from the mountains of Asia are one of our oldest crops. It was cultivated in Eastern Europe as early as the Stone Age. It is healthier than beans and peas. It is used not only on its own but also as flour.

Once, when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the open, famished.
6 He said to Jacob, “Let me gulp down some of that red stuff; I’m starving.” (That is why he was called Edom.)
7 But Jacob replied, “First give me your birthright in exchange for it.”
“Look,” said Esau, “I’m on the point of dying. What good will any birthright do me?”
But Jacob insisted, “Swear to me first!” So he sold Jacob his birthright under oath.
Jacob then gave him some bread and the lentil stew; and Esau ate, drank, got up, and went his way. Esau cared little for his birthright.

(Genesis 25, 29-34)

The lentil, which is also considered to be basic food, was even present in the daily life of biblical man. Esau exchanged a higher value (birthright) for a bowl of food. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, also for a momentary, passing interest. Only by following the values correctly can a life be lived pleasing to God.

A species belonging to the family Amaryllis. The plant from Central Asia that has the bulb with a penetrating scent serves mainly as a raw material for food. Many beneficial effects, including antiseptic and immune-boosting effects, have been known since ancient times.

The foreign elements among them were so greedy for meat that even the Israelites lamented again, “Would that we had meat for food!
We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt, and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.
But now we are famished; we see nothing before us but this manna.”

(Number 11, 4-6)

The people under oppression in Egypt long for a captive prosperity reminiscent of a secure livelihood during their migration in the sheer. The manna, which serves as an everyday bread, is a symbol of the food of man who nourishes unbroken trust in God.

A plant species belonging to the family Amaryllis. The Bible mentions that the Jewish people led by Moses out of Egypt longed for onion during their sheer wanderings, probably not only because of its special taste but also because of their beneficial effects on health. It lowers cholesterol and, thanks to its high fiber content, helps to strengthen the immune system and cleanse the digestive system.

Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief chamberlain had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
“Please test your servants for ten days. Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men who eat from the royal table, and treat your servants according to what you see.”
He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days;
after ten days they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table.

(Dan 1, 11-15)

The vegetables and fruits that sprouted from the earth were created by God to feed man. To renounce this in the form of fasting is a reminder that life is ultimately a gift from God.

It is a perennial herb belonging to the family of asters (Asteraceae). It has been used for centuries for various diseases, e.g. to prevent a stomach problem. Known as a spice in the Mediterranean countries, it lends a very special flavor to fish and pasta dishes.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the odor of the knowledge of him in every place.
For we are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

(2Cor 2, 14-15)

Rather than the fragrant sacrifice presented in the Old Testament, God expects good deeds from man. Love of brethren in the name of Christ is a true sacrifice presented to God. The hallmark of the Christian man is kindness, meekness, kindness.

A genus of plants belonging to the family of Lamiaceae. Indigenous to the Mediterranean region of the Mediterranean-sea, the plant has historically appeared in many cultures. It was first used as a cosmetic ingredient by the Egyptians in embalming ceremonies. In the Middle Ages it was mostly used by monks, inheriting from monasteries what they had learned about herbs.

A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. 13 But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

(Lk 7, 36-39.44-48)

Perfumes are used to nurture human beauty, happiness, self-esteem. Lubrication / anointing with cult oil is an outward sign of belonging to God – it is used in baptism, confirmation, ordination. She “wastes” her most precious treasure, begging Jesus for forgiveness. Jesus considers the purity of the heart to be superior to ritual purity.

In the family of olive trees (Oleaceae), it is a genus of the genus Olea. Its main value is its olive oil squeezed from the crop, which is the most important edible fat for the peoples of the Mediterranean, essential for cooking and frying.

and then God remembered Noah and all the animals, wild and tame, that were with him in the ark. So God made a wind sweep over the earth, and the waters began to subside.
At the end of forty days Noah opened the hatch he had made in the ark,
and he sent out a raven, to see if the waters had lessened on the earth. It flew back and forth until the waters dried off from the earth.
Then he sent out a dove, to see if the waters had lessened on the earth.
But the dove could find no place to alight and perch, and it returned to him in the ark, for there was water all over the earth. Putting out his hand, he caught the dove and drew it back to him inside the ark.
He waited seven days more and again sent the dove out from the ark.
In the evening the dove came back to him, and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf! So Noah knew that the waters had lessened on the earth.
When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself: “Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start; nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done.

(Genesis 8, 1.6-11.21)

After the flood, the olive branch is the first sign of life on earth, proclaiming God’s peace with man. The Mount of Olives is the defining site of our redemption: the high priestly prayer of Jesus is heard here, he prays here, sweating blood before his capture, but the ascension also takes place from here.

A genus belonging to the order Arecales, in the botanical family Arecaceae. In its original habitat, in the Arab countries, dates are highly valued; practically all parts of them are utilized. Its fruit serves as food, but it is also used to make household items as well as forage.

On the next day, when the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
they took palm branches 6 and went out to meet him, and cried out: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, (even) the king of Israel.”
Jesus found an ass and sat upon it, as is written:
“Fear no more, O daughter Zion; 7 see, your king comes, seated upon an ass’s colt.”
So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole world 10 has gone after him.”

(Jn 12, 12-15.19)

The palm branch is a symbol of glory and reverence. The saying “the palm grows under load” also refers to the winning tenacity, even though God never tries beyond our powers. On Flower Sunday, the celebrating crowd also greets Jesus with palm branches, anticipating the joyous feast of the Easter Resurrection.

It is a plant species of the genus Citrus belonging to the subfamily of citrus forms (Citroideae). It originates in the Middle East and North Africa. It came to Greece and Italy through Arab merchants, where it was used as food, medicinal and ornamental plants. Ancient doctors prescribed the consumption of lemon to prevent epidemics and as an antidote to insect and venom bites.

On the first day you shall gather foliage from majestic trees, branches of palms and boughs of myrtles and of valley poplars, and then for a week you shall make merry before the LORD, your God.
By perpetual statute for you and your descendants you shall keep this pilgrim feast of the LORD for one whole week in the seventh month of the year.
During this week every native Israelite among you shall dwell in booths,
that your descendants may realize that, when I led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, I made them dwell in booths. I, the LORD, am your God.”
(Lev 23, 40-43)

The Feast of Tents is reminiscent of the 40 years of sheer migration, when the chosen people lived in tents. The transience of earthly life directs our attention to eternal life. The Apostle Paul warns, “Our country is in heaven.” (Phil 3:20)

It is a wild, mostly cultivated evergreen shrub in the Mediterranean-sea region and the Mediterranean islands of the Atlantic Ocean, a popular herb. It belongs to the botanical family Laureleae.

Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
(1Cor 9, 24-25)

For our salvation, we must work with as much perseverance as the racers on the track for the only but fleeting laurel wreath. There is a chance of victory, as soon as the contestants train, so that the Christian man has a self-disciplined lifestyle.

The colchicum belongs to the order of the Liliales, it the naming genus of the Colchicaceae family. Bulb flower plant, its colorful tiny flowers are among the first to herald the arrival of spring. It is an attractive but highly toxic plant.

If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, 19 and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

(Mt 6, 30-34)

Instead of worrying too much about everyday things, Jesus aims to seek the kingdom of God. The past cannot be changed, the future has not yet arrived, only the present is in our hands. God is the Lord of the world, who always takes care of His children.

It is a genus of the botanical family Liliaceae. It is a well-known and popular spring bulb flower that came to Europe from Turkey sometime in the XlVth century. Its colorful flowers are mentioned in the love poetry of the Song of Songs as the “Rose of Saron”.

The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children

(Zsolt 103, 15-17)

Birth and passing belong to the order of life, but God’s grace is eternal. The beauty and transience of the flowers in the field is a warning sign to man.

The genus gave the name to the family of lilies (Liliaceae) and subfamilies of lilies (Lilioideae). It is the most frequently mentioned ornamental plant in the Bible, because of its dazzling white flowers, it was a symbol of innocence and purity. Over time, it became an esteemed plant in convent gardens, recognizing its anti-inflammatory effects, it was used to treat burns and other diseases.

Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.

(Mt 6, 28-29)

The whiteness of the lily refers to purity, while its beauty refers to transience. If God’s providence does not leave even such a wildflower alone, how can He forget the man? Therefore, Jesus warns against worry, but also about the danger of self-confidence.

A plant genus belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae of the order Asparagales. It is a Mediterranean plant that blooms until the end of March. Its flowers are extremely showy, the petals are white or cream yellow, the cup-shaped side leaves are usually yellow or white.

I am the daffodil of Saron, the lily of the valleys.

(I 2, 1)

Man desires for the wisdom of God like man desires his beloved. The more one is immersed in the presence of God, the more one longs for it. This is how the created world relates to its Creator.

The annual plant, grown for its fiber and oil pressed from its seeds, belongs to the botanical family Linaceae. The plant, probably native to the Holy Land, was already used in ancient Egypt to make textiles.

The various experts who were executing the work, made the Dwelling with its ten sheets woven of fine linen twined, having cherubim embroidered on them with violet, purple and scarlet yarn…With violet, purple and scarlet yarn were woven the service cloths for use in the sanctuary, as well as the sacred vestments for Aaron, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
(Ex 36, 8; 39, 1)

Humans had always built God’s temples using the most precious materials – during the wandering through the wilderness, tents made out of linen were the shelter of God. Priests, who are doing holy work, also have their clothes made out linen to this day.

A cornflower from southern Europe is an annual plant belonging to the order Asterales and the family Asteraceae. It is very attractive, but it appears as a weed in grain crops.

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well… His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; 11 then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”
(Mt 13, 25-26.28-30)

Just as weed blend into a wheat field, so emerges our tendency to do wrong under the blanket of goodwill. Sometimes even our good intentions can cause misfortune. Jesus’s parable is warning us, that we have our whole life to practice good – at the final judgement God’s charity will sift the bad from our lives.

Medicinal aloe belongs to the botanical family Liliaceae. In biblical times, it was used in the form of oils and gels for wound healing and as a skin care product. Due to its strong laxative effect, mainly products for external use were produced out of it. In folk medicine, it is used to treat burns, wounds, psoriasis, or dermatitis.

Your throne, O god, stands forever; your royal scepter is a scepter for justice. You love justice and hate wrongdoing; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellow kings. With myrrh, aloes, and cassia your robes are fragrant. From ivory-paneled palaces stringed instruments bring you joy.

(Jn 6, 8-13)

Every leader copies the kingdom of God in their leading style. The anointment of the terrestral king with fragrant oils refers to the kingdom which is fullfilled in the eternity.
At the time of Jesus’s death Nikodemus brought myrrh and aloe mixture for the embalmment of the body. On the third day Jesus rose again…

A genus belonging to the botanical family Iridaceae. Most species live in tropical Africa and South Africa, but also occur in Eurasia and Southern Europe. Its origins go back to the last century, when an English botanist created the first crossbred hybrid.

My lover speaks; he says to me,
“Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!
“For see, the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines has come,
and the song of the dove is heard in our land.
(SS 2, 10-12)

Biblical poetry many times sang about the love relationship between man and woman created by God. One of the key visual elements drawn from nature is the flower, which delights and expresses love at the same time. The flower is the best expression of love and affection.