A plant sale is a sacred place. It is a convergence of care that cultivates plant life in a particular place. It is an intersection of community activation, education, and commerce—all to connect people more deeply with plants and place. 

When I think of someone who embodies this rhythm of tending, both to land and to life, I think of Helen Skiba, the renowned Colorado flower farmer behind Artemis Flower Farm. The flowers at Artemis Flower Farm are unparalleled…dainty, boasting, and colorful. Recently I took the drive to visit Helen at her farm outside Longmont. While I was technically there to pick up a dahlia tuber order (she has the best around), we both knew the real reason was to meet her almost eight-month-old baby girl. We wandered through the farm and into her cozy home tucked right on the property, where her daughter waited…another tender life being lovingly grown alongside the flowers.

Small-scale organic farming in Colorado is demanding. The arid and often unpredictable climate is the first burden, followed by the challenging economics of land, water, and living costs. It is a path only the most passionate take, and a lifestyle few stick with year after year.

The Table Urban Farm is a unique intersection where people are invited to “feed your body, feed your soul, and feed your community.” The urban farm is a sacred place.

The Denver Botanic Gardens land began as wild prairie grasslands, became a graveyard for a new and growing city, then a botanic garden for education and enjoyment. It is a place to admire the artistry and diversity of plants. It is a place to ponder the beautiful mystery of death to life. The Denver Botanic Gardens is a sacred place.

Orchards lead us in a liturgy of presence. They beckon us to be fully awake to the seasons of life, to savor the fruits of our labor, to deepen our roots in times of stress, and to rest in God's grace. The orchard is a sacred place.

The garden center provides a place to reengage the earth, cultivate life, and live in a closer relationship to creation. It is a place where we are reminded of our first vocation as gardeners, grateful for the goodness that grows around us. The garden center is a sacred place.