Why I am Not a Minimalist at Home or at Church

on beauty and the Great Tradition

I snapped this photo with my phone yesterday because I thought the lamplight against the Christmas greenery and ribbon was beautiful.

It only struck me seeing the photo now that while I love beauty and am no minimalist in my approach to interior design, I am certainly not a perfectionist, either. My wrinkled ribbon is proof of that.

Before I dive into the kind of theological musings I typically share on a Friday, I thought I’d offer a brief gift guide. I’ve had the privilege of creating so many books these past few years that you might be wondering which one to share and with whom this Christmas. Of course, the complete set of four—three books plus the journal / planner—would make an impressive and generous gift for anyone who loves beautiful books.

Three Garden Gift Books + a Planner

Garden Maker: Growing a Life of Beauty and Wonder with Flowers

This one is for the romantics. It’s for the beauty-lovers, the flower-lovers, and the reader who simply wants to be immersed in the magic of a garden. This is a book of flower portraits as I focus in essay and photo on individual flowers.

A Home in Bloom: Four Enchanted Seasons with Flowers

This book is for those who love home and want the inside of their house to feel alive and full of meaning all year round. This book is perfect for those a little less sure about gardening or those who have never considered the enchanted partnership between interior and exterior.

Seedtime and Harvest: How Gardens Grow Roots, Connection, Wholeness, and Hope

This is my personal favorite. It’s a gentle manifesto for allowing gardens to heal us and our world. If you are choosing a gift for someone who would rather not have spiritual or religious themes woven throughout, then this is also the most accessible and welcoming of the three.

My Flower Garden Life: A Delightful Planner for Plotting and Planting

My latest book completes this gardening set with a journal for planners and dreamers. This garden planner can be started at any time of year. In fact, it’s perfect for January. This is a good choice for already-gardeners and would-be-gardeners. This book with a packet of seed or a nice bulb planter or weeding tool would make a lovely themed gift.

Perhaps my favorite thing about these beautiful books is how good they look simply lying around because I really don’t have any more room on my bookshelves. Thankfully, I am also of the opinion that stacks of books never count as clutter.