The context of the whole of the Bible is the agrarian society of the past.  It draws heavily on these social references to illustrate and illuminate the principles being put forth.  Experiencing gardening, agriculture, and nature gives a person the ability the understand scripture from a new level.

This list is a short sampling and in no way inclusive.  If you have a favorite passage that you would like to see listed here, send it along.

Seed (Creation) - Genesis 1: 11-13

"Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the third day."

God's Garden - Genesis 2:8

"Now the Lord God had planted a garden in in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed."

Adam as Eden's gardener - Genesis 2:15

"Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it."

Blossoming staff - Numbers 17:8

"The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds."

Aloes and Cedars - Numbers 24:6

"... like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like as cedar trees beside the waters."

Thistle (weeds) - Job 31: 40

". . . then let thistles grow instead of wheat . . ."

Garden Slugs - Psalm 58:8

"Like a slug melting away as it moves along . . ."

Cedars and Fir - Song of Songs 1: 17-

"The beams of our house are cedar; our rafters are firs."

Rose of Sharon - Song of Songs 2: 1-2

"I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley..."

Nuts and Pomegranates - Song of Songs 6: 11-

"I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom."

Becoming a well-watered garden - Isaiah 58:11

"You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

Gardens to be planted - Jeremiah 29:5

" . . plant gardens and eat what they produce . . ."

Linum (flax) - Matthew 27:59

"Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth  . . ."

Mint, Rue, Garden Herbs - Luke 11:42

"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs . . ."

Lilies - Luke 12:27

"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."

Grape Vine - John 15: 1-6

"I am the true vine and my father is the gardener."

Jesus mistaken as gardener - John 20:15

"Thinking he was a gardener, she (Mary Magdalene) said, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.'"