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When Samantha Stephenson, inspired author and host of the Grow Where You’re Planted YouTube channel, planted her first two raised beds, she wasn’t just growing vegetables; she was cultivating peace, beauty, and a deeper friendship with God. Her desire was to develop a nontoxic lifestyle, due in part to a debilitating chronic illness, and before long, her backyard hobby became a way of life, a journey of health, holiness, and renewal for body and soul.
This is not your average gardening book. Rather, it is a handbook for the heart that reveals the secrets to growing where you’re planted for the nourishment of both soil and soul. Practically, you’ll learn about “Tending the Garden” through planting, pruning, harvesting, and preserving. But spiritually, you’ll learn patience in waiting, generosity in giving, and gratitude for the seasons of life that unfold under God’s tender care.
Stephenson weaves Scripture, spiritual reflection, and family stories into every chapter, showing how gardening becomes a living parable of grace. Along the way, she offers:
Creative ways to involve your children and share the joy of growth
She also includes a link on how to expand “Little Gardener” tips into a full, hands-on, literature-based elementary science curriculum for homeschooling families.
Whether you’re tending a few pots on a balcony or dreaming of your own homestead, this book will help you reconnect with creation and with the Creator. It will show you how to place your life in the hands of the Divine Gardener, who prunes, nourishes, and delights in the fruit He grows in you.
“Both deeply insightful and wildly practical, this book is gold. Connecting the realities of gardening with the spiritual life isn’t a new take, but not once did I feel I was reading fluffy, heard-those-before ideas. Stephenson is also mindful not to overwhelm as she inspires. As someone who longs to resist the siren call of the Internet and fully be where I am, I found that Grow Where You’re Planted was thoroughly resonant. I recommend it with my whole heart.”
Amber Adrian Author, One. Tired. Mother. Substack
“Grow Where You’re Planted is a wonderfully practical guide, both for the physical realm of the garden and the spiritual life of the soul. This book is a beautiful reminder that any person can experience an abundant harvest in his or her own life. Stephenson’s well-earned wisdom in matters pertaining to the garden and to the soul is truly a treasure trove for readers to discover.”
Cecilia Blackwell Author, Missionary of Beauty Substack
“A true call to become literally and figuratively grounded, with our hands buried in the earth and our hearts open to whatever may come from our toil, Grow Where You’re Planted is a gardening book for everyone. As Stephenson aptly states, ‘We are all made for the Garden.’”
Emily Hancock Mother; Nurse; Writer, Women’s Work Substack
“In Grow Where You’re Planted, Stephenson highlights the unique bond between mankind and the garden. Through pages filled with practical tips and thoughtful meditations, she reminds us that nourishment from the soil feeds both body and soul.”
Emily Malloy Author, Theology of Home IV: Arranging the Seasons
“The Christian tradition is replete with stories, imagery, and parables from earthy realities. In Grow Where You’re Planted, we are given a twofold view of both physical and spiritual truths as they are gently placed in parallel. Becoming acquainted with the practical work of the ground, we plumb the human heart. Hands in the dirt become tools for contemplation. Here is a clear-eyed look at how, like what grows from the soil, we can be transformed — both given and giving life.”
Haley Baumeister Author, Life Considered Substack
“Samantha Stephenson offers a practical and personal guide for cultivating the garden in one’s own backyard—an apt metaphor and prescription for the crisis of the modern family. Her timeless vision of fruitfulness has that rare quality of informing and inspiring without pretense. Give this book to the people you love.”
Helen Roy Author, Helen Roy Writes Substack
“In Grow Where You’re Planted, Samantha Stephenson has created a vibrant, engaging vision of what it means to intertwine faith, family life, and gardening. She offers meditations on tending both the growth of the Catholic Faith and the growth of a family garden. Readers will enjoy her clear, thoughtful directions and meditations.”
Ivana Greco Author, The Home Front Substack; Freelance writer
“Grow Where You’re Planted is a delightful bounty of insightful knowledge for every backyard gardener, while offering prayerful reflections and rooting the reader in Christ.”
Kimberly Cook Author, Motherhood Redeemed; Host, The Dignity of Women podcast
“Samantha Stephenson’s Grow Where You’re Planted is replete with the age-old wisdom and practical knowledge of nature that many of us have lost. Samantha correlates the natural rhythms of the land with the movements of the heart and spirit. I can give no higher praise of her book than this: it has made me yearn to spend my days outside, praying as I work in my garden.”
Maria Troutman Author, Liturgy in the Home with Maria Substack