Try These Plant Ideas for a Prayer Garden

By Jennifer Poindexter

If you’re looking to create a peaceful space in your yard or garden, a prayer garden may be a good option for you.

Yet, if you’re unfamiliar with prayer gardens (or what to grow to create one), you’re in the right place. I’ll walk you through what a prayer garden is and share ideas as to which plants are a good fit for this style of gardening.

Hopefully, this information will help you pick plants which are correct for your planting zone. It should also help you with creating an ideal growing location for the plants selected.

Here are some of the best plants to incorporate into your prayer garden:

What You’ll Learn

• The concept and purpose of a prayer garden.
• How to choose plants based on your personal preferences and their scriptural references.
• The ideal conditions for growing a variety of plants including orchids, boxwood shrubs, and maranta.
• How to ensure the chosen plants are suitable for your specific planting zone.

What Is a Prayer Garden?

A prayer garden is a quiet space filled with plants that you enjoy. You can add a sitting space, statues, or anything else that brings a sense of calmness to you.

This can be a space where you go to pray, meditate, or take a break from the world. It can be as large or small of a space as you prefer.

Some people make their prayer gardens intricate while others go for a more simplistic approach. Also, some gardeners like to pick plants with a scriptural reference, while others incorporate plants based upon their enjoyment.

Utilize the plants in the following section to create a prayer garden that best fits your style and purpose for the space.

Best Plants for a Prayer Garden

Now that you have a better idea of what a prayer garden is, let’s talk about the plants you may use to fill it.

Consider what conditions your growing space provides. Then look through this list and pick the plants which work best for your ideal prayer garden:

1. Orchids

Orchids are plants which prefer certain temperatures when grown outdoors. They do best when daytime temperatures are between 60- and 90-degrees Fahrenheit. They don’t do well when night temperatures dip below 50-degrees Fahrenheit.

This plant also needs a growing location with soil created specifically for orchids. It needs indirect sunlight as well. Orchids can remain hardy in planting zones two through nine.

2. Boxwood Shrubs

Boxwood shrubs make a great natural barrier for your prayer garden. They look nice to outline the perimeter of the growing space or when placed around statues or sitting areas.

If you decide that your prayer garden could use subtle beauty, be sure to provide boxwood shrubs with full to partial sunlight and well-draining soil. In turn, anticipate the shrubs remaining hardy in planting zones five through nine.

3. Thalia

Thalia is a hardy plant that typically grows in aquatic areas and reaches heights between six to ten feet. This plant stands out for its skinny stems and large, green leaves.

Should you decide to add this plant to your prayer garden, it’ll need loamy soil that’s consistently wet. It grows well in shallow water and enjoys full sunlight. Thalia is hardy in planting zones six through ten.

4. Maranta

Maranta is a versatile plant that grows well indoors or outdoors. You may grow it in a container, in the ground, or in a hanging basket. It’s hard to miss this plant due to its rich, green leaves that have a uniquely colored stripe design on them.

If maranta has a place in your prayer garden, be sure to overwinter it indoors as this plant only remains hardy in zones eleven and twelve. It’ll also need a space with dappled sunlight and well-draining soil.

5. Arrowroot

Arrowroot consists of large green leaves and a vibrant, spiky bloom in its center. This is a larger plant that reaches heights between one and five feet.

This is another plant you’ll either grow as an annual or overwinter indoors in most areas as it’s only hardy in planting zones ten through twelve. Arrowroot also needs soil that’s sandy and well-draining. Be sure to supply this plant with ample sunlight as well.

6. Rosemary

You may think that only flowering plants have room in a prayer garden. In reality, you may pick plants which both flower and are functional. One example of this is herbs.

Rosemary is a great herb to incorporate into your prayer garden for its beauty, scent, and functionality in the kitchen. Rosemary is hardy in planting zones seven and higher. It needs bright growing conditions and the soil it’s grown in must drain adequately as well.

7. Buttercups

Buttercups are a cheerful, bright, and low-maintenance perennial plant that could make a great addition to your prayer garden.

When growing this plant, be sure to supply a location with full sunlight, well-draining soil, and adequate airflow. Buttercups should remain hardy in planting zones five through nine.

8. Sage

Sage is one of my favorite herbs to grow because of its coloring and textured leaves. It stands out in most growing locations due to the plant’s characteristics.

If you’d like to add sage to your prayer garden, it does well in areas of full to partial sunlight. This herb also needs soil that’s well-draining. If provided adequate care, this plant should remain hardy in planting zones five through eight.

9. Coral Bells

Coral bells are another favorite plant of mine. They could make a beautiful addition to your prayer garden due to their rich coloring.

When growing coral bells, be sure to provide soil that’s both well-draining and highly nutritious. Lighting isn’t as big of an issue with coral bells as they can thrive in any area that provides full sunlight to full shade. Coral bells should remain hardy in planting zones four through nine.

10. Inch Plant

The inch plant has beautiful foliage with designs and rich coloring that makes it a great addition to your prayer garden and also serves as a houseplant. Since this plant is only hardy in planting zones eight through twelve, be prepared to overwinter it indoors.

If you decide the inch plant has a place in your prayer garden, ensure you provide the necessary growing conditions. Inch plants need nutritious, well-draining soil. It also needs dappled sunlight throughout the day as well.

11. Peacock Plant

The peacock plant has beautiful foliage that could add a great deal of character to your prayer garden. This plant is only hardy in planting zones eleven and twelve, so be prepared to grow it indoors over the winter. For the peacock plant to thrive, it needs a growing location which consists of temperatures ranging from 60- to 80-degrees Fahrenheit. 

In these conditions the plant can handle more light, but too much sunlight will dampen its coloring. As the temperatures rise, provide more shade. The peacock plant also needs soil that drains adequately.

12. Dogwood Tree

Dogwood trees are beautiful flowering trees which reach heights between fifteen and forty feet. When growing this plant, be sure to supply a few specifics to encourage optimal growth.

Dogwood trees require well-draining soil that retains necessary moisture but allows excess to flow away quickly. These trees do well in full to partial sunlight and should remain hardy in planting zones five through nine.

13. Lavender

Lavender makes an excellent choice for a prayer garden due to its bushy shape and gorgeous coloring. This plant enjoys lots of sunlight, but during the hottest days of summer, it will be satisfied with morning sunlight and afternoon shade.

You should also amend the soil wherever you grow lavender as it enjoys a growing medium that’s high in nutrients and drains adequately. Lavender should remain hardy in planting zones five through nine.

14. White Roses

White roses are a wonderful way to add a sense of peace to your prayer garden. Roses are a plant you either love or you want no part of. If you’re someone who enjoys roses, then consider this option for your garden.

Roses are typically hardy in planting zones five through eight. They do need a growing space which consists of direct sunlight, quality soil that drains adequately, and consistent watering.

15. Resurrection Ferns

I love ferns. They’re easy to care for and provide nice color to any space they’re introduced to. Resurrection ferns provide the same qualities and could be a great addition to your prayer garden.

Your prayer garden should provide nutrient-dense soil that drains adequately, but it also must provide full to partial shade for these plants to remain healthy. Resurrection ferns should remain hardy in planting zones six through eleven.

You now have fifteen different options for plants when creating a prayer garden. Anything on this list that you enjoy, brings a sense of peace, or makes you want to stop and take it all in could be a good option for this style of garden.

Utilize these options to create a space you’ll love to care for and visit. Then either share your beautiful prayer garden with friends or treat it as a place of solitude. 

Key Takeaways

• Prayer gardens are personal spaces designed to foster peace and tranquility through the incorporation of plants and other elements that hold special meaning or bring joy to the individual.
• Selecting the right plants involves considering both the aesthetic appeal and the growing conditions they require. Each plant option mentioned in the article thrives in different soil types, light conditions, and temperature ranges.
• Understanding planting zones is crucial to ensure the successful growth of your selected plants. From ferns to flowering trees, each plant has a specific hardiness zone, which should be a guiding factor in your choice.
• Incorporating versatility through a mix of herbs, flowering plants, and trees can provide not only a visually pleasing space but also functional benefits, such as herbs that can be used in the kitchen.
• Tailoring your prayer garden to suit your personal style and preferences is key; from the simplistic approach to intricate designs, your prayer garden should be a reflection of what brings you peace and tranquility.

Prayer Garden Plants: Quick Growing Reference Chart

Learn More About Prayer Gardens

https://www.csu.edu.au/special/accc/biblegarden/plants-of-the-garden

https://holmes.edu/events-of-note/r-d-waters-prayer-garden/

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