The Empty Tomb Garden

Another idea from Pinterest. Another picture. I clicked into the blog to find out more details about it, but the blogger was just showing us a picture. No instructions. So I made up my own...

You'll need potting soil, grass seed, large clay saucer, small clay pot
and saucer, twigs, and twine.

First build three crosses with twigs and twine. Our twigs were pretty
flimsy so we doubled them up, but you could just use
two twigs per cross instead of four.

Next, use potting soil to build a hill inside the large clay saucer.
My saucer is about 12 inches in diameter, and I used about
4 quarts of potting soil. As you build, place the small clay
pot into the hill like a cave.

When your hill is mostly made, insert the three crosses,
then add dirt to stabilize them as needed.

Sprinkle grass seed over the hill. I didn't want to buy a huge
bag of seed (though I'm sure our yard could have used it),
so I found a small packet of Cat Grass. Use
a bit more dirt to cover the seeds.

We placed some small stones around the entrance to the cave
and placed the small pot's saucer to the side to show that the
"stone was rolled away."

We're using a spray bottle to gently spray the hill with water
as we don't want to wash it all away as we water our seeds.

And now we wait... I hope Cat Grass grows fast, because I can't wait to share this project with you!

Since we're waiting, I'd thought I'd let you know that at this point my 5-year-old has exclaimed that "this is a cool project, Mom!" My 7-year-old echoed her sentiments. As we built our crosses, hill, and empty tomb, we talked about the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.

First growth!

As the cat grass continues to grow, I'm not at all happy
with the lack of density. So I've found some regular
grass seed that I've added to the dirt. Now we wait
for THAT to grow. Maybe I should have planted weeds.

GAH! Growing things is not my area of expertise.
So the cat grass, though sparse, is needing a mow, and the other
grass is barely starting to show.

Oh... and the white thing in the empty tomb is the folded
up cloth Jesus left behind. I used a piece of paper towel
that I wet and folded and allowed to dry.

I'm getting impatient. I want to share this project with you because it's cool and my kids LOVED LOVED LOVED it. Maybe you'll have better luck with growing your seed. And maybe next time I'll plant some weeds.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” Matthew 28: 2-7

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11:25-26