Lakeland is blessed with an abundance of parks, lakes, and gardens. The Kincart Prayer Garden at First Presbyterian Church (FPC) is unique in that it offers visitors not only a serene place to sit for a moment but a walking tour of plants that might be found in Biblical times and locations.
The garden was conceived of and created by John King, longtime FPC member and noted horticulturalist. It was made possible by a generous donation from the Kincart family.
Born and raised in Lakeland, King’s blossoming career began at Peterson’s Nursery in Lakeland. He worked there in high school and later attended Florida Southern College where he earned a degree in horticulture.
After college, he opened his own business as a landscape designer, and he is well-known in the area for his inspired designs.
Prayer Garden
“This was a labor of love,” King says about the process of creating the garden. “I did the original design for the church, and when the garden came up, we decided to do a walk through the Bible. All of the plants in the garden are represented in the Bible. We have markers throughout the garden showing the relation of the plants to the Bible.”
The garden was founded on three principles of ancient gardens in the Middle East: water, shade, and rest/contemplation.
There is ample space for rest and contemplation throughout the garden, and FPC invites all to come and walk through the garden and to sit in prayer or meditation at any time.
“Every day, there’s foliage, flowers, something different,” King says. “This gives people the idea of the story God chooses. The whole reason we are here is worshipping him, telling the story of the Bible.”
King says the garden tells the story in real life and gives people an ability to understand something you can see, not something you have to believe. “Someone tells you the story,” he says.
“You can walk through there, and you’ll have the whole thing,” he says, “the scent, the sound. You can sit on a bench and contemplate.”
Children
“Gardens give children a lifelong experience,” he says. “They teach responsibility, how to care for things, and how to appreciate nature.”
“Children respond because they are happy to see things grow, to see color and bugs,” he says. “They have a natural interest in what’s going on. They want to see something unusual and different; a color change; or something that is exciting because it changes daily.”
The garden is located next to FPC’s Little Shepherds preschool, and the children often walk through the garden.
We invite everyone to enjoy the garden.