Mary's Garden

Honoring Mary in Your Garden

The flowers that grow in our gardens can be reminders of Mary, the Mother of God. It was during the Middle Ages that people saw reminders of Mary, the Mother of God, in the flowers and herbs growing around them. Violets were symbols of her humility, lilies her purity and roses her glory. They called her “Flower of Flowers,” and named plants after her. Marigolds were Mary’s Gold, clematis was the Virgin’s Bower and lavender was Our Lady’s Drying Plant.

In the last century, prior to the Second Vatican Council of the early 1960’s, people also honored Mary with flowers. May crownings were the tradition in Catholic schools during Mary’s month of May, and makeshift home altars bearing an image of Mary were decorated with the choicest home-grown blossoms. Those traditions have almost disappeared, but the medieval custom of finding reminders of Mary’s attributes, glory and sorrows in flowers and herbs has left a legacy that can enrich our lives today.

Reflecting on the flower names, we can honor Mary and find relevance for our own lives. We model Mary’s humility as we gaze upon the humble violet, sing her praises with petunias and share her sorrows as we behold the purple blossoms and sword-like leaves of the blue flag iris. Flower and herb legends tell us about important moments in Mary’s life. The Madonna Lily was carried by the Angel Gabriel when he visited Mary to tell her God had chosen her to be the mother of the Savior. Our Lady’s Bedstraw, Holy Hay and other herbs became radiant in the humble manger where Mary gave birth to Jesus. Carnations and the Christmas Rose bloomed on that night. More than 30 flowers and herbs bear legends about Mary’s life. Many of the plants can be easily grown in your own Mary Garden, a garden dedicated to Mary and containing her image and plants associated with her by name or legend.

Excerpted from Mary’s Flowers: Gardens, Legends & Meditations (B3496), by Vincenzina Krymow. Illustrated by A. Joseph Barrish, S.M. Meditations by M. Jean Frisk. ©1999. Published in the United States and available from St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1615 Republic Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210.

"The Hail Mary is a blessed dew that falls from heaven upon the souls of the predestinate. It gives them a marvelous spiritual fertility so that they can grow in all virtues. The more the garden of the soul is watered by this prayer, the more enlightened one's intellect becomes, the more zealous his heart, and the stronger his armor against spiritual enemies."
The Secret of the Rosary by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

We can make our hearts a garden for Jesus and Mary by praying the rosary every day.