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                                               Intro Mary Garden


Mary's Garden: Say It With Flowers

North American Voice of Fatima                	November 15, 1971

by Bonnie Roberson

	Many times I have been asked, "Just what is a Mary's Garden?"
To state it simply, Mary's Garden is a garden composed of flowers
dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, having her statue or
plcture as the focal point of the garden.  It may be either large
or small, indoor or outdoor.  It should be a garden of love and of
beauty, of sharing plants with others, of teaching others,
especially children, the Christian truths.

        .

	Mary's Gardens were well known in Europe during the Middle
Ages.  A documentation from the British Museum reveals the
existence of one at Norwich Priory in 1531.

	Believed to be the first in the U.S.A. is the one at St.
Joseph's Church in Woods Hole, Massschusetts, planted in 1932 by
Mrs. Francis Lillle.  An article by Father James J. Galvm, C.S.S.R.
brought this garden to the attention of Edward A. G. McTague and
John S. Stokes Jr., who founded the present Mary Garden program in
Philadelphia in 1951.  I became aware of this program by seeing an
ad in a Catholic paper, and I am presently involved in the program
from Hagerman, Idaho, as a spare time, spare money "Labor of Love"
for Our Lady.  In 1962, my work came to the attention of the Herb
Society of America, and I was asked to display a Mary Garden in
Washington, D.C. at their annual meeting. The dispiay was well
received.

1,200 Names

	Much research has been done and many old dictionaries and
early gardening books have been the source of the original 300
plant names used in our first list, which has now reached over
1,200 names.

	Since time immemorial, man has always named flowers, plants or
healing herbs with names of God or Saints.  In simple faith and
love for Our Lady, Christians have decicated all white flowers to
her; white being clean and pure, this was associated with her
purity.  The lily was especially dedicated to Our Lady, as we can
see from the early Christian paintings.  Roses, symbol of love,
were also dedicated to her; flowers that bloomed on or near her
feasts were called "Annunciation Flower", "Purification Flower",
"Our Lady's 8irthday Flower," just to name a few.

	As the early missionaries spread the Christian message, the
new converts saw in their own flora a likeness to Christian truths.
The flora of Mexico and South America is a good example of this;
several philodendrons with wing-like leaves are known as 'Espirito
Santo' (Holy Spirit).  One white orchid is known as 'Holy Ghost
flower,' but we now call it Dove Orchid.  The well known
Poinsettia, blooming at or near Christmas, is known as the "Flower
of the Holy Night."  Heart of Mary is one of the Begonias.  Our
Lady's Earrings became Coral Drops.  "Oro de Maria," Mary's Gold,
still keeps its original name.

Miniature Gardens

  Of tbe more than 1,200 plants having religious symbolic names,
all have some resemblance to their colloquial name.  Trinity
flowers have three petals or three leaves; Our Lady's Mantle has a
leaf shaped like a mantle or cape; Angelica or Holy Spirit Herb is
associated with the Annunciation because of its period of bloom;
Red Peony was called Pentecost Rose, from its season of bloom and
symbolic color.

	There are many people who would love to grow a Mary Garden,
but due to lack of space or poor health or any disability are
unable to have an outdoor garden.  For these people, there has been
developed an "Indoor Garden" or "Miniature Mary Garden," composed of
house plants, most of them often tender tropical plants.  There are
also gardens for the blind with fragrant and unusual textured
plants; there are Terrarium gardens for those who can do little or
no work, for these are of no care once they are planted.  There are
endless designs one can have; the most important part is having
plants that are compatible, needing the same light requirements and
moisture.  Cacti varieties will need more light and less water than
the lush tropicals.

Many Catholic groups, instead of the usual potted plants or floral
arrangements, are giving small "planter" gardens with a small
statue of Our Lady placed at the rear of the plants, and attaching
a note explaining the symbolism of each plant.


Reprinted with permission

Photo added by Mary's Gardens.