Chat &
Photos
12 Photos
South Florida Home Mary Garden
Matt & Lesley Vaitekunas sfo, Coconut Creek, FL
Jun 15, 2003 - Lesley to Michael Holden
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for today's talk on the Flowers of Our Lady
and Mary Gardens. You were great! We loved having you come to
visit our Franciscan group.
I will have to take a photo of the WHITE periwinkle that I was
telling you about. First of all it was a miracle to have a
periwinkle growing out of the concrete last year, and it was light
purple, but then this year shortly after we planted the Mary's
garden a new periwinkle appeared in the concrete and this time it
was WHITE. And it is profuse in its blooms. Last year only had
three (?Trinity?) blooms. We have NEVER planted periwinkles before
and last year is the first time we have ever had one grow at our
home, much less in the concrete. We have lived here since 1988!! I
know it is God's way of encouraging us, as Fr. Ian Taylor from
Trinidad said when he saw itÉ "All things are possible through
Christ,
I just had to share the story today because to me it was God at
work.
We hope you are able to come next Sunday, when Fr. Gustavo from
Colombia will say Mass and bless the Mary's garden. I don't have a
lot of flowers yet, but it is a beginning, inexpensively.
Jun 18, 2003 - John Stokes to Michael
Thanks and congratulations on your superb Mary Garden presentation
on June 15, as so fully summarized in your message of the 16th. I
regret you didn't tape it.
I will reply fully, but wanted to acknowledge and thank you for it
now,.
Also, I am in receipt of a superb and most extensively researched
guide to "What Grows in Florida" from Al Manassa - with divisions
into 3 parts for N., Central and S. Florida, of which I will get
copies to you; and which I thank you, Al, by way of a copy of this
message, and regarding which I will reply fully when I have time do
do it justice.
Great developments for Mary Gardens and the Flowers of Our Lady in
Florida!
Jun 19, 2003 - John to Michael & Al Manassa
Just as a start I've made a trial posting of the South Florida
Planting Guide to the website, adapting it graphically from the
originals sent to me by you, Al, at
GARDENING
Starting Your Mary Garden
For Experienced Gardeners
3 - Planting Guide for Tropical South Florida
Michael, this will enable you to fill Leslie's request for a S.
Florida list, although you may want to add flower Mary-names.
Jun 19, 2003 - Lesley to Michael
I am trying to get a "head count" for Sunday's Mass and Mary's
Garden blessing. We would like to go grocery shopping tomorrow, so
we need an idea of how many are coming of those we invited. So, if
you could please let me know I would be most appreciative.
I have looked up the blessings for the Garden on the internet.
You will be proud of me because this past week I have planted
several more plants. I will send you some photos. Maggie gave me
the idea of planting an area of a desert, it has three crown of
thorns, three aloe vera plants, with rocks and with three miniature
roses nearby. Plus some other flowers and plants. Your talk got me
encouraged to go out and just DO IT. I was going to wait for the
list of those plants to use in Florida, but I decided to just try
it and see what happens!
We prayed that Mary would bless them and help them to grow. But,
Sunday Fr. Gustavo will do the official blessing. He is excited
about it too!! He is learning English and this will be his first
blessing of a Mary's Garden. I am sure he will share it with his
Hispanic community, so God will get the glory! Amen. Just as Mary
would have it giving her Son the glory!
Jun 10, 2003 - Michael to Lesley
We regret they we will be unable to be with you on Sunday for the
dedication of your Mary Garden. We sincerely thank you for your
invitation, and know that we will be missing a very special event.
However, you will all be remembered in our prayers at Mass for a
successful and holy afternoon.
I would suggest, and encourage you to take pictures of the
dedication ceremony on Sunday with the intention of possibly
sharing this important event with John Stokes directly - since he
would be extremely happy to hear about this dedication. You could
also include some of the photographs in your report. It would be
simple if you have - or can borrow - a digital camera. However,
being the important event it will be, you will probably take lots
of pictures with an ordinary camera. (Kodak does make a throw-away
digital camera.) When developing your regular film, the photos
could be put on a CD for later inclusion in your emails.
Your record of this event will do much to advance the practical
knowledge of home Mary Gardens, and will be an encouragement to
others. Again, examples of others who have sent their Mary Garden
photos to John appear in the CHAT section of the website, where you
can view them later - at your convenience - as examples of what
others have accomplished.
I received a list today from John prepared by Al Manssa on South
Florida Flowers of Our Lady. It is a preliminary listing, and
needs to have the Mary-names added. However, you can find the list
on the web site under
GARDENING
Starting Your Mary Garden
For Experienced Gardeners
3 - Planting Guide for Tropical South Florida
Developing a list of Flowers of Our Lady for South Florida is a
whole new undertaking for Mary's Gardens. That is why I would
encourage you to keep a record of flowers which are successful in
the garden which you have started in your particular area - noteing
their names, how well they do, and their growing season, etc. Your
record keeping would be a pioneer undertaking for future gardens to
be planted in this unique climate. At present, your Mary Garden is
the only 'official' Mary Garden so far south in the United States.
Because of the uniqueness of the climate here, your work is
important!
Please keep in touch regarding this wonderful day to come. I look
forward to hearing (and seeing) what happens.
Have a blessed Mary Gardens' Dedication Day.
Jun 20 - Michael to Lesley
Thanks for all the encouraging news about the upcoming Mary Garden
dedication. We will look forward to photographs and a description
of the dedication.
You may want to include John Stokes - founder of Mary's Gardens -
in your emails; I know he would appreciate reading them, and
corresponding with you regarding this new and important venture. He
will - I am sure - willingly help you in any way he can with advice
and suggestions for your Mary Garden. Any communication among Mary
Gardens Associates benefits all. His email address is:
marysgardens@mgardens.org
You might also want to include Fr. Tom Stanley in your
correspondence as well. It is Fr. Tom who wrote the meditations
which were so well-received at the presentation last Sunday. These
meditations were an outgrowth of his establishment of a Mary
Garden at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Portage, Michigan. The
article can be accessed on the MG web site under the name of the
church, and includes photos of the garden. He is in retirement in
Hollywood, and would enjoy hearing about your garden.
I am looking forward to your next report.
Jun 20, 2003 - Lesley & Matt to Michael
We will miss you!! I did not know that ours will be the only
"official" Mary's Garden this far south. I am not a gardener, so
Our Blessed Virgin Mary will be interceding for us for the success
of Her garden!! I did not think of keeping a record, but I will do
so now that you have asked me to. We have a digital camera and we
will be posting the pictures on the web as you suggested.
Since I have started this garden the excitement and faith of all
those I have shared it with is growing! PRAISE GOD! Good fruit!!
My husband did a lot in preparing the garden, so it is helping him
too.
I just found the picture of the PURPLE periwinkle growing up
through the concrete from last year!!! AND now this year the WHITE
one which appeared right around the time we started the Garden! I
think that is part of the "miracle" that has happened so far.
Our God is a good God, all the time!! Amen!
Thank you for writing, your letters always encourage me to continue
on in whatever I am undertaking for the Lord.
I must tell you the story of Our Lady of Perpetual Help some day.
I will send you a newsletter that explains what happened a few
years ago in regards to Her intercession. I think it is very
interesting to note that I am a convert and was at one time very
"anti-Catholic" and now look at what God has done!! PRAISE HIM in
all things!! Amen!
Well, thanks again for the information and YES we will do as you
asked.
PLEASE PRAY FOR GOOD WEATHERÉ NO RAIN for at least an hour or so!!
The Mass will be indoors, but we want it to be nice outside for the
blessing.
It is so good to see a priest so excited too. He is really looking
forward to doing this.
Fr. Gustavo loves Our Blessed Virgin Mary very much and has taught
me a lot about "Our Lady of Chiquinquira" from Colombia.
In His love, peace and abundant JOY keep in touch!!
Jun 24, 2003 - Lesley to Michael
Greetings in Christ!
Just wanted to let you know how the Mary's Garden blessing went
yesterday! There were about 14 of us.
Before the priest arrived I told everyone a little bit about what a
Mary's Garden is, and what each of the flowers we planted
represented.
We also told them that in one section of the garden we made a
desert and as we progressed across the garden we came to Our
Blessed Virgin Mary and on the other side was the bird bathÉ
The desert is for the times in our lives where we feel dry and
arid. Mary leads us to Jesus and he is our living water!
Padre Gustavo blessed the ground and flowers first, and then the
statue. He used a combination of two of the prayers. . . Then we
sang some songs to Mary.
During the blessing a beautiful orange butterfly came and flew
around the garden. An added blessing from God!
The weather was perfect too!! Thanks be to God.
Thank YOU so very much for helping me with this whole idea. I have
been wanting to have a Mary's Garden ever since I read about it in
a book a year ago. You helped to inspire me to actually DO IT!!
THANKS again and again!
May God bless you in your work. Let us pray for one another.
"Prayer is the greatest gift that one friend can offer another."
(Cardinal Cooke)
God bless you and thanks again for your talk at the sfo's.
I might put you to work again someday if that is o.k. with you??
In His love, peace and JOY,
Jun 28, 2003 - John to Lesley
Michael Holden has shared with me at Mary's Gardens in Philadelphia
your and his e-mail exchanges regarding his lecture and, then, the
blessing of your and Matt's Mary Garden.
In your message to him of June 23, which he forwarded to me, copy
attached, you mentioned something of much interest to me on which I
would like to comment:
"In one section of the garden we made a desert and as we
progressed across the garden we came to Our Blessed Virgin
Mary and on the other side was the bird bathÉ
"The desert is for the times in our lives where we feel dry
and arid. Mary leads us to Jesus and he is our living
water!"
On reading this I was immediately reminded of an excerpt from an
article by the poet, Brother Antoninas (William Everson) in
"Ramparts" magazine, September, 1962, in which he said:
"The entire garden (at the Dominican House of Studies,
Oakland Calif.), is conceived in the pattern, if hardly
the perfection, of the Italian Renaissance, and in my
sojourn here it has filled me with distinct repugnance.
From the first I judged it more fit for the resorts of
that world out there than for the very heart of a Dominican
monastery.
"In a cloister I wanted nothing more for vegetation than
the long-bladed cactus that grows in the desert. I wanted
it set in otherwise denuded earth, with one of those
unforgettable Spanish crucifixes dominating the center.
I wanted everything here to evoke, call up and project,
yes, cry out the Passion and Death of Our Lord Christ,
Jesus, King and Redeemer of men, that we might be called
hourly to our own passion, that thedeath of self, that
redemption of the interior man, in the eternal crucifixion
which is the life of man in God."
I of course value, as well, the joyful and glorious aspects of
gardens but thought this was an impassioned expression of the
sorrowful aspect, and the purgative, sacrificial mode.
Secondly, I was reminded of "Resurrection Plant", Anastatica
hierochuntica - one of the plants known, also, as "Rose of
Jericho". This is a low shrub native to the Holy Land desert, and
receives its name from its characteristic of surviving as a rolling
ball in the dry desert, and then in hours "resurrecting" into bloom
when it receives some moisture.
It is difficult for us to obtain horticulturally, but I understand
the "balls" may be sold in Holy Land gift shops - although people I
have corresponded with there via e-mail have been unable to find
any. In doing an Internet search just now, I found a source for it
at "Abbys - der shop" in Germany. at the Internet website:
http://www.abbys-shop.de/index.html?rose_jericho.html
from which I attach a downloaded partial page photo - Anastatica
hierochuntica.gif
- from which I translate the German description (with some
guesses) as:
"The Rose of Jericho (Latin Anastatica hierochuntica) which
also is named Resurrection Plant is a little Syrian plant
from the family Crossblooms (Latin, Cruciferia). It is at
most only up to 15 cm high and displays little white blooms.
After the blooms fall the leaves fold up inwards so that
the plant becomes a ball. In the desert it is often blown
in the wind. When the plant again falls into some water it
suddenly springs open again and spreads its seeds. It can
survive a long time in its windblown state and then wake up
as soon as it again receives some dampness. Then one sees
some lush green leaves again and flowers resembling little
roses, from which it also bears the name Rose of Jericho.
"Price: 12 Euros"
I am forwarding copies of this message to our group of colleagues
and some correspondents - the way in which we keep one another
informed of developments - in case one or more of them (or you)
might elect to attempt to obtain this plant. It may not be possible
for individuals to import plants from Germany, but it might be
possible through a botanical garden, such as the Fairchild
Botanical Garden in Miami, at:
fairchildgarden.org
To get this plant under cultivation in a Mary Garden would be an
important addition to the restoration of the Flowers of Our Lady
and Mary Gardens. (In my 80's I'm no longer able to garden,
myself.)
A copy of this message will go to colleague, Vincenzina Krymow,
whose "Mary's Flowers, Gardens, Legends and Meditations" was no
doubt the "book on Mary Gardens" you mentioned in an earlier
message to Michael as the inspiration for your Mary Garden. Her
latest book, "Healing Plants of the Bible" has just tied for the
highest award in the spirituality-hardcover category of the recent
Catholic Book Awards competition for 2002 sponsored by the Catholic
Press Association of the United States and Canada. Her "Mary's
Flowers...", second-published last year in paperback, received a
similar award for its original publishing in 1999. It includes an
illustration, a full account of the Rose of Jericho legends, and a
mediation on pp. 86 - 89.
There is also an American "Rose of Jericho"/"Resurrection Plant",
Selaginella pilifera, with similar desert characteristics to those
of Anastatica hierochuntica, per the attached photo, Selaginella
pilifera2.gif I can't translate the language, but note it is a
Mexican desert plant. (I downloaded this some time ago for the
photo, but can't re-locate the website just now to get the lost
Internet address). Somewhere I read S. pilifera is also native to
Texas.
Selaginella pilifera was apparently named "Resurrection Plant" when
it was come across by New World missionaries who noted the
Resurrection resemblance to the Mediterranean Anastatica
hierochuntica.
There is also, from the same genus, Selaginella lepidophylla, per
the attached composite wet/dry photo, Selaginella
lepidophylla2.gif, and to which the same names - Resurrection Plant
and "Rose of Sharon" - have been applied, although this is a club
moss fern plant with no blooms.
The addition of one or more of these plants to your Mary Garden -
with perhaps dry ball plants in the "desert" section, and a wet
blooming ones in the wet birdbath section, would be of much
symbolic and horticultural interest.
The following are quotes from various websites setting forth
aspects of the behavior and care of these plants.
http://www.teachervision.com
"Resurrection plant is the name for several plants, usually
of arid regions, that may apparently be brought back to
life after they are dead. In reality they have hygroscopic
qualities which cause them to curl up when dry and to
unfold when moist. They are frequently sold in the dried
condition as a novelty. The most common are the rose of
Jericho and the bird's-nest moss, a club moss (Selaginella
lepidophylla), native to Mexico and Texas has flattened
branches and is capable of growing if it has not been dry
too long. It is also sold in Mexican markets for use as a
diuretic. These plants are classified in the division
Lycopodiophyta (club mosses).
o O o
http://plantsdatabase.com
"Resurrection Plant, Rose of Jericho, Selaginella
lepidophylla
Height:
6-12 in. (15-30 cm)
Spacing:
6-9 in. (15-22 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 8a (-9.5¡ C to -12.2¡ C)
USDA Zone 8b (-6.7¡ C to -9.4¡ C)
USDA Zone 9a (-3.9¡ C to -6.6¡ C)
USDA Zone 9b (-1.2¡ C to -3.8¡ C)
USDA Zone 10a (1.6¡ C to -1.1¡ C)
USDA Zone 10b (4.4¡ C to 1.7¡ C)
(J.S. note: These are the North, Central and
South Florida zones)
Sun Exposure:
Partial to Full Shade
Soil pH requirements:
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline)
8.6 to 9.0 (strongly alkaline)
[ Copyright © Dave's Garden, Inc. 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003 ]
o O o
http://www.netfysh.com/prods/prod_tb1.html
"Resurrection Plant - Selaginella lepidophylla
"Also called the Rose of Jericho. Starts as a dried up
brittle brown ball. Just add water and within hours it
(unfolds)
"It...can be planted in very porous soil - they will grow
bigger and produce offsets-but you have to quit watering
them and let them ball back up several times a year."
o O o
And, an English source of the plant,
http://www/stylesource.co.uk/gardens/unusualplants/000411tesurr/asp
"Resurrection Fern - Selaginella lepidophylla
"When you fist look at it, you think it's just a ball of dry,
crisp leaves and if you crush it in your hand they would
literally turn into dust. But this plant has some very
special properties, because it you (water it), something
almost unbelievable happens. The plant actually comes back
to life.
"Rehydrating, it absorbs the water, uncurling its fronds
literally overnite, and unravels itself to become a lush
green fern again. I can then live happily in a temperature
not below 50 degrees F. And the plant is tolerant of
low-light areas or partial shade.
"The magic of this plant is that if you let it dry out it
just curls up into a ball, (re-water it) and it comes back
to life... It can continuously be de-hydrated and
re-hydrated as the mood takes you."
o O o
These particular thoughts aside, it was a joy to learn of your Mary
Garden, and its blessing, and I look forward to seeing some photos
of it in mature bloom, or of the blessing ceremony.
Your account of the butterfly at the blessing ceremony is
representative of so many delightful occurrences in new Mary
Gardens. I started my own first Flowers of Our Lady just as plants
in a pre-existing garden, and when I later put up a little focal
pole-mounted wayside shrine to make it a Mary Garden, the birds
overnight wove a nest of twigs around the little Marian figurine.
(See, on the website,
ARCHIVAL
50 Years of Developmental Articles
1955 - In Mary's Garden)
Jun 28, 2003 - Lesley to John
SHALOM!!!! Greetings in Christ!!
WOW your letter was beautiful and very informative. We are leaving
for a weeks vacation tomorrow morning, so I am not able to
investigate all that you wrote right now. However, as soon as we
return I will.
My husband is working on a website for our family, and in it he
will have an album for our Mary's Garden. We will share it with
you then.
Yes, the day of the blessing of the Mary Garden was beautiful. I
was a wee bit concerned because in South Florida it rains every
afternoon around 3 p.m. during this time of the year. So, all week
long I had been praying that The Good Lord would shine down upon us
and keep the rain away until the blessing was over. It is a prayer
he answered "YES" to!! Praise GOD!!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the desert part of the
garden.
Fr. Gustavo (a "precious priest" from Colombia) suggested that we
put a cross up in the desert. When we go to our farm in N.Y.S. in
August I will bring back some boards from our old barn and see if
that will work as a cross. I don't know how it will look, but we
shall see!
There is "another story" in our lives and it involves the building
of a retreat center and chapel for priests in upstate N.Y.. My
husband and I have a ministry for priests which began in my heart
in 1991, shortly after my conversion to Catholicism. It is an
awesome testimony of God's actions in my life and soon we will have
a web page for it too. We will tell "the story" on that web site.
Hopefully within the next few weeks/months.
We are in the process of setting up a non-profit religious
organization that will enable us to seek donations for the building
of the center. In the mean time we help priests and seminarians in
other ways, such as helping them with their English and giving them
a place to "rest their heads" when they pass through our area.
The ministry is called the "Top Lot" Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
Ministry for Clergy.
A few months ago I woke up one morning with the plan in my head of
how to build it. Currently a lady, who was an architect in Peru,
but lives here now, is helping to draw a sketch of it. Then she
will make a model, so we will be able to show it to people in hopes
of receiving donations to build the center.
ANYWAY, as part of the project we will have a MARY'S Garden, and
also a garden for St. Pio, St. Therese of Lisieux, and St. Francis
of Assisi. (I am a Secular Franciscan now, since 1999) Praise
GOD!!!
So, we have a lot to accomplish. Please help us with your prayers!!
I feel that having our Mary Garden here in So. Florida is just the
beginning. I know that Our Lady has been helping all along and
will continue to do so.
I can tell that you also have been given a "mission by God" to
accomplish in your lifetime. So, I know that you know what I am
experiencing in working towards accomplishing the goal. You have
certainly accomplished your "assignment!!" I feel as though we are
just beginning ours!!
I know I must be patient and wait "in God's time," but I have been
"burning with zeal" since I first "received" this whole "Grand
Plan" about His priests!!!
Our motto for the ministry is "Top Lot" a ministry of prayer and
action for God's priests "to continue to be filled with the
Apostolic ZEAL of the Holy Spirit for the Salvation of souls."
AMEN!
God bless you and keep you and may His face shine upon you always!
In His love, peace and JOY always and forever,
Jun 28, 2003 - Lesley to John
Hello, again. I just read the story you referred me to, "In Mary's
Garden". It was beautiful, and I realized that I had enjoyed
reading it once before when I first started to read about Mary's
Gardens!
Did Michael tell you the little story about the white periwinkles?
Forgive me if you have already heard it.
A few years ago we had a priest staying in our home from
Trinidad. He looked out the window onto our patio, near the pool.
He saw a purple periwinkle, with THREE Flowers on it. He got all
excited and called me over. He said "do you see that flower? If
God can bring that flower up through the concrete I want you to
look at that and "Top Lot" I want you to remember that
"God can do ALL THINGS." Amen! Here comes the interesting
partÉ
This year, around the same time we planted the Mary Garden, I
noticed another periwinkle coming up through the concrete. HOWEVER,
this year it was WHITE!!!! And it has many, many flowers on it. It
continues to thrive through the concrete! As you enter our home
there is a direct view through the patio doors to the white
periwinkle and behind it over the grass is the Statue of Our
Blessed Virgin Mary in the Mary Garden. I can't help but think that
God and His Mother caused that white periwinkle to grow there as a
reminder of her purity.
We have been in this house since 1988 and have never had
periwinkles until the two I mentioned above!!! WOW!!! GOD IS
GOOD!!!
God bless and thanks again,
Jun 28, 2003 = John to Lesley
Yes, Michael forwarded to me a copy of your message mentioning "the
miracle of the Periwinkles." The blue, showing up in Annunciation
paintings, symbolizes Mary's fullnes of grace; and it is fitting
that that the white ons would break through the concrete to
display Mary's "other" color, white, symbolizing her immaculate
purity.
Jun 29, 2003 - Michael to John
Great to know that you have been able to establish a mutually
productive correspondence with Matt and Lesley regarding their new
Mary Garden. It will be especially interesting to see photographs
of the garden in the Chat Room selections which I know you are
probably already planning to eventually add to that part of the web
site.
In your next correspondence with them, you might inquire about the
book in which they found information regarding Mary's Gardens last
year. If Vincenzina's book was the inspiration, then this is a
great connection which I am sure Vincenzina will appreciate.
The concept of a desert Mary Garden probably has far-reaching
implications for southern potential Mary Gardens, and could be
pursued further and expanded into a first-time article on the
subject, once photos and plant lists are available from Matt and
Lesley.
The research done by Bonnie on tropical plants - especially cacti
and other succulents - could prove helpful and demonstrate a
current and practical value to gardeners after all these years. I
am thinking not only of the sandy gardens of south Florida, but
also the sandy desert conditions typical of convents and
monasteries in the Southwest.
Since no literature exists regarding sandy conditions for Mary
Gardens, this is an area worth considering for attention and
expansion. Typically - as in the Florida Keys, and Lesley's
southern Broward County garden as an immediate example - soil
conditions exist such that both types of gardens (soil - sand) can
exist within the same garden area.
This opens up the concept of Christ's Passion as a garden theme as
portrayed in plants already in the Mary Garden lists - but not
exclusively emphasized as possibilities for "desert" Mary Gardens -
since none have been planted to our knowledge until now. The
introduction of the Passion Flower is worth suggesting; I have seen
it in Bermuda, and expect it might survive here in south Florida.
The (Christ's) crown of thorns plant is very prevalent in this
area, and is used extensively in ornamental plantings, both in
garden settings, and on the medians of divided boulevards and
avenues here locally. The Christ's bleeding heart caladium is
being used extensively this year in ornamental plantings,
especially here in the south Palm Beach/north Broward Counties
area. As mentioned in past correspondence, the bougainvillea is
very common down here. ( I priced a beautiful mature one the other
day to posssibly use in our back yard to replace the bottle brush
tree which was removed; the price was $4,000! )
Of course the flowers included in Fr. Stanley's meditations article
could be easily added to the vicinity surrounding a "desert" Mary
Garden, because of the proximity of both soil/sand terrain
hereabouts.
I am beginning to envision the potential for a whole new concept of
the Mary Garden different from the typical one traditionally
associated with more northerly climactic zones which have been the
locale of Mary Gardens up to now. Matt and Lesley's Mary Garden
gives a new impetus and perspective, lying hidden in the research
literature and waiting to be reemphasized for the sandy but humid
climates of South Florida and the American southwest.
Jun 29, 2003 - Vincenzina Krymow to John
I recalled some information about "Anastitica hierochuntica" from
"Mary's Flowers", so checked and found this on P. 89:
"In the United States, the resurection plant (Selaginella
lipidophylla) is known as the rose of Jericho or desert rose."
Hortus III includes "Anastitica hierochuntica" calling it
Resurrection Plant and Rose of Jericho and says "The balls are
sometimes sold as curiosities." I remember reading somewhere that
they are sold in the southwest as curiosities.
Hortus III also discusses "Selaginella lipidophylla" and also calls
it Resurrection Plant and Rose of Jericho; says it is found in
Texas and Arizona.
Perhaps the plant could be purchased from nurseries in those
states, or it may be like the Date Palm, which the "herbies" at Cox
Arboretum locally were unable to find to purchase, except from one
nursery that sold only in large quantities.
Greetings and blessings,
Jun 30, 2003 - John to Michael, cc to Al
Great that you are grabbed with "the potential for a whole new
concept of the Mary Garden different from the typical one
traditionally associated with more northerly climactic zones which
have been the locale of Mary Gardens up to now."
Al Manessa has made a basic contribution to developing lists of
availalale plants for sub tropical and tropical Florida May
Gardens, and has also researched a number o references for us to
check, per a message to me of 16 Jun 2003 22:24:29, per this list::
o O o
www.mounts.org
www.mckeegarden.org
www.flbg.org
www.stpete.org/sunken.htm
www.selby.org
www.fairchildgardens.org
www.boktowergardens.org
www.leugardens.org this one is just
north of me and I am also doing a Horticultural Therapy program
there.
www.parrotjungle.com
www.vizcayamuseum.comÊ
o O o
Al, I don't think I thanked you adequately for this, and your plant
lists. Many, many thanks. It will take me awhile to check all
this out. (Behind on so many things; e.g. I put up 1/3 of the
French research almost a year ago and have to complete this. Then
a review o Vincenzina's second book, which came out last September,
etc., etc. - not mention being way behind in monthly and annual
summaries of website statistics, and in posting some of the editing
corrections Michael has taken time to itemize). You suggest some
phone calls, but this presents problems at this end. More
importantly, e-mail correspondence affords a manner of including
others developmentally via cc's, and provides importat records of
developmental details for computer search retrieval.
We're now somewhat in the same position in relation to tropical
plants as we were with the temperate plants when we started in the
early 50's. We had lists of temperate plants with Marian names and
symbolism, but we had to develop practical lists of plants which
were both symbolically comprehensive for reflection, and
commercially available so people could readily plant Mary Gardens
which were both religiously and horticulturally rich. We didn't
get to this point ourselves until the mid 60's, when the index was
published for all of Marzell's then half-published Deutches
Worterbuch encyclopedia - not fully published until some time in
the 70's.
With Al's horticultural and sources research, we have the basic
information. We now have to distill it, and build on the basic
lists he developed for the three Florida zones, and then develop
the experience and feel of how they go together to provide
proportionately attractive plantings and continuity of blooms.
This requires that the plants be checked out in one or more actual
gardens. Matt and Leslie have made a valued start, but with their
several major religious projects the amount of time they can devote
to this practical garden testing and experimentation will be
limited - but the actual plant growth and bloom information they
will accumulate will be most valuable. I treasure their reports
about the "miracle" of the white periwinkle, and the presence of
the butterfly all during their Mary Garden blessing, The latter
brings to mind St. Therese of Lisieux's joy over the unusual May
light sprinkling of white snowflakes during her taking of her vows.
I recall that when Father Tom retired to Hollywood (Fla), he hoped
to find persons with devotional motivation and gardening experience
whom he could work with in the planting and development of tropical
Mary Gardens, but none turned up at his location; and a Mary Garden
wasn't feasible on his residence or parish grounds..
He had an opportunity to undertake such development himself with
the Dayton Lourdes Grotto Mary Garden in the 50's, of which we have
extensive correspondence in our files, and then with the Mary
Garden at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Portage, Michigan, when
he was Pastor there - which is described and illustrated on the
website at
OVERVIEW > Representative Mary Gardens > Parish Mary Garden (#2)
Be sure to keep him, as well as Matt & Lesley, and Al, copied in on
our developmental correspondence.
As I mentioned in my message of May 12, some of the northern
"greenhouse plant" vendors - such as Logee's, whose address I gave
you in my message of May 12 - may have available tropical plants
not available from Florida "outdoor plant" nurseries. Back in the
60's, Graf, the author of the marvellous "Exotica" 1, 2 & 3
encyclopedias of tropicals - (one of the references I used to
verify the botanical names of the plants in Bonnie's research (on
website) - had a large greenhouse in New Jersey, from whiah I
obtaind a number of plants for my dish Mary Gardens (such as the
Bromeliad, Vriesia mariae/Painted Feather, which so beautifully
abstractly resembles Our Lady of Guadalupe (hence the botanical
name - see /FL-Mary.gif on the website.
I was amazed to find in vacationing in Naples, Fla. many years ago
that the 25 ft. driveway of the motel where we stayed was
border-planted with 50 or more
Christ-in-the-Cradle/Moses-in-the-Bulrushes/Neomarica graciis
plants - all in bloom (long blooming?). Before, I had just thought
of it in terms of single plants for dish Mary Gardens.
Now, back to unix to extend the website statistical analysis. I
finally got the schools reference/index MS complete enough so I
have listed it in the website Home Page NEW, together with the
medieval Latin research. Some 20 website visitors are taking a look
at each daily.
I continue to be amazed at the 500 or so people who come to the
website each day via Internet searches, and at the richness and
diversity of what they search for.and find, then going on to access
other files indexed. In this some 500 of the 1,000 text and
graphics files are accessed each day, and I hope many Mary Gardens
started.
Jul 7, 2003 - Lesley to John
Hello, just wanted to let you know we returned home safely last
night. We want to send you some of the photos of the blessing of
our garden. We will do so soon, I promise! I will stay in touch
once I have a chance to re-read your messages and check out some of
the web sites you sent. THANK YOU!!
When we returned we found about 15 new roses, and the marigolds
were abundantly in bloom. Of course the weeds were numerous also.
As I was working in the garden this a.m. I couldn't help but think
of how the weeds (sin) take advantage of us if we don't take care
of them and pull them up every day (daily examination of
conscience). I wasn't able to go to daily Mass while on vacation
and I surely missed receiving Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist each
day.
Some of the weeds were easy to get rid of and others were tougher.
Just like our sins. Some of them look very pretty, but they are
still sins and will take over our lives if we are not careful, just
like the wild vine that was growing over our Passion Flower Vine
when we returned. Thank God it was easily taken care of!
I will be quite busy over the next few days as we are having a
seminarian coming to stay with us for a few months. He is from
Colombia and it is most imperative that we teach him as much
English as possible over the next few months. He has been in this
country for a while, but living with Hispanic families, so his
English has not improved much. But, I know he will learn fast once
he is speaking it every day. His name is Angel!!
It will be fun having an "angel" in our home! I am sure he will
enjoy our Mary Garden. He loves to pray the Rosary and he is very
humble and will be a wonderful priest one day I am sure! Please
continue to pray for us as I am NOT a teacher and my English leaves
much room for improvement. But, God knows my heart is in it so I am
sure He will bless us as we struggle to learn each others language.
I will tell Angel all about the project too and involve him in it.
God bless you in His love, peace and JOY always,
Jul 13, 2002 - John to Lesley
Yes, please e-mail the photos of the blessing of your Mary Garden.
Your sharing of your thoughts re the parallels between garden
weeding and examination of conscience is much appreciated.
I recall my own challenge early on in my gardening of dealing with
the distractions which used to interrupt my spiritual recollection.
In (on the website)
GARDEN PRAYER & MEDITATION
A Mary Garden Prayer
we invoke "St. Athanasius, dweller in heaven on earth" - that in
the Mary Garden we may uninterruptedly see, reflect on and rejoice
in creatures as God's sharing with us of his goodness.and glory.
This assists us in learning to continue this recollectedness
elsewhere throughout the day, viz, "Taste and see how sweet is the
Lord", etc.
And, this enables us further, throughout the day, to see, reflect
on and rejoice in every irritation, aggravation, obstacle or
suffering of our lives and duties as an opportunity for their
sacrificial offering, through Mary's Immaculate Heart, to and with
Jesus in all the daily masses of the world - for the reparational
diminishment of the effects of sin still circulating in the
redeemed world - that the hearts and minds of political rulers,
journalists and all ("bear one another's burdens") may be freed
from these effects (darkness of intellect, weakness of will and
disorderly affections), so that they, through their essential
created goodness, may be responsive to the promptings of prayed for
graces of peace.
(This gives specifics of how Mary Gardening, prayerfully
undertaken, is a means whereby we may come more fully to conform
with God's will - "Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven."
A sacrificial offering of just one person with Christ may free one
key leader to make a decision for the de-escalation of violence,
which may start the process towards peace with justice. - God
created us to share in his reparational sacrifice, not just to
petition his graces and providence, for peace.)
See
RECENT
Peace on Earth - Fatima revisited
The article
1960 - Gardening With Mary - Ascetical/Mystical
runs through a number of parallels between gardening tasks and
spiritual formation - discursive, purgative, affective,
illuminative. (Unitive came later). Re-reading this article just
now reminds me of the article
1996 - Mary Garden Summer Solstice
which includes a fuller description, and captures photographically,
the experience mentioned in the first article - of a providential
illuminative spiritual caress: the shining of the sun in a certain
way on a Mary Garden focal statue - in the mode of your experience
of the concrete-bursting periwinkle and the dedication butterfly
in your garden.
Jul 13, 2003 - Lesley to John
I have been having a busy week end. Yesterday we had a discipleship
retreat by Fr. Dimitri Sala, a Franciscan from Chicago. He travels
and gives retreats, conferences etc. Have you ever heard of him?
He is charismatic and full of JOY.
I asked him when was the last time he had the opportunity to preach
like that to priests?! He said 2001. OUCH! I told him to pray for
the "Top Lot" to be built SOON so he could come and preach to our
priests!
I am not able to send the photos of the Mary Garden yet. HOWEVER,
here are some of the blessing by Fr. Gustavo, the priest that we
are teaching English to. He is from Colombia.
Jul 15, 2003 - John to Vincenzina
Thanks for your message of 29 Jun with quote re Rose of Sharon from
"Mary's Flowers...".
Lesley mentioned in her message of Jun 26 that the inspiration for
her and Matt's Mary Garden was a "book on Mary Gardens", which I
assume was yours, but I don't know for sure whether she has it at
hand currently.
The key point for me re. Rose of Sharon plants was the inclusion
also of Selaginella pilifera, which per the photo appears to have
little flowers more like Anastatica hierochuntica, than the ferns
of Selaginella lepidophylla.
What I'd like is to see is photographs of all these in bloom in our
own gardens, as a means of checking out the rose symbolism - which
S.lepidophylla actually doesn't appear to have. In general I have
found over and over that the actual growing and seeing flowers has
made their symbolism much more real and quickening of reflection
than descriptions and other people's photos.
Jul 15, 2003 - Lesley to John
Please ask your priest that lives in Hollywood (Florida, right??)
if he would like to visit us sometime? I could e mail him if he
wanted me to.
Jul 17, 2003 - John to Fr. Tom Stanley
This is a forward of a message from Lesley Vaitekunas, extending an
invitation to you to visit their new Mary Garden at their home in
Pompano Beach (I don't have their place address - just the e-mail)
Jul 17. 2003 - Father Tom to John
Thanks, John, for sending on this message. I'll e-mail Lesley and
see if we can make contact. At the moment I'm home alone. My two
companion Marianists are up north till August. All the best.
Father Tom
Jul 19, 2003 - Matt & Lesley to John
Here are some more photos of our Mary's garden.
This was of all of the roses that were waiting for us when we
returned from up North!!
This is of the desert area of our garden, these are the crown of
thorns (3), aloe plants (3) in the back behind the rocks (3), and
in the front are 3 Valentine Cupido Roses, a miniature rose.
The desert area is where Fr. Gustavo told us to put a cross. When
we go up to N.Y.S. in August we will try to find wood from our old
barn so that we can make a cross from it.
Here is our latest "miracle"!!!
Yesterday I was at Walmart in the nursery section and I saw a group
of small yellow flowers, I thought they were pretty, but I decided
not to buy them because I did not know if they were "Mary" flowers
or not. After I got home I decided to take a swim, and lo and
behold I looked up and there was this tiny yellow flower growing up
out of the concrete!!! Again, we have never had this type of
flower grow in our yard before and it was the same one that I had
almost gotten from the store!! I guess God wanted it afterall!!! I
decided to take a picture of it for you, with Mary in the
background.
We have a little plaque at Mary's feet that says "Welcome to my
garden."
When we go to N.Y.S. (Aug. 10th to the 17th) we hope to go to
Barto, Pa. to visit the National Centre for Padre Pio, Inc. and we
will talk to the founders of this and hear their story of how they
got started!
God bless you and thank you for all of your input!
In His love, peace and JOY, always,
Aug 26, 2003 - John
I hope this has been fruitful month for you, including your NY/PA
trip.
Many thanks for the great photos.
I am preparing to post the photos, and excerpts of the numerous
e-mail messages relative to your Mary Garden to our website Chat &
Photos section as, Jun 15, 2003 - "South Florida Home Mary Garden",
starting with the first mention of the Mary Garden, re. the
blessing, in your letter of that date to Michael, following his
lecture.
Aug 27, 2003 - Matt & Lesley
Greetings in Christ! Glad to hear all is well with you. Thanks
for writing.
YES! While on vacation in upstate New York at the "Top Lot". We
were able to take a trip to Barto, Pa. (it is only four hours from
the farm) and visit the National Shrine of Saint Pio of
Pietrelcina. We were able to visit with one of the daughters of the
founder of the Shrine. She (Julia) gave us encouragement about the
"Top Lot" priests retreat and chapel that I had shared about with
her. Her Mom, Vera, founded a non profit in 1970, but didn't start
construction until 1999. WOW, sure hope it doesn't take us 30 years
to start construction!!! Pray- Pray -Pray.
I am sure our Blessed Mother's intercession will speed it along
as we will have a Mary Garden surrounding the chapel. Also one for
Saint Pio, St. Francis and St. Therese of the Little Flower.
I know I must wait for God and not get ahead of Him!! Patience
Lesley!!
As far as your e-mail is concerned, it is fine with us if you
wish to publish our notes and pictures. You have our permission to
do whatever you think is best.
This morning I spent hours in the Mary Garden weeding, as we
have been gone and very busy since we returned. The weeds were
having a wild time!! The Roses were abundant also...Praise God!
And the Passion Vines are now covering the fence.
Last night I looked out the window and saw my son out looking
at the garden, it is new to him, since he has been in the USAF and
not home for a while. He is home for a few days now before going
to So. Korea for a year. It gave me great pleasure to see him
standing in front of Our Blessed Virgin Mary. As he stood there
before Her I silently asked Her to pray for him and protect him
always. She is his "Momma" too and I know She will take far better
care of him than I ever could! Amen!
I will take some more photos soon, I am trying to catch a photo
of the butterflies on the Passion Vines.
God bless you and thank you for sharing the letters from others.
I especially found the story about the adopted little girl very
interesting, as I also adopted a baby girl in 1976. Her husband is
in Iraq right now, and will be for several more months. Please pray
for them.
Thanks again,and may God bless you abundantly for all you do for
His Mother.
Sep 12, 2003 - John
Thanks for your message of Aug 25. I'll continue to Cc. you in on
some messages of new or developmental interest.
Thanks for the ok to make postings from your messages and photos to
CHAT. The steps and thoughts associated with starting, tending and
developing Mary Gardens have proven inspirational and helpful to
others. I leave out from postings more personal and family matters
mentioned.
I will include your mentions of "Top Lot" in the hope some others
may be supportive and/or inspired to take apostolic initiatives of
their own.
Your mention of observing your son standing recollected before
Mary's garden statue is significant. Mary's statue in a venerated
outdoor setting makes a fresh impact on adults as well as children.
I'm sure, from observation, that the effects mentioned in the
Catholic Encyclopedia, under "Blessings" that,
"Blessings... are sacramentals and, as such, produce the...
excitation of pious emotions and affections of the heart;
...(and) various other benefits, temporal or spiritual.....
are especially operative in this context.
I sent you a cc of my message of 9/3/03 to Kathleen Stento re. the
lifetime influence of the Martin family garden statue of Our Lady
of the Smile on St. Theresa.
Yes, please send me additional photos from time to time showing new
plant growth etc., and let me know of further garden "miracles". I
neglected to mention that the yellow flower which bloomed in ehe
concrete looked to me like Sweet-scented Marigold, Tagetes lucida.
Oct 3, 2003 - Matt & Lesley to Michael
The latest that we planted are called "Ruella", do you know if it
is a Marian flower or not? I had to get some because they are so
pretty with a beautiful purplish/blue bell . I guess I should have
asked FIRST!!! BUT, I think they are very pretty. I would like to
get more of them, so let me know if you know if they are o.k.?!
I have actually had to trim the Passion Vine back as it was taking
over the trellis and the roses!!! I tried to plant flowers from
seed, but they did not take, so I will have to continue to buy
those already started.
Thanks for keeping in touch. Are you still interested in giving a
talk for the Legion of Mary? I want to ask the leader if she is
interested and show her our garden too. God bless and keep up the
good work!!!
Oct 5, 2003 - Michael to Matt & Lesley
I am forwarding your email to John who is the MG expert and can
give you valuable advice on your questions about the flowers. He
willÊ- I am sure - be most happy toÊhear the latest news about your
garden.
My health has changed from the last time we met, and am very
disappointed to have to decline your invitation. I hope matters
will improve sometime in the near future. Please keepÊus in your
prayers.
Please keep in touch.
Oct 5, 2003 - John to Michael
From the plant encyclopedias "Ruella" appears to be Ruellia. Of
the 4 or so most cultivated species, the one with purplish flowers
is. R. macrantha, native to Brazil, and known by the common name of
"Christmas pride" because it is in full bloom for the southern
hemisphere summer Christmas.
Re. growing flowers from seed, purchasing blooming plants is of
course preferred from a garden appearance viewpoint; but where
desired species are not available (locally or by mail order),
growing from seed is necessary, and usually started away from the
garden. (Plants procured by mail order are usually packed with
moisture-preserving material. and do well in the garden if the soil
is firmly packed around the roots, well watered, and covered for
several days to protect from direct sunlight until they are firmly
erect.
I have always used seed starting trays indoors - on a sunny
windowsill or with artificial solar light - and using vermiculite
(expanded mica) particles as a sterile seed-starting medium.
Seed-starting trays - sold at many garden and hardware stores -
have double drain bottoms which prevents residual over-watering of
the seeds.
The seeds contain their own nutrients for initial growth as
seedlings to about 1 inch, after which they are simply lifted up
from the trays, with some vermiculite particles clinging to the
roots, and gently planted in small individual soil containers,
several per container, grouped in shallow boxes (see website photo
in
CHAT > Feb 14, 2002 - Vicki - Spring is in the air! > 2nd
message)
where they are watered and kept in the light for several weeks
before lifting the soil and seedlings and planting in the garden
(annuals) or, for maturation, in separate nursery beds (biennials
and perennials).
The only requirement is light and keeping them moist. This avoids
irregularities of watering, dryness or rain outdoors, and gives
reliable results.
Oct 5, 2003 - Matt & Lesley to Michael
SHALOM!!!
Thanks for checking for me, yes the name of the flower is Ruellia
Purple Showers. It is so pretty and it seems like several
landscapers are using it around this area of Coconut Creek,Êit
seems every where we turn we are seeing them. I planted several
new groups of them on St. Francis Feast Day, yesterday. I always
like to do something special on his special day!
I also planted some yellow garden mums on the walkway up to the
statue of Our Blessed Virgin Mary. (the marigolds were looking
pretty rough!!) I hope and pray they will bring honor to Our
Blessed Virgin Mary.
I would like to buy some more colorful flowers for the garden, ÊI
believe they are called Shasta Daisies, but again, I want to ask if
it is o.k. to have them in the garden??? Do you know if they have
any significance in the life of Mary? I know all flowers give her
honor, but I do not want to get too many flowers in the garden that
do not have a direct significance to Her or to Jesus.
The Franciscan service was beautiful and God had an extra special
surprise for me at the end of the night...in the parking lot no
less!!! I was asked to pray over two priests, a deacon and the
founder of a ministry for Haiti. I used the blessed oil from the
Saint Pio center, that was touched to a relic of Saint Pio. It was
an awesome experience for me to think that God would give me the
blessing of praying over them. God is so good!! And always full
of surprises!! And of course I asked one of the priests to pray
over me too and he anointed me with the oil. Praise God!!!
God bless you and thanks for checking with John too. He is most
helpful, but I am sure he is very busy, so I don't want to bother
him too much!!
In His love, peace and JOY,
Oct 7, 2003 - John to Matt & Lesley
Yellow garden mums are called All Saints flower from their Fall
bloom on the Feast of All Saints (and purple mums, All Souls
Flower) in north temperate climates, such as the Northeast U.S.
They are also called Star of Bethlehem, from areas where it is warm
enough for it to be blooming at Christmas and Epiphany, which is no
doubt the case with you.
Re. the Legion of Mary (of which I am an Auxiliary Member), it is
to be noted that the Legion Handbook calls for a bouquet of flowers
on the front "altar" table at meetings.
I consider the Legion of Mary Prayer, which I pray daily, the
ultimate Marian prayer (quoted at the end of the Website article,
GARDEN PRAYER & MEDITATION > "Garden Devotion To Mary - Union With
Mary Through Her Flowers".
Daisies have been called "Mary's Flower of God" (I believe by
Venerable Bede, but my memory may be faulty) which I view as the
bringing to Mary's mind of Isaiah's prophecy of the birth of the
Messiah under the image of a flower. This recalls in general
Mary's viewing of flowers herself, in terms of Old Testament
imagery - per Website CHAT > May 29, 2001 - "Inspired Flowers of
Our Lady Imagery", which quotes from Maria Valtorta's privately
inspired "Poem of the Man-God".
You mention you're sure I am very busy, so you don't want to bother
me too much.
While I'm never caught up with all I want to round out with the
website, the "little" things that come up in e-mail messages
received are welcomed and valued for their quickening of the
sharing of experiences and thoughts that might otherwise remain
unexpressed.
Prayerful best wishes for the Feast of the Rosary,
Oct 7, 2003 - Matt & Lesley to John
Hello!! THANKS for your kind and informative letter . I will copy
it and put the explanation of the flowers in my Mary Garden
Notebook.
And today on Our Lady of the Rosary I will go and buy the Shasta
Daisies I wrote about. Guess I am a wee bit sentimental, but I
like to do special things on special days!!!
Michael is unable to come and do the talk for the Legions of Mary
due to ill health. Please pray for him. Maybe I will study up and
try to do it. I lent the leader the book about Mary Gardens. We
shall see. I do not belong to the group myself, but I try to help
them when I can. And being a Franciscan we have a great love for
Our Blessed Virgin Mary.
Thanks again for your encouragement. The priest I am helping is
coming over in an hour so I will show him the "new development" in
the garden! (The Ruellia which is in full bloom and very
beautiful!!) He is the priest that blessed the garden so I know he
will be happy to see them.
God bless and have a great day!!
Oct 11, 2003 - Matt & Lesley to John
Hi!! SHALOM! Greetings in Christ!
Just planted some Melampodium paludosum today....it says they are
"butter-yellow daisies." I couldn't find them on the web page and
was wondering if you knew anything more about them so I could put
it in my notebook??
The butterflies are lovin' our Mary Garden!!!
Coconut Creek has a place called "Butterfly World" and it is
beautiful for anyone who is planning a trip to this area be sure to
see it! It is at Tradewinds Park.
Well, I am sure you are quite busy answering questions for the
whole world!!! You are a blessing to many, thank you so very much.
I am sure Our Blessed Virgin Mary is smiling down on you and yours
for all of the work you have done for Her and Her Son, Jesus.
Thank you, God bless you, in His love, peace and JOY,
Oct 14, 2003 - John to Matt & Lesley to John
Thanks for your messages of Oct 7 and 11.
My view regarding the selection of plants for the Mary Garden is
that we honor Mary by planting and tending both flowers seen and
named as her symbols by those who have had their thoughts and
prayers raised by them to her in love through the centuries, and
also perhaps some other, "non-historic", flowers especially suited
to further the overall beauty and continuity of blooms in her honor
through the year.
All flowers were seen by the Church Fathers to be revealed
signatures or symbols of Mary - Isaiah's prophecy of the virgin
birth of the Messiah as the blossoming rod of Jesse (Isaiah 2:11).
Further, all flowers bring us to reflect on Mary from the general
symbolism of their colors: the white of her Immaculate purity; the
blue of her fullness of grace; the red of her co-redemptive
sorrows; the yellow and gold of her heavenly glories and mediation,
etc.
Thus, as we view and tend all flowers through the year, they come
increasing to quicken us to reflection on Mary's life and
mysteries, in relation to our lives and to the world, as we behold
them severally.
A recently discovered flower by me is the Peruvian Lily, or
"Alstromeria", which is regularly available for us in variety from
a florist shop and a street florist - each within half a block from
our present urban residence here. Attracted to the flower, I
inquired as to its name and understood it to be "Astromaria", and,
therefore, "Mary's Star". However in checking the encyclopedias, I
found it, correctly, to be "Alstromeria".
In addition to the fact that the blooms, if fresh, last two weeks
in bouquets; their special virtue is that each bunch of flowers (I
believe these are "A. Dutch hybrids") has a different display of
white, red and gold, viz. of purity, sacrifice and heavenly
recourse - prompting the immediate intuitive recollectedness of
current illuminations, and the offering of any current irritations,
aggravations and pains of the day sacrificially to and with Jesus,
through Mary's Immaculate Heart, in reparation for the temporal
effects of sin in the world.
In this, each proportionate combination of white, red and gold
evokes a different intuitive mix of recollection and resulting
meditation and contemplation, which is stilling and sustaining, and
then pervades the ensuing performance of tasks. The unique thing
here is that the intermixing and interpenetration of these three
colors, invoking a state of soul - is an intermixing not found in
the garden or even in a bouquet of individually white, red and
gold flowers.
I illustrate this with these three photos:
The first is of a single A. bloom (of approximate actual size) of
all three intermixed colors - as described above.
In contrast, a second is of a small bouquet of A. blooms in which
same three colors are represented by separate blooms.
Then one (from this week's bouquet) of one mostly red . . .
reflecting and quickening for me my current state of soul.
The point is that these flowers have no specific historic Marian
symbolism as a species, but their varyingly mixed or dominant
colors have come to have this particular varying significance for
me in the general context of Marian symbolism. Other persons have
shared with me how certain flowers have come to have a special
private symbolism for them . . . as Ruellia "Purple Showers" and
Melampodium paludosum butter-yellow daisies may come to have for
you. The important thing in sharing their meanings and places in
the Mary Garden - especially when showing the garden to others, -
is to keep clear the distinction of which flowers are traditional
and which "private".
This, all in participation in God's purpose of Creation, of showing
forth and sharing wih us the divine goodness and action, within the
Communion of Saints - as in this exchange of messages.
Can you send me photos of the Ruellia and Melampodium?
Thanks
Oct 14, 2003 - Lesley to John
Thanks for your kind and informative letter. I love to read
your letters!!! You must have been a teacher, true??
I bought even more flowers today, so I will wait till I have
planted them and then I will take a photo of all of them and send
the information too.
In my last letter I mentioned how I had planted some flowers
on Our Lady of the Rosary day and that our priest was on his way
over to study English. WELL...guess what??!!! When I showed him
the "latest addition" he stood there quietly for a few minutes and
then he said, "after we study, we will pray the Rosary." And so we
did, it was a beautiful blessing for me. PRAISE GOD!! God is so
good!! Amen! God is using the Mary Garden to minister to His and
Our Blessed Virgin Mary's "precious priest son". YES!!!!
Hallejuiah!!
How are you? I am wondering about your comment about the red
representing your "current state of soul." Are you suffering??? I
will pray for you to to persevere and have God's strength to
continue on in serving Him. You are a great blessing to me and I am
sure to many others too.
A friend just returned from Medjugorje and she brought me A
little booklet of a Rosary of prayer for priests in purgatory. How
awesome!!
I will say bye for now because I know you must be very busy.
The photos did not come through. There were no attachments. And I
checked the Web site to see if they were there. My husband tried to
figure it out too, but to no avail.
God bless,
Oct 16, 2003 - John to Lesley
Thank for you message of 14 Oct.
You ask,
> You must have been a teacher, true??
Professionally I received a BS in Industrial Engineering. The
closest I came to teaching was a college offer to teach steam
engneering (power plants), but I chose to go the corporate
management route, as corporations seemed to be at the center of
where the action is in the world. My writing got tuned up when I
was Sales & Service Manager for a packaging and filling machinery
company for a period in the 60's and dictated 20 letters a day, in
which precision was paramount. "Things are the measure of truth."
I'll look foward to receiving the photos and information re. your
additional flowers.
Your priest's prompting to pray the Rosary on viewing Our Lady'
flowers is indeed intuitive. See the discussion of the parallels
between the Rosary and these flowers - both originating around the
12th century - in the opening sections of the website article,
OVERVIEW > ...Articles > 2003 - Background Reference/Index for
Teachers
(currently indexed under RECENT)
You say,
> I am wondering about your comment about the red representing
your
> "current state of soul." Are you suffering???
Actually, this is a matter of joy, as in "Good" Friday.
All my adult life my focus has been on Peace on Earth. In the
course of searchings in this direction (of the major philosophies
and religions) I received the grace of conversion, and then came
upon the message of Our Lady at Fatima for world peace - which is
two-fold, calling for (1) the praying of the Rosary for the graces
of peace, through her Immaclate Heart, and (2) the offering,
through her Immaculate Heart, of all the duties, and the
diminishments, large and small, of our daily lives sacrificially
for and with Jesus - "making up what is wanted in thr sufferings of
Christ" - in reparation for the temporal effects of sin in the
world, that leaders and all, freed of these, may respond in their
innate goodness (created in the divine image and likeness) to the
prayed for graces of peace.
These days, people understand the need, in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, for the penances they are given to undertake for
the reparation of the temporal effects of their own sins (the sins
themselves having been eternally forgiven by God in the priest's
absolution). They also understand that through their prayers and
sacrificially offered mortifications they effect the reparation of
the temporal effects of sin continuing in the souls of the faithful
departed in purgatory. But with all the exhorations to pray the
Rosary for Peace these days, I see very little mention - even
coming out of the Vatican - of the accompanying need for the
underaking of all the duties and diminishments of life in
reparation for the temporal effects of sin in living persons -
"bearing one another's burdens' - that leaders and all may be freed
to respond to all the prayed for graces of peace.
God does not want us just to pray the Rosary for peace in a
petitioning dependency, as though it is to be miraculously
bestowed, but, as loving sharers in the divine action, in
accordance with the purpose of Creation, to share in the
sacrificial action of Christ for the reparation of the temporal
effects of sin, that the promptings of the prayed for graces of
peace may be acted upon in the world to actually bring about the
de-escalations of violence, and the dialogues, compromises and
cooperations required for the actual establishment of lasting peace
and the building of the Peaceable Kingdom on the basis of truth,
justice, love and freedom.
I have faith that God's Kingdom WILL come, as we pray for the "Our
Father", and that eventually Christians will undertake the
extensive personal sacrifices for and with Christ in sufficient
reparation of the temporal effects of sin in the World for peace to
be established.
I have attempted to clarify my undersanding of this in the website
article,
OVERVIEW > ...Articles > 2002 - Peace on Earth - Fatima
Revisited
and I alluded to it in my message to you of Jul 13.
I trust the Medjugorje booklet of a Rosary of prayer for priests in
purgatory you mentioned calls for the accompanying sacrifices.
The usefulness of the red symbolism in Our Lady's Flowers in
bouquets at hand where we live and work is that they sustain
continuing actual custody of heart and sacrificial offering of
duties and diminishments of each moment for and with Christ - as
distinct from only their virtual offering in our morning offerings,
at Mass, and in the reading of the Liturgy of the Hours and books
of prayer. It is in this state of soul that I have a sustained
experience of joy from my duties and diminishments as I glance at
the flowers through the day. (My actual sufferings, physically,
are the lesser ones of the aches and pains common to being in one's
80's, plus difficulty in walking - or getting up from kneeling down
to garden, or in Church).
Actually, an unexpected and principle joy comes to me from the
realization that even each day's slightest difficulties,
disappoinments, irritations or aggravations or other consequence of
the temporal effects of sin circulating in the world are contrary
to the Father's vision of the earthly Peaceable Kingdom, and are
therefore offensive to him - so we give joy to him through our
forgiveness for them, preventing their further circulation; and
through their relegation to nothingness through Christ's taking
them upon himself, from our sacrifical offering of them to him, as
his own in the sacrificial death of his body, in which we join, as
did Mary through the sword of sorrow piercing her soul.
The same is of course true of larger sufferings experienced, with
which we deal through the Gospel of Peace, likewise by forgiveness,
and by turning the other cheek, going the second mile, returing
good for evil, etc. - to prevent their further circulation, and to
reduce them sacrificially with Christ to nothingness - but it is
the realization of the reparational potential of giving joy to the
Father also through the smaller ones which is now giving me joy -
quickened as my eyes rest on the red flower symbolism, especially
in its admixture with white and gold.
St. Bernard speaks, in his "Sermons on the Song of Songs", of the
distinctions between the flowers of the field, of gardens and of
the chamber; and being somewhat house bound, I am coming better to
appreciate those of the chamber. Francis Crane Lillie noted her
sense of Our Lady's presence in her "mother" Woods Hole Mary
Garden, and accordingly titled her brochure for the garden, "Our
Lady in Her Garden". We come to have the same sense of her
presence with bouquets of her flowers indoors. In his "Life of
Union With Mary" Father Emil Neubert points out that as Mediatrix
of all Grace, Mary is present through her action wherever grace is
experienced.
Getting caught up with the website a bit, I decided to post and
index the messages in CHAT relative to your Mary Garden, previously
unindexed, in two postings,
May 6, 2003 - Michael F. Holden, Boca Raton. FL - Exemplary
Mary Garden Lecture Organization and
Presentation
and
Jun 15, 2003 - Matt & Lesley Vaitekunas sfo, Pompano Beach, FL
- South Florida Home Mary Garden
You will note that the CHAT posting of my message to you of Oct 14
includes the three flower photos that didn't come through to you as
e-mail attachments.
In going through these messages I note that you mentioned in your
message of Jun 20 to Michael that you had located photos of the
"miraculous" blue and white periwinkles. Could you send me copies
of these so I can add them to the postings?
Wow, this got rather extensive!
Prayers,
Oct 17, 2003 - Lesley
SHALOM!! Greetings in Christ! It is very late, so I will keep
this very short!
Thank you once again for your beautiful, informative letter. I
finally was able to see the photos you shared via the chat
site...they are truly a work of God! And I see the symbolism.
Thank you for sharing about Our Lady of Fatima. I will enjoy
reading it again tomorrow.
Several years ago (1996) I "knew in my heart" that I was
supposed to visit the Blessed Sacrament for an hour each day and it
seemed God was asking me to ask Him to "use this time as I sit
before Him to be for His priest sons." In other words the time I
spent there would be for them, as if I were there in their place,
as if I brought them there with me. To "make up" for all of the
times they could not or would not go to Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament. I don't understand this, but I do it "for them" because
I sensed God was asking this of me.
Remember I am a convert, since 1991, and I still have a lot to
learn about this type of thing!! Could you shed some light on this
whole thing??!!
It seems that I am praying for their lives, for them to be holy,
for God to forgive them of their sins, to have mercy on them and
for their salvation. I also have quite a bit of pain that I "give
to God" for them, of course I ask for Him to heal me, but that
hasn't happened, so I ask Him to "use it" to help them.
I once had a priest tell me that "a priest takes many with him
where ever he goes, whether it be to heaven or to hell." When he
said those words it was like a knife going into my heart and I have
never forgotten them. And since then I pray for their salvation.
Well, I promised I would keep it short...sorry this is too
longgggggg!!
So nite nite!!
God bless and thanks again, I will re read your letter tomorrow.
Oh in your chat room there is only one mistake, we are from Coconut
Creek, Florida. It is near Pompano Beach.
In His love, peace and JOY...sleep well,
Lesley V.
sfo
Oct 17, 2003 - John
Thank you of your message of today.
You ask if I can "shed some light" on your spiritual prompting to
spend an hour each day before the Taberbacle for Jesus' priest sons
'as if I were there in their place, as if I brought them there with
me. To "make up" for all of the times they could not or would not
go to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament'.
There is little I can add to what Sister Josepha Mendenez says,
applicably to this, about visiting the Taberancle, and how much
Jesus yearns for this - in her book of (approved) private
revelations, "The Way of Divine Love", with which you are surely
familiar. I re-read it each Holy Week.
It also contains many beautiful flower and garden passages, which I
have quoted in some of my articles, such as the words of private
revelation of Jesus to Sister Josepha to use in praise of Mary,
"O incomparable Virgin! Immaculate Virgin! Delight of the
Blessed Trinity, admiration of all angels and saints, you
are the joy of heaven: Morning Star, Rose blossoming in
springtime, Immaculate Lily, tall and graceful Iris,
sweet-smelling Violet, Garden Enclosed kept for the delight
of the King of Heaven . . . I salute you and rejoice
at the sight of the gifts bestowed upon you by the Almighty
and of the prerogatives with which he has crowned you."
Your visiting before the Tabernacle for an hour each day is
awesome. Clearly you have a calling spiritually to assist priests
- in this and in "Top Lot".
In my own experience, in the 1980's when, after retiring, I spent a
good part of each year in Boston, I way able, on picking up the
mail each day from the postal station in Prudential Center, to pay
frequent visits to the adjacent St. Francis Chapel, where there was
exposition of the Blessed Sacrament each afternoon from after the
noon Mass to a closing ceremony at 6 PM.
Providentially, there was also a Jesuit chapel a half block from
our residence, where I was able to attend daily Mass each morning
after putting coins for the day in a parking meter.
In a way, contemplation before the Tabernacle parallels our
mystical flights to heaven, from which we then return to God's work
on earth, as in the words applied to Mary in the "Liturgy of the
Hours" for the feast of Mary's Queenship, August 22nd:
"While still in the flesh, at one moment she withdrew to God
in ecstasy; at the next she would bend down to her neighbors
with indescribable love. In heaven angels served her,
while here on earth she was venerated by the service of
men. . . . And both obeyed her with loving devotion."
I was somwhat surprised after years of ascetic/mystical purgative,
discursive, affective, illuminative rising "from grace to grace,
and glory to glory" the way up Mt. Carmel to God, to find that on
entering into a degree of heavenly union I received the compelling
spiritual prompting to "return" to earth for the work of building
God's Kingdom here, per the "Our Father" (and per St. Paul's "My
grace is sufficient for you").
(On the way to this I was brought into union with Mary, who as
Queen of Heaven and Earth, led and nurtured me the rest of the way
"up and down".)
And we likewise rise to heaven while contemplating in the garden,
invoking in the Mary Garden Prayer the intercession of
St. Athanasius, dweller in heaven on earth
Lesley, I appreciate your making me feel free to share these things
with you, in the Communion of saints.
o O o
I have made the Coconut Creek correction in the CHAT posting; added
these two messages of today; and removed some more of the strange
characters which show up when I paste from e-mail messages received
to html Internet format.
Prayers,
Oct 20, 2003 - Lesley
Good morning John...here are some of the Passion flowers in our
Mary Garden. Enjoy!
Passion Flower.JPG
Passion Flower2.JPG
Passion Flower Red.JPG
moving on the blue and purple!
Blue Daze.JPG
Lisianthus.JPG
one of my favorites!
Mary Garden 031017.JPG
BirdBath.JPG
on to yellow!!
Melampodium Paludosum.JPG
Gerbera Daisy.JPG
Mini Mums.JPG
zoooommmmmmmmm out on the mini mums
Pink Pentas.JPG
Mini Mums Statue.JPG
DessertArea CrownThorns.JPG
white periwinkles growing thru the concrete!
Periwinkle White Concrete.JPG
Periwinkle White Statue.JPG
