Chat and Photos

            Tree Trunk Mary Garden





Description and photos of an ingenious Tree Trunk Mary Garden sent
to us by John & Joyce Hazelbaker of Tacoma, Washington.


                              o O o

Jul 9, 2000

Although not fancy, we love our Mary garden inside a tree
trunk...per the attached close up photo...also have started rose
bushes around the outside....


Jul 23, 2000

...I got the statue of Our Blessed Mother when we visited the
shrine of Our Lady of the Rockies in Butte, Montana. (See
http://www.ourladyoftherockies.org/ .)

We had several large pine trees in our back yard here in Tacoma.
My wife, Joyce, was afraid that they could fall on our house during
some of the strong wind and ice storms we experience during the
fall and winter.  So in the middle of November 1997 we had the
trees removed.



The trunk of the largest one was in the corner of our back yard and
I got the idea to turn it into a Mary Garden.  A good friend and
brother...who is experienced in cutting wood came over and cut out
the trunk.  He is very devoted to our Faith and Our Lady.

I had no idea then of the different kinds of flowers that are
mentioned in your web site.  Joyce and I wanted some special rose
bushes so we planted a yellow and red bush on each side and a
climbing vine on the side of the trunk that would cover it.  In the
last year or so the vine has really started to take off!  The two
rose bushes likewise.  And then other good friends...gave us some
potted flowers last year for in front of the statue.  The flowers
took off and came back this year.  Nothing special was done to
them.  Joyce had some flowers (pansies and small mums) that we
placed in front also.  We placed containers of geraniums and
fuchsias on top along with a couple of Mary's Angels.  This year we
added hanging petunias and another plant (white) that we have no
idea what it is.  We just wanted pretty flowers to honor our
Blessed Mother. Other friends have started their own gardens
also....



I am no gardener....Our Mary Garden is not fancy but we love it and
it is an outward expression of an inward disposition of our love
for Our Lady.

I will send another e-mail with the pictures you asked.  Feel free
to use any of them.

United in love of Mary,

John & Joyce Hazelbaker







              This is the sacred YELLOW ROSE.
              You're...
              My friend,
              Through good times and bad
              My friend,
              My buddy,
              Through happy and sad,
              Beside me you stand,
              Beside me you walk,
              You're there to listen,
              You're there to talk,
              With happiness,
              With smiles,
              With pain and tears,
              I know you'll be there, throughout the years!
              You are all good friends to me and I am
              grateful to you
 

Aug 4, 2000

Mary's Gardens note: all flowers mentioned above are Mary-named
Flowers of Our Lady.  (The unidentified white flower is, by its
color, a symbol of Mary's immaculate purity, and of her Joyful
Rosary Mysteries - the Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries being
symbolized by the red and yellow roses.)