Go to Home Page
Intro Mary Garden
Flowers For the Fairest
Daniel J. Foley The Pilot, May 19 & 26, 1956
Editor of Horticulture and staff member of the Massachusetts
Horticultural Society
. Scores of flowering plants associated
with Our Lady, particularly in the Middle
Ages, have given gardeners all over
America a fresh idea for a very special
kind of garden. Mary Gardens, little
plots or large ones, where there might
be a suitable place for a statue of Mary
surrounded with plants are pleasant to
contemplate and plan these bright May days.
Our Lady's slippers, her thimble, her
keys, her looking glass, her tresses, her
teardrops, her nightcap and a host of others
were symbolized in the wild and garden flowers
of Europe in the great "Age of Faith." These
symbols were very real to our medieval ancestors, because the parts
of the flowers closely resemble the articles for which they are named.
FAVORITE FLOWERS OF OUR LADY TODAY
If an attempt were made to assemble all the plants associated
with Our Lady, the list would run to several hundred. However, many
of these favorites of the European countryside are, by their very
nature, unadapted to present-day gardens. Some of them would fit
nicely in a woodland planting, were space available. But for the
small plots which most of us cultivate, gardeners must choose those
best adapted to the home garden.
Soil requirements, the amount of sunlight available and the
types of plants, including annuals, perennials and shrubs, must be
considered first.
Here are some easy to grow plants which can well provide the
start for a Mary Garden.
Lily-of-the-valley Our Lady's Tears
Cyclamen Our Lady's Little Ladles
Morning-glories Our Lady's Mantle
Spearmint Mary's Mint
Bethlehem sage Our Lady's Milk Drops
Rosemary Rose of Mary
Pansies Our Lady's Delight
Roses Emblem of Mary, the Mystical Rose
English daisies Mary-loves
Forget-me-nots Eyes of Mary
Marigolds Mary's Gold
Canterbury bells Our Lady's Night Cap
Scabiosa Mary's Pincushion
Sweet William Mary's Tuft
Columbine Our Lady's Shoes
Foxgloves Our Lady's Gloves
Meadow rue Our Lady of the Meadow
Peonies Mary's Rose
White Plantain Lily Assumption Lily
Fuchsia Our Lady's Eardrops
Hollyhock St. Joseph's Staff
Petunias Our Lady's Praises
If your garden is in a shady spot, why not carpet the ground
with lily-of-the-valley, an easy to grow, hardy perennial, which can
be transplanted at most any time of year. This familiar plant does
best in rich, well drained soil, and thrives in partial shade. In
the Middle Ages, the flowers were used to decorate the Lady Chapels
of the great cathedrals, and in the folklore of Europe, we find
references to the lily-of-the-valley as Our Lady's Tears.
Another denizen of shade is the tiny autumn cyclamen, Cyclamen
purpurascens, which develops its bright rose-pink flowers from large
brownish corms. These are planted in late summer and flower during
late September and October. Given good drainage and a sheltered
location, they are hardy in the Boston area, but are little known
even to expert gardeners. Curiously enough, this plant, which was
dedicated to Mary was also used as a charm against bad weather.
From the upwards angle of its blooms retained on drooping stems it
was known in Germany as Our Lady's Little Ladles.
To cover a fence or a trellis, plant morning-glories. These
annual vines with flowers in shades of white, lilac, pink and a
striped form climb over trellises and fences with great abandon.
Soak the seed over night to hasten germination. The curious shape
of the flower, like that of a nightcap, gives rise to the medieval
name of Our Lady's Nightcap, to keep her hair in place, and also
Our Lady's Mantle.
A fragrant bed of herbs, which can also be a delight for
flavoring in the kitchen, belongs in any well-ordered Mary Garden.
Chief among the plants to be included is our common spearmint, known
in France as Menthe de Notre Dame and in Italy as St. Mary's herb.
This hardy perennial spreads rapidly on underground stems and must
be kept in bounds to prevent it from being weedy.
For an edging of the herb plot, you can plant pulmonaria or
lungwort, also known as Bethlehem sage, or Our Lady's milkwort
because of the white spots on the lush green leaves. It is a hardy
perennial with bright blue flowers in late April and May. The
enduring foliage keeps fresh and green all summer long and it does
well in part shade.
NOT ONLY A ROSE
A fragrant woody shrub, seldom growing more than two feet high,
is our beloved rosemary, known for centuries as a favorite in herb
gardens. This plant is not hardy in the New England area, but potted
specimens can be obtained from herb dealers. The pungent leaves are
spicy and pleasant to the nose, and the bluish flowers appear on old
plants in early spring. According to tradition, the flowers which
were once white, became blue in color when Our Lady spread her coat
on a rosemary bush to dry, and was known as Rose of Mary.
The old-time pansies with small flowers, known as Our Lady's
delights, are sometimes found in gardens where they seed themselves
readily. However, they are not easy to come by, and we must rely on
present-day pansies and violas to take their places, These
easy-to-grow plants make delightful edgings for beds and borders,
and the colors you choose will be based on your own preferences.
These expressive little flowers with faces that are almost human,
were appropriately known as Our Lady's Delight.
For centuries red and white roses have been associated with
Mary and her Rosary. Scholars differ on the origin of the Rosary,
but tradition has credited St. Dominic with the devotion whereby
prayers were said on beads made of rose leaves which had been
pressed into round molds. The rapid spread of praying the Rosary
is credited to a legend that subtle roses were seen proceeding
upwards too heaven from the lips of a young monk praying his Aves
with his beads. In season, rose blooms were strung together to make
a devotional chain.
In its early use, the word Rosary referred to a rose garden and
later was used to mean a garland, a wreath or a bouquet of roses. In
Italy roses bloom in May and naturally the queen of flowers was
dedicated to Mary, as with the month of May. In pre-Christian
times, the rose was dedicated to Flora. Almost any rose, bush or
climber, singly or in groups fits nicely into a Mary Garden.
YOUR MARY GARDEN
Practically all that we know about Mary Gardens of the Middle
Ages is contained in the casual references to scores of plants named
for Our Lady. We find them in old garden books, in folklore and
poetry and in various kinds of manuscripts and books covering a
variety of subjects. In some of the old breviaries and illuminated
manuscripts, there are illustrations which give us a fairly definite
concept of the small plots in enclosed area which were known as Mary
Gardens. The fact that they were bordered by walls or hedges and
sometimes had fountains as features, would suggest that these little
gardens were formal in outline.
However, in re-creating the Mary Garden, we must adapt the
space we have at hand and arrange our plants accordingly.
Listings of the above-mentioned plants for edging, middleground
and background planting are offered as suggestions for those who
wish to plant a garden in the spring. The plants selected will get
the beginner off to a good start. Most of the plants in these lists
are ideally suited to full sun or light shade. Where tree growth is
dense and roots offer competition, a Mary Garden of ground covers
and the effect of year-round greenness may have to suffice.
However, the presence of a figure, large or small, of Our Lady and
the use of plants whose folk names are associated with her,
interpret the spirit and concept of what a Mary Garden should be.
For those who would make a formal garden, here is a sketch of a
small knot pattern as well as a suggestion for a simple border plan
which can be adapted to most home grounds or a convent garden.
.
Group 1. Plants suitable for edging either type of garden
deserve consideration first. Pansies (Our Lady's Delight) in mixed
or separate colors will flower over a long period if the seed pods
are removed. Likewise, English daisies (Mary-Loves) can be used
for edging. Forget-me-nots (Eyes of Mary) are showy and
delightful. In late June these can be replaced with the dwarf
French marigolds (Mary's Gold) and petunias (Our Lady's Praises)
which will flower until frost.
Group 2 For the middle of the border, Canterbury bells
(Our Lady's Nightcap)) will make a pleasing appearance in late June
and July. Sweet William (Mary's Tuft) makes a charming companion
with its fragrant heads of bloom. Assumption Lily, commonly known
as white plantain lily, with showy white flowers in August, is easy
to grow and worth having. Fuchsia (Lady's Eardrops) is highly
decorative and colorful Scabiosa (Lady's Pincushion), an easily
grown annual, averages two feet in height and adds color during the
summer. Columbine (Our Lady's Shoes or Slippers) is a hardy
perennial for June and early July.
Group 3 Background plants appropriate to your devotional
garden include various types of roses, the hybrid teas, the
floribundas and the shrub roses. If you have a fence or trellis or
support, plant some climbing roses. Morning Glories are also
attractive and appropriate for one year effects. Tall perennials
include foxgloves (Lady's Gloves), hollyhocks (St. Joeph's staff),
meadow rue (Our Lady of the Meadow) and peonies (Mary's Rose).
These plants chosen from several hundred plants may well serve
as a starter. Most of them are easy to obtain. As your interest
and fervor grow you will have the pleasure of tracking down many
curious plants to grow and study. Planning and planting a Mary
Garden can be as pleasurable, inspiring and devotional a hobby as
you choose to make it.
Reprinted with permission of the author and The Pilot.
Note: for further information, see
List of 100 Popular Flowers for Mary Gardens
Mary Gardens by Daniel J. Foley
Starting Your Own Mary Garden and
Mary's Gardens Home Page