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Intro Mary Garden
DISH MARY GARDENS FOR THE BLIND
General. In Sacred Scripture God instructs us in the profound
analogies of spiritual life to be found in the life and growth of
plants, for example:
"Consider the lilies; how they grow . . . "
Matt. 6:28)
and,
"Bud forth as the rose planted by the brooks of waters. Give a
sweet odor as frankincense. Send forth flowers as the lily and
yield a fragrance and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise
with canticles and bless the Lord in his works."
Sirach 39:13-14 (Ecclus. 39:17-19)
An intuitive knowledge of plant life and growth, and their
spiritual analogies, is best acquired through close and unhurried
attention to plant stewardship. Significantly, the freshness of
plant life is best smelled; its suppleness felt; and it is through
the sense of touch that the gardener best knows and judges the
texture, moisture and warmth of soil, the swelling and unfolding of
buds and the softness or dryness of foliage. Thus, with some
initial assistance in reading instructions and procuring materials,
the sightless can participate fully in the work and rewards of plant
stewardship.
Planting Instructions. (1) Procure some Mary's Dish Garden
Plants, of your choice, such as those listed below. (2) Select a
figure of the Virgin and Child 10" to 15" tall. (3) Select an
appropriate dish or planter 3" deep and 10" to 15" in diameter or
length. (4) Bend a piece of 1/8" diameter aluminum or galvanized
iron wire into a flat loop and place in the bottom of the container,
with one end extending upward 3" or more above the top of the
container to insert into the bottom of the miniature figure, at the
desired location. (5) Spread a 1/4" deep layer of charcoal chips or
pellets over the bottom of the container and wire loop. (6) Fill
the balance of the container up to 1/2" from the top with soil
mixture. A good dish garden soil mixture is 2 parts fine sand (salt
free), 2 parts milled sphagnum moss, and 1 part compost or leaf-mold,
plus an all-purpose organic and mineral fertilizer, as directed. (7)
Shake the original soil from the roots of your plants; place roots
in the dish garden soil; place and firm new soil around the
roots. (8) Place miniature statue on the soil over the wire,
drilling a hole in its bottom if necessary. (9) Affix a thin
aluminum marker adjacent to each plant, with religious plant name
abbreviation impressed on it with braille stylus and stencil. (10)
Water the garden with a volume of water equal to that of the 1/2"
space from the top of the soil to the rim of the container. (11)
Place garden in the shade for the first 3 days. (12) Place garden in
the full sun of an East or West window, or in the filtered sun of a
south window.
Tending Instructions. (A) Add an amount of water as in (10),
above, whenever the top of the soil feels dry and the container
responds with a ringing sound when tapped with a hard object. It is
convenient to have a glass or jar which holds the required amount
for each watering. (B) Moisten the plant foliage with a water mist
spray each morning. If the foliage begins to feel generally dry or
stiff under dry house conditions, spray 2 to 4 times daily, as
required, to return suppleness. (C) Pinch off any shriveled blooms,
leaves or shoots. (D) Remove any small insects you detect, by
sliding and squeezing them off foliage between thumb and forefinger.
(E) In late spring and summer, if soil and container feel hot from
full sun, filter the sun's rays with a fine cloth screen or curtain
(F) Once a year, in late winter, loosen soil; lift out plants; shake
or brush soil from outer root ball; cut back root tips and also
foliage shoots to original size; place new charcoal and soil in dish
and re-plant, (5) to (12).
The Plants
From over 500 plants associated with Mary, the Mother of Jesus,
the following eight are suggested for their symbolism of touch and
fragrance, and their suitability for cultivation as house plants.
Following the instructions above, plant them in a Dish Mary Garden
in arrangement around a miniature figure of the Virgin and Child.
In visiting the garden, we find first of all the B1essed
Mother. She leads our touch to the Child and our thoughts to the
truth of the Incarnation: that the Eternal Word of God was made
flesh and dwelt among us. We then pass your fingers from plant to
plant, meditating on the mysteries of Our Lady's life symbolized by
their forms, texture and fragrance. We then make our own
meditations such as the following:
Mary's Rose - Miniature Rose - Rosa hybrida
On recognizing the rose, we recall that Mary is the beautiful
Mystical Rose in God's garden of souls. The leaves are her
joys, the thorns her sorrows, the blooms her glories. We pray
that our soul, too, may bud forth as the rose, praising God.
Mary's Tresses - Asparagus Fern - Asparagus plumosus
In feeling the beautiful, soft texture of this plant, we
contemplate the immaculateness of Mary's beauty and the
delicacy of her goodness, magnifying the Lord. We pray that
the sweet gentleness of Our Lady, dwelling place of the Holy
Spirit of God, may pervade our lives.
Our Lady's Fringes - Star Begonia - Begonia heracleifolia
As we move our fingers over the fringed leaf edges, we think
of Our Lady's wonder and joy as she sewed garments for the
Divine Redeemer she was to bear. Like Mary, we direct all our
actions to God, pondering his words in our heart.
Mary's Bouquet - Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis
While taking in the fragrance of Rosemary leaves, we dwell in
thought on the spiritual fragrance of Mary's soul, pleasing to
God. We pray that as the fragrance of Rosemary remains with
our fingers, so may the fragrance of Mary's holiness infuse
our soul as we imitate her virtues.
Mary's Sword of Sorrow - Apostle Plant - Neomarcia gracilis
As we finger the sword-like foliage, we meditate on the mystery
of Simeon's prophecy that Mary's soul was to be pierced with a
sword of sorrow so that the thoughts of many hearts would be
revealed. We open our hearts in compassion for the bitter
Passion of Christ and the tears of Mary.
Christ's Thorn - Crown of Thorns - Euphorbia splendens
When the sharp thorns prick our fingers, we ponder the full
horror of the thorns and nails which pierced the flesh of the
Divine Redeemer. Like Mary, we join our sufferings with
Christ's, helping to fulfill His work of redeeming the world.
Mother-of-Thousands - Strawberry geranium - Saxifraga sarmentosa
As the shoots spread from the mother plant and take new roots,
we pray that Mary, whom Jesus gave us as our Mother from the
Cross, may strike her spiritual roots in our souls, that we may
be joined more perfectly with her in service to God, to our
neighbor, and to all humankind.
Beautiful Lady - scented Geranium - Pelargonum crispum
As we feel the beautiful and fragrant growth of stems, leaves,
buds and flowers beneath our daily touch and care, we consider
the goodness of God in sending Mary, the "Beautiful Lady", on
missions of mercy to his children on earth. We pray that all
may heed her exhortations.
Mail Order Source For House Plants (specify small plants):
Logee's Greenhouses, 55 North Street, Danielson, CT 06239
(c) Copyright Mary's Gardens, 1996