Planting for Peace
Create a Mary Garden With Flowers Dedicated to the Holy Mother
Learn how to plant a heavenly flower garden full peace and symbolism of the Virgin Mary. Reviving the medieval art of the Mary Garden with some additional modern ideas.
A Mary Garden is a place of peace and contemplation with a representation of the Virgin Mary as its focal point. Her symbolically peaceful presence offers refreshment and renewal of spirit. In medieval times this special garden would have been a walled private area where people could sit with Mary, enjoying the flowers and herbs planted in dedication to her, and offering their own prayer for peace.
Creating A Mary Garden
Spring is the best time to create a Mary Garden, although smaller areas can be planted at any time depending on the flowers. A Mary Garden can be any size, and in any place: under a tree, in a corner of a patio, on a windowsill or even in a large hanging basket.
Start by looking for a space where you can sit peacefully. Depending on where it is, and the size of the area, decide what sort of representation of Mary would be practical.
There are many different garden statues of Mary as well as plaques, painted tiles or paintings on wood. These are all possibilities for a corner where it might be best to have something on the wall rather than free standing.
Planting Mary Flowers
When the image of Mary has been found, start thinking about Mary flowers. There are hundreds of plants named for Mary or associated with her, so have a look at the local garden centre for those which grow well in your area.
When planting around a statue, consider the flowers as an offering which is placed at the feet of Mary. Create a space with a small seat to sit upon near the statue, where your eyes will fall on the Mary figurine and your senses can enjoy the flowers.
Path To Peace
If a large area is being planted as a Mary Garden, consider creating a pathway with fragrant flowers and herbs along the borders. These could include rosemary (legend says the blue flowers took their colour from Mary’s veil when she spread it over a rosemary bush to dry in the sun), lemon geranium (Lady Mary) and violets (Our Lady’s Modesty) . Walking the path through the garden could become a peaceful meditation in itself.
Small areas and window boxes look best with only one or two different varieties of plants. Choose flowers with an interesting shape and colour, such as pansies, also known as Mary’s Delight. Each time you sit quietly beside the flowers, remember their specific association and take peace from them.
Red and white roses are the best known floral symbol of Mary. It is easy to grow roses in pots, let them climb up a wall, or plant a small area as a rose garden.
Other Mary Flowers
- Madonna Lillies
- Aconite (Mary’s Slipper )
- Cornflowers(Mary’s Crown)
- Daisies (Mary-loves)
- Aster (Mary’s Star)
- Begonia (Mary’s Heart)
- Tulip (Mary’s Prayer)
- Forget-Me-Nots (Eyes of Mary)
- Lily of the Valley (Our Lady’s Tears)
- Clematis (Virgin’s Bower)
- Lungwort (Mary’s Tears)
- Periwinkle (The Virgin's Flower)
- Primrose (Our Lady’s Frills)
- Thrift (Our Lady’s Cushion)
- Petunia (Our Lady’s Praises)
- Marigolds (from Mary’s Gold, the golden flowers offered as gifts to Mary by the poor)
- Snowdrops (Our Lady’s Bells)
- White Campion (Our Lady’s Candles)
- Red Clover (Our Lady’s Posies)
John Stokes revived the idea of Mary Gardens in modern times and contributed vast amounts of research and information on the subject.
