Brief History of Mary Gardens

 

     For centuries, one of the cornerstones of monastic life of the Middles Ages was gardening. Whether it was food for the monks who lived in the monastery, food for the poor, or for the hungry traveler, they shaped the culture of Europe.

     What happened to these floral dedications at the dawn of spreading Christianity to all the lands? Before attempting to answer, let’s first turn to the Founder of our Faith, Christ himself. From his birth and leading up to this event, flowers were associated with His birth either in fact or legend. For example, according to one of many legends, the sweet scented ‘Bedstraw’ aka Sweet Woodruff was the straw that lined the manger. Miraculously, flowers bloomed surrounding His head in a ‘floral halo.’ This is one of many legends that was familiar to most Christians of the Middle Ages that was superimposed on the natural world, especially flowers.

     Mary Gardens uniquely usher back the dignity of Christianity that can be found in the garden where, for centuries, Mary grew, and people gave honor to her with flowers and gardens through their beauty. A ‘Mary Garden’ is a beautiful way to bring the story of Christ, whether fact or legend, to the familiar of the earth, the garden, and her fruits.  A ‘Mary Garden’ imbues a religious sense and true dignity of garden stewardship and labor. Contemplating “Beauty, ever ancient ever new.”  This phrase taken from St. Augustine in his book Confessions.   

     During the 'unlettered' Middle Ages, religious instruction was given by word of mouth. Many people are familiar with the Shamrock and the legend of St. Patrick. He used the three-leaf clover, familiar to the Celtic people, to illustrate the complex mystery of the Holy Trinity in something so simple as the three leaves on one plant. Thus, forever rendering legend to the ‘Shamrock’ as a signature of St. Patrick.  Humble flowers were brought into service of the Church.

     One of the common questions I receive is why they have never heard of this before. Sadly, the answer is that we lost a great many of these lovely floral dedications after the Reformation. Flowers that were known as ‘Our Lady’s…..’ became known at ‘Lady’s…..’ One example is the current common name given to the ‘Lady Slipper.’ Our puritan ancestors declared them as “Popish nonsense” or “Popish paganism” and turned the practice into ridicule. Some people who held on to these traditions were persecuted and the gardens were destroyed. In time, the legends and stories were forgotten. Even the medicinal healing attributes of Marian plants were declared as weeds and hurtful to anything that grew next to them.

     Fortunately, the circle of time has come back around and there is a growing desire to recall these oral (floral) traditions. There is a resurgence in learning the medical qualities of plants that many called weeds.  There is a yearning to recall the story of our Christian past found in nature. 

     

Every seed packet carries the title and a story that was assigned to each flower by the monks. If only a title exists, I recall a scene or an insight from our mystics of the Church.

As a former homeschooling parent, I strongly believe that nature is the best book to learn from as she speaks to everyone in a different voice. Each packet is designed to not only be a work of art, but to be used as a learning tool to recall the oral traditions of the familiar and the new and to pick up where our foremothers and fathers left off. We can cultivate a true 'Culture of Life in all forms, whether you live in the country or deep in the city.