What Is a Mary Garden?

What Is a Mary Garden?

A Mary Garden is a garden dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, where flowers and plants serve as reminders of her life, virtues, and relations with her Son, Jesus Christ.

During the Middle Ages, Chrisitans recognized spiritual meaning in the natural world. Flowers became symbols of Our Lady's purity, humility, sorrow, and joy. These associations helped teach the faith in an age when many people could not read. 

The rose became associated with Mary's beauty, love, and suffering. The violet with her humility, and the lily with her purity. Other flowers acquired names and legends connected to Our Lady, the saints, and the liturgical year that complimented the seasons. 

A Mary Garden can be a s simple as a flowerpot on a windowsill or as elaborate as a parish garden surrounding a statue of Our Lady.

More than a collection of flowers, a Mary Garden is a place of prayer, contemplation, and remembrance. It invites us to rediscover the language of creation and recognize the beauty of God's handiwork.

A Mary Garden is a place where faith takes root and flowers become prayers.

Pax et viriditas (peace and greening)

Kelly