The current pandemic, and the uncertainty that has come with it, has inspired many of us to start gardens. The City of Golden has even given out free seed packets to help us start Victory Gardens. Come August and September our yards, God willing, will yield bountiful harvests of beets, carrots, and tomatoes, but they can yield spiritual fruits as well. Even though we are now celebrating limited public Mass at St. Joseph, we are still called to find God at home.
All gardens in some sense possess the original truth, beauty, and goodness of the first garden, Eden, and remind us of the paradise we come from and our hope of eternal happiness with Jesus Christ after our deaths. Gardening is an act of faith. A Mary Garden is a special way to honor our Blessed Mother and reflect on her virtues.
In the Middle Ages, priests and religious brothers and sisters would use flower and herb gardens to teach an often times illiterate population about the faith. In much the same way as a beautiful stained glass window can tell a sacred story, so too can a flower. We still turn to three-leafed clovers when teaching about the Holy Trinity today. Many of the medieval plants names have been changed in our modern world, but thanks to the research and devotion of some dedicated scholars and gardeners, they are making a comeback. The University of Daytona has put together a library of articles and resources about Mary Gardens, which can be found here.
So how do you make a Mary Garden? The two essential elements for a Mary Garden are flowers chosen for their association to Mary or their spiritual significance and a statue or image of Mary, which can be as simple as a laminated prayer card. Many flowers may already be familiar to you like Marigolds, which are also known as Mary’s Gold because pilgrims would use them in place of coins, and while some flowers associated with Mary won’t thrive in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, many will.
When planning your garden, consider a location that is peaceful enough to spend time in prayer and reflection (you may want to add a bench or seating near your Mary Garden for this purpose). You will also need to consider the light requirements of your chosen plants. Any flower that needs “full-sun” will need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. Here in Golden, many of us also have clay soils that can benefit from the addition of garden soil and/or compost when starting a new garden.
If you are in need of plants, we’re hosting the Pentecost Plant Sale Fundraiser on May 30th, 2020 in the Education Center parking lot from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm so you can come stock up on plants for your Mary and Victory Gardens (or grab a spider plant for your new work-from-home office) while helping BGoldN. A local collaboration between the city, our restaurants, and the Golden Backpack Program, BGoldN has provided over 4,000 meals so far for those in need during this difficult time. Find out more here.
If you have extra seedlings or cuttings, or are able to donate plants for the sale, they can be dropped off on May 29th, 2020 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on the tables outside the Education Center. If you can help set-up or run the sale, please sign-up here.
Flowers for your Mary Garden
This is a short list of plants that will usually do well in Zone 4. There are many, many plants associated with Mary or that have spiritual symbolism and the stories behind the names are fascinating. Please share your favorites with us on Facebook!
Annuals
Perennials
When choosing plants, you might also want to consider a devoting your garden to the Sorrowful or Luminous Mysteries or those that focus on a specific virtue or attribute of the Blessed Virgin.
