10 Flowers for Your Mary Garden
Did you know there are hundreds of plant names which relate to Mary? For centuries gardens have been made to honor her. And in May there is the beautiful tradition of crowning her head with flowers. There are many spiritual connections which can be made between Mary and gardens. The concept is filled with spiritual significance. In this blog post, I will give you a brief understanding of the relationship between the two and then share with you 10 easy-to-grow Marian flowers to grow in your garden.
The Connection Between Mary and Gardens
Mary has been called the “Flower of the Rarest” and the “Garden of Virtues”. She is the loveliest of gardens. Just as we speak of all life beginning in the garden of Eden, we may speak of our new life beginning in the garden of Mary. Mary's womb is the garden that brings our redemption into the world. Her body formed, nourished and grew the “most blessed fruit”.
In this way, Mary is the most sacred and holy tabernacle to exist. She carried, nourished and sustained the Lord within herself. He was planted in her and she tended to his needs. We could say Mary is also the loveliest of gardeners. Not only did she grow the Savior in her body, but we are invited to be formed, nourished and grown through her motherhood as well (John19: 27). Mary gardens our hearts for the glory of her Son. She prepares us, walks with us, and gives us over to Him.
How delightful is her existence?
The Lord made her to be delighted in just as we delight in the variety of flowers he has made. There is no flower more beautiful than her and no garden more blessed with growing a fruit so glorious as the Savior. She is pure, full of grace, and beautiful beyond words. She is humble and sweet but also suffering, sorrowful, and poor. She is quiet and powerful. If all “creation is singing the glory of God” through the wonders he has made, Mary is no exception. Her existence proclaims his glory! The Lord made her to be the most blessed in all his creation, giving her the glory of the title Queen of Heaven and Earth (Revelation 12:1-2).
There is something significant in the simple act of making a garden of flowers to surround and honor a Queen such as this. And it is a joy to walk in a Mary garden or sit on ground and pray in it, combining the words of your heart with the praises of the flowers and Our Lady as you worship the Lord together!
So, Which Flowers Should You Choose?
Truthfully, any and all flowers are excellent choices! But, there are some which represent Mary. I learned about these from the book, A Garden Catechism: 100 Plants in Christian Tradition and How to Grow Them by Margaret Rose Realy.
To make the process simpler for you, I have created this list of 10 Easy-to-Grow Flowers for Your Mary Garden. These flowers have all been attributed to Mary through various traditions, histories, and symbols. I have also included some highlights for how to care for them.
10 Easy-to-Grow Marian Flowers
Zinnias —Little Virgin Mary
Zinnias represent the virginity of Mary and as such relate to her innocence. This could be how they have also acquired the name “Little Mary”. They are the easiest to grow and I highly suggest you have them in your garden! They will make any beginner feel like a pro!
Zone 2-11, Annual
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day)
Well-draining soil
Water when top inch of soil is dry
Remove spent flowers regularly to encourage more blooms, pinch back the tips of young plants to encourage bushiness and more growth
Harvest seeds from dried zinnias for next years blooms!
2. Marigolds —Mary’s Gold
There are two kinds of marigolds. Modern marigolds are the most common. Both have been used to represent Mary in her Queenship, however, I especially like the meaning behind Calendula or Pot English Marigold which was given its name “Mary’s Gold” by St. Hildegard Bingen in the 12th century. This variety of Marigold was used by early christians as prayer offerings to Mary. They signified a mothers grief and death (Realy, 154).
Zone 2-11, Annuals,
Full Sun for the most blossoms
Nutrient rich soil
Water regularly at the base of the plant especially when they are young,
Prune early flower buds for a lush main blooming season, remove dead or damaged flowers
Save dead dried flower heads as seeds for next year!
3. Morning Glories — Mary’s Mantle
Morning Glory is one of the many titles for Mary. The virtue that the morning glory represents is “Angelic sweetness”. This sweet flower opens itself up in the dawn to greet the morning and closes throughout the day. This cycle has given it the symbolism of the brevity of life, death and eternity, the quick fleetingness of life. Red morning glories can be used to represent the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts and the Blue can represent Mary’s garments and eternity. (Realy, 82).
Zones 2-11,Annuals for Zone 2-8, Perennials for Zones 9-11
Full sun
Moist well-draining soil
Water regularly (1 in per week) mulch to keep soil moist, you especially want to water it when the blooms appear.
Remove dead flowers to encourage more blooms, the vines can get out of control and be somewhat invasive. Keep them pruned to control them.
Amend the soil if the vines are not growing well
4. Roses —Mary’s Crown
The Rose, sweet and lovely, with a thorn, sorrowful and suffering. It represents the virtue of “universal mortification”. Naturally there is connection here with the “rose-ary” which is said to be a prayer woven like a crown of 153 roses. The color of the roses can represent different mysteries of the rosary. White roses for the joyful mysteries, red roses for the sorrowful mysteries, yellow for the glorious mysteries and dark burgundy/magenta as purple for the luminous mysteries. (Realy, 102).
Zones vary depending on the type of rose, most ideal Zones 5-8, Zone 10+ can grow certain ones
Full sun
Rich moist well-draining soil
Moderate waterings to keep soil moist by not waterlogged, water at base not leaves and flowers
Deadhead for new growth and blooms
5. Daisies —Mary’s Innocence
The virtue that the daisy represents is “Divine Wisdom”. It is the flower which has long been associated with Mary for humility, purity, chastity, and innocence. The daisy is also an emblem of powerful women which is spiritually profound in that Mary’s power came from her humility and her littleness like the sweet simple and gentle daisy.
Zones 4-9 Perennials
Full to partial sun,
Moist, well-draining soil but will tolerate other conditions as well
Water about an inch each week
Cut them back after the daisy’s fade to get new blooms
Cover them with mulch for the winter
6. Petunias —Mary’s Praises
Petunias are known to give a delightful and delicate fragrance, for this reason they signify a welcoming presence and hope. (Realy, 94)Their cheerful presence and robust blooms are like the way Mary praises the Lord by her life and virtue.
Grows in all zones as annuals but for some warmer climates perennial, Zone 9-11
Full Sun
Well-draining soil
Water thoroughly once a week
Pinch spent blooms and trim leggy or overgrown stems to promote bushier growth
7. Forget Me Nots—Mary’s Eyes
Blooming in a sweet little blue, these are attributed to Mary’s sweet eyes which are often blue in religious art to represent her purity.
Zone 3-9 Perennials as they reseed themselves to grow for two years
Partial Sun, morning light, afternoon shade or light shade
Well-drained moist soil
Water lightly and water again when the top inch of the soil is dry
Pinch back growing tips to produce more flowers
8. Geraniums —Mary the Bride of the Holy Spirit
The Geranium has a history of representing happy domestic life and as a result has been a go to flower for weddings to signify conjugal happiness and fruitfulness. It isn’t surprising then, that it has been connected to the Holy Family and Mary as bride. (Realy, 55)
Zones 3-9 Perennial
Full sun
Moist well-draining soil
Water around once a week (more if extremely hot), water early in the day,
Remove dead flowers to encourage new growth, prune at the end of the summer for more growth in autumn.
9. Sunflowers — Mary’s Faith & Adoration of Christ
The Sunflower always orients itself toward the sun. The Sunflower represents the virtue of “Lively Faith”. All that Mary is, everything is to be a reflection of her Son. He is her source of every virtue, the sun to which she is always directed.
Zones 2-11, Some varieties of sunflowers are annual and some are perennial
Full sun
Fertile nutrient rich well-draining soil
Water daily
Stake the flowers once they reach a certain height
Cover them with netting when they are seedlings, rabbits, squirrels and birds will eat them right up…ask me how I know.
10. Irises —Mary’s Sword of Sorrow
The Iris has leaves which look like swords, for this reason it has been used to signify the Prophesy of Simeon (Luke 2:35) and the sword which pierces Mary’s heart. (Realy, 128). The virtue which the iris represents is “Blind Obedience”.
Zone 3-9 as Perennials
Full sun/partial sun
Moist well-draining soil
Water at the base of the plant but not the leaves, do not overwater,
Taller irises will need to be staked
Remove spent blossoms and at the end of the season cut down to the base but not the leaves
If all else fails…
If all else fails in your gardening endeavors, let your Violets, Dandelions, and Dead Nettle take over! Yes, all of these happy growing plants are Marian as well! Violets are symbolic of the Marian virtue “Profound Humility”, their delicate sweet fragrance is used to express Mary’s sweet humility. Opposite of this sweetness, the Dandelion in its bitterness symbolizes Mary’s bitter sorrow. The Dead Nettle is symbolic of Madonna’s Milk.
I hope this blog post has been helpful to you and I eager to hear about your Mary Gardens! Share them with me on Instagram!! If you need more help getting started, read my blog post Making a Garden for Mary with 8 Tips to Inspire You!
Happy Gardening friends! Before you go, drop a comment below!
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Resources:
A Catholic Gardeners Spiritual Almanac by Margaret Rose Realy. p 103-110
A Garden Catechism: 100 Plants in Christian Tradition and How to Grow Them by Margaret Rose Realy