“Marian Gardens” bring Catholic piety into the garden

Every spring, some Catholics Plant flowers around a statue of the Virgin Mary, reviving a convention that dates back to medieval England, when holy figures were remembered and shared through plant and flower names.

In Marian gardens, plants and flowers bear specific Marian names or religious names along with their botanical and customary names. For example, the plant now often known as foxglove or foxglove Digitalis purpurea was once often known as “Our Lady’s Glove.” Marian gardens also typically contain a statue or image of Mary, sometimes holding baby Jesus, as a middle of worship.

As Librarians on the Marian Library on the University of DaytonWe Curate collections concerning the Virgin Mary. One collection we’re studying comes from John S. Stokes, Jr., a Philadelphia engineer who has made it his life's mission to encourage others to create their very own Mary gardens. With his business partner Edward McTague, Stokes founded Mary's Gardens Seed packets sold with Marian plant names within the twentieth century.

Mary Gardens within the United States

The first Mary Garden within the United States is alleged to have been at St. Joseph's Parish in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

In 1929, Frances Crane Lillie, a parishioner of St. Joseph's, donated by the parish two large stone bell towers and later developed a garden dedicated to the Virgin Mary on the tower grounds. Lillie had previously visited England, where she learned concerning the Mariengarten tradition felt inspired to recreate these beautiful gardens on site.

Frances' husband Frank worked within the marine biology laboratory across the road from St. Joseph's Parish. Frances wanted the bell towers and the garden to be visible to her husband and the opposite scientists working within the lab. In a 1946 article for Our Lady's Digest She explained that the Mary Garden “will remind the scientists studying in the marine biology lab across the street that there is another and valid aspect of life.”

John Stokes learned concerning the Mary Garden in Woods Hole and felt called upon to research and restore Make these religious plant names widely known and encourage others to plant their very own Marian gardens as a type of devotion.

When England was Catholic, religious names were often used for plants – in actual fact, the dominion itself was even often known as “Mary's England.” But the knowledge lost popularity after the Church of England separated from the Catholic Church in the course of the English Reformation.

iconoclasmThe reason for this decline is seen because the rejection of non secular images. Although not artistic endeavors, the association of plants with sacred figures was viewed as a type of false worship or idolatry, which the Reformation sought to reject.

Marian flowers and their legends

Stokes and McTague drew on the research of botanists, folklorists and lexicographers Lists with lots of of flowers and plants with their medieval, religious names. They tried to make Mary Gardens accessible to everyone by creating lists based on climate and season and even offering suggestions Dish gardens for those without outdoor space.

Lavender, or Lavender officinalis, is understood today for the sweet, clean scent of its purple flowers. In the Mariengarten tradition, lavender is known as “Mary's drying facility.” As the Legend goes, Mary washed the child Jesus' diapers and searched for a spot where she could hang them to dry. She saw a lavender bush and opened up the garments. When she returned, the garments were dry from the wind and sun, and the bushes now had the pure sweet scent that Jesus' clothes gave off. The same story can be attributed to other fragrant shrubs resembling rosemary.

Germanthe honorary award, or Veronica Chamaedrysand sea lavender or Maritime ArmoryAre each connected with the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. The Gospel of Matthew says that after Jesus was born, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him to go to Egypt with Mary and Jesus to flee Herod, a king who saw the kid as a threat. This scene is usually depicted in art and floral symbolism – the Germander Speedwell is often known as the resting place of Our Lady.

The journey from Bethlehem to Egypt was long and dangerous, and it is alleged that the flower bloomed wherever the Virgin Mary rested along the way in which. Sea Thrift or Sea Pink, with pink flowers that resemble a seat, is often known as Pillow of Our Lady And served her as a seat when traveling.

Although it is just not far to guess the Marian name Marygold from the common marigold – Calendula officinalis – The legend related to this flower is less clear. At least that's it probably bloomed in the course of the holidays in honor of the Virgin Mary.

As with any folk tradition, there are some inconsistencies between Marian plant names and their history. More than one plant could also be related to the identical legend or story, and never every plant has an obvious Marian name.

Although many may not know the total medieval history of St. Mary's Gardens, today they’re a preferred way for Catholics to practice their faith while connecting with nature.