Create a Mary Garden To Honor Our Lady, by Anne Jones
May is the month of Mary in the Catholic Church. One of the many ways you can honor Mary at home this month is to plant a Mary Garden. Like individuals bringing flowers to their mothers on Mother’s Day, so Catholic families too can gift our spiritual mother, Mary, with flowers to show our love for her. Planting a Mary Garden also presents an opportunity to teach about Mary through incorporating plants that represent Mary and her virtues. We can use these Mary Gardens in our homes as reminders to pray and ask for Mary’s intercession throughout our day.
The Basics of a Mary Garden
When planning your Mary Garden, first consider the location. Many individuals choose to plant Mary Gardens outside but an indoor garden lends itself to honor Mary in this way year-round. You may want a location that is conducive to prayer or somewhere you will see it frequently. Next, find or make a statue or image of Mary. Statues can be large or small, outdoor friendly or for indoor use, varying in material, depending on where you want to place your garden and what is best for your family. The Catholic Sprouts website offers an example of individual Mary Gardens with a colorable image of Mary here. For flowers, you can plant specific ones that have a connection to Mary or those that your family chooses as beautiful. If you are interested in learning more about the history of Mary Gardens, Marianist Encounters explains more as well as certain flowers and how they represent Mary in an article here. For another decorative option, Married & A House offers printable phrases from songs about Mary here.
Creating a Mary Garden That’s Accessible for Your Child
For children who have difficulty getting on ground level for planting outdoors, consider using a raised bed or tall garden pot for your Mary Garden to make access easier. You can also gather one or more smaller pot(s) or jar(s) and plant the flowers in these at table level. These smaller containers can serve as individual gardens or be placed around a statue of Mary at ground level. Individuals who enjoy sensory play or planting and replanting their flowers may benefit from creating a Mary Garden using artificial flowers. If your garden is indoors or you prefer not to use dirt, dried beans or craft foam can substitute as a “dirt” medium for the flowers. If your family enjoys crafts, you can create your own flowers. You can start here for some easy paper flower ideas, but play Dough, and hama beads also work well. A final option includes picking out flowers at the store or gathering wildflowers and laying them at a statue of Mary, whether that be at your church or a local shrine.
Mary Gardens can be a fun and engaging way to shower love on Mary during this special month. Whatever way works best for your family will be a beautiful way to honor her. Do not worry if your garden is messy or looks different than others! Just as a mother loves the little gifts her children give her on Mother’s Day, so Mary loves our offerings, in our own way we give them! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!