How to Choose Flowers for Your Mary Garden

I always thought that Mary gardens were just a garden that included a Mary statue. (Although you don't even need a Mary statue- check out these ideas for making a statueless Mary garden). Beyond the statue, there are certain kinds of flowers that go into the gardens that symbolize different aspects of Mary! There are literally hundreds (depending on your climate zone, etc) but being a beginner myself, I've put together a "beginner's list" of symbolic flowers for your Mary garden.

Marigolds are a very popular choice because there are 
legends associated with marigolds adorning Mary's garments. 
It's also said that marigolds are named for the 
"Golden Virgin Mary".

Blue and white flowers are very popular choices 
for Mary gardens because those are her colors! :-)

Roses are other good choice. They are associated with the rosary,
and are often depicted with Mary in artwork.

Rosemary has a legend associated with Mary's flight to Egypt.
It is said that she stopped to rest under a rosemary bush and spread
her cloak on it to dry- Then the blossoms changed from white to blue!

Another popular choice- the Madonna Lily.
They symbolize purity and virginity.

Anne from Under her Starry Mantel has a beautiful post
on the different types of flowers that go into a Mary garden
and what they symbolize. Well done, Anne!

If you're still looking for more ideas, check this site
for more Marian flower symbols. Hapy Mary gardening! :-)

Related Posts:


If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS. Photobucket

8 comments:

  1.  I'm definitely taking notes on this one. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so glad! I'd really like to make a lovely Mary garden this year.... If I
    can EVER find the time to garden- lol! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Please review the many lists of perennials that are named for Our Blessed Mother.  So many of us may have them in our very own yards.  Get families together bringing plants to share and celebrate with a luncheon afterwards.  

    Last year we used oversized porch pots to plant our shares and a laminated picture of Mary on a stick for our gardens.  The families enjoyed a picnic afterwards.  Blessings were abundant!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great idea for those with no Mary statues! It's true that if you
    already have flowers in your yard, you should google them to see if they
    have Marian symbolism. It's very possible that they do! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. This was perfect timing for me to read today. I was just weeding my vegetable garden last evening thinking about doing some research today on a Marian garden for my backyard. Thank you for this post. I linked your blog in my post. http://thewhimsicalhousewife.blogspot.com/2011/05/making-my-house-home.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alicia@through-my-isMay 23, 2011 at 3:36 PM

    I really want to plant a Mary garden when we buy a home. We rent now and I could plant a garden but I would like to do something that I cn add to each year. I lvoe the idea of making a potted Mary garden and using the popsicle stick and laminated image. I will check and see iof any of our existing flowers are "Marian" 

    ReplyDelete
  7. Chances are at least one of them is! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for the Gardening Tips!!
    Telford Florists

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comments! They're the icing on my cake ;-)