Plants for a Mary Garden: Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis),”Sweet Mary”
Karen Meyers Lemon balm has a long history as a medicinal herb and was valued for its calming, healing, and uplifting properties. The ancient Greeks believed it had the power to improve…
Plants for a Mary Garden: “Our Lady’s Delight,” Pansy (Viola tricolor)
Before the early 19th century the name pansy referred only to the plant that we call Johnny jump up, not the large flowered hybrid that we know by that name…
Plants of the Bible: Phoenicean Juniper (Juniperus phoenicia )
Karen Also known as Arar this evergreen shrub or small tree grows on sandy or rocky ground throughout the Mediterranean area including Lebanon, Palestine, and western Saudi Arabia near the Red…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys)
Also known as bird’s-eye speedwell, and cat’s eyes, this herbaceous perennial is native to Europe where it is found in meadows, hedgerows, and open deciduous woodlands. It is a member…
Plants for a Mary Garden: English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia aka L. officinalis) ” Mary’s Drying Plant”
Lavender has been valued for its scent, flavor and medicinal properties since ancient times. Called nard in the Bible, it is most frequently associated there with its desirable fragrance. Mary…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Common Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Common daisy is often included in Mary gardens although it is most closely associated with Mary Magdalene rather than with the Virgin Mary. Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ most…
Plants for a Mary Garden : Sea Thrift ( Armeria maritima) Our Lady’s Cushion
Armeria maritima is associated with the Flight into Egypt by the Holy Family which is described in the Gospel of Matthew (2: 13-15). According to this account, after the birth…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis)
This short lived tender perennial is native to southern Europe and North Africa but has naturalized in much of Europe where it is grown as an annual. . It is…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
In the Bible, mantles symbolize authority, responsibility, and the transfer of spiritual power as illustrated in the story of Elijah and Elisha. During the Middle Ages people, especially the monks…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
During the Middle Ages people, the people, especially monks, who cultivated monastic gardens, often named plants to connect them to the attributes of the Virgin Mary and to the life…