Flower Love
If you have a passion for gardening, a Mary garden might be your best bet. This is because it is an easy way to honor Our Lady. It is easy to make and you can do it with the help of your children to increase your devotion to Mary. Creating a Mary garden is not difficult and self-explanatory. The essential part of this garden are the flowers and plants. Here are some of the easy steps to start a Mary garden.
Choose the perfect location for your Mary garden
Mary Gardens can be placed anywhere and they can be of any size. Any place is suitable as there is no wrong or right area provided it is a good place for prayer, meditation, and enjoyment. However, you need to decide whether it will be a shady spot or an open space as it will affect the type of plants that will be included in the garden. For example, you can choose a small corner of your back yard and build a bench in front of the garden where you can relax and pray.
Soil preparation
Preparing the soil can ensure that your garden will thrive. Some areas have terrible soils so the plants will not succeed even if you take proper care of them. In this case, you can use box gardens, where you fill them with the soil mixture that contains the nutrients necessary for the plants to grow. Make sure you replace the old soil with a new one that is full of nutrients every year for better results.
Get a statue of the blessed mother or other sculpture and place it in the center of the garden
This should be easy and affordable, just as our blessed mother will love it. Remember that if it is not, the garden cannot be considered a Mary garden catholic garden statues or memory of Mary next to the flowers. For example, you can opt for a simple image like a laminated sacred card or a painting of the statue of Our Lady on a giant stone.
Find plants for your Mary garden
Many plants are linked to Mary either through the archive of devotions to Mary and the tradition of the Church or through naming. There are numerous options for plants in your garden as the Maria Garden is a true expression of the believer’s personal devotion to the Holy Mother. Any plant can be suitable for your garden provided it is significant to you and offers you an opportunity to have a better prayer life.
It is important to choose flowers that are easy to find and affordable. They should also be appropriate for your location. You can make a list of many flowers and do some research on the legends associated with different flowers and what they mean. One of the best stories is when Mary wept under the cross and her tears turned to flowers. Her tears are the devotional title for Lily of the Valley. Marigold or Mary’s gold was given as an offering instead of coins by the ancient Christians. Other flowers are:
- Mary’s Praise (Petunias)
- Our Lady Gloves (thimble)
- The shoes of our dear lady (fallen spurs from the columbine should resemble the shoes of the Mother of God)
Choose a location for each plant in the garden
Pick the flowers above to make your family garden because they are popular and affordable. Make sure you choose the plants based on their preferred growing conditions. For example, you can choose those that do well in the shade for the shaded part of the garden. Put those that need lots of sunlight in the open area of your Mary garden.
Pay attention to the height of your growing plants and flowers. This will help you have plants of even height. Tall plants should occupy the back of the garden while the small ones occupy the front.
Buy and plant your flowers
Since you understand what to buy, what the plants mean, and where to place them, you can start planting. This should be an easy and exciting part.
It’s so exciting to see our Mary sculpture standing in the backyard garden, watching my kids play. In a way, along with her flowers, she manages to endure all her games and remind the children that she is an important part of their lives.
My children have been drawn to her gentle motherhood since she was tender. I often catch my children talking to our blessed mother and ending their little conversation with a kiss on her stone cheek. Having a Mary garden in our back yard was the most effective way to bring the whole family to the Blessed Mother. As we get closer to her, she brings us closer to Jesus Christ.
Mary Gardens can be planted in a flower bed or container. You can also set up your garden in a small container or terrarium if you want to use it for indoor enjoyment. They play an important role in Christianity as they can create a special aspect in Mary’s life or can consist of a variety of herbs and flowers that work well in the Catholic Church. Most of the flowers are named Maria, the saint or some other face of Catholic Christianity.
At a certain time of the year, you can plant bedding plants or plant seeds and wait for the surprise. Involving your children in the process is important as you will have time to explain to them why you need to take care of the garden.
Most of the time, you can have peace of mind sitting on your garden bench. The garden provides a lovely scene to watch the beauty of the butterflies and flowers and with your rosary beads in hand. You will also enjoy the strong scent of roses that permeates the atmosphere. With this pleasant environment, a sure sign that the blessed mother is nearby.