BLESSINGS IN BLOOM: Creating a Sacred Space: The Beauty of a Mary Garden

By Kerry Peetz

PHOTO by Kerry Peetz

Tucked into the natural beauty of Colorado’s landscapes, a Mary Garden offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of today’s fast paced world. These sacred gardens — dedicated to the Virgin Mary — blend prayer, symbolism, art and nature in a tradition that dates back to ancient Europe.

According to the National Catholic Register, the church chose to dedicate the month of May to our Virgin Mary as a way to replace the ancient Greece pagan celebration of Artemis, the goddess of fertility. Similarly, in ancient Rome, the dedication to Flora, the goddess of flowers.

Mary Gardens have a rich history, tracing back to the 7th century, particularly in France. These gardens, also known as “hortus conclusus” (enclosed gardens in Latin) were enclosed spaces dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Christian art and literature, particularly during the Middle Ages, it often symbolizes the Virgin Mary and her purity, with the walled garden representing her virginity.

Today, Catholics are rediscovering the practice of cultivating Mary Gardens in their personal landscapes, on church grounds, and even public spaces to create an area for contemplation and devotion. The intention of a Mary Garden is to honor the Virgin Mary through the cultivation of flowers, herbs, and plants traditionally associated with our Blessed Mother.

Sure, creating a Mary Garden involves thoughtful planning to include the “place,” amount of sun, soil type, and available water but it is definitely more than an exercise in landscaping, it can be a holy, spiritual experience.

Getting started. Be sure to check the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map to determine the zone. This will help with plant selection assuring the chosen plants are compatible to your garden. Here are a few plants to consider.  Full sun: Marigolds (Mary’s Gold) represent her simplicity and humility. Lavender for her purity. Roses symbolize her love and sorrows (thorns). Daffodils, Mary’s star. Shade: Begonia and Bleeding heart both symbolizing Mary’s heart. Sun or light shade: Colorado Columbine, Our Lady’s shoes. Part Shade: Lily of the Valley, Mary’s tears. Full sun to part shade: Forget-me-nots, eyes of Mary. Weeping willow, scourging of Jesus. Dappled shade: Sweet violet, Mary’s humility. Sun to full shade: Honeysuckle, Mary’s fingers. Don’t be afraid to mix in your favorite flowers too! The plants, combined with a statue or image of Mary, form the heart of the garden which provides a quiet reminder of her beauty, grace, and enduring faith.

For those new to gardening, starting small is just as wonderful. A container garden or a small plot can serve perfectly. Consider inviting family members, especially children, who can make the experience more enriching and might grasp the sense of devotion at their early age.

Here in our diocese, we are blessed by the natural beauty of Colorado that envelopes us. From our majestic mountain ranges to our spacious foothills and golden prairies. Mary Gardens are more than just beautiful landscapes; they bring us so much more. They are living expressions of faith, devotion, and community. By integrating these gardens into homes and parishes, we honor the Virgin Mary, and create spaces that nurture our spirit, offering a peaceful retreat in the embrace of nature.

This is an excerpt from “Mary, Mother of Us All” by Cameron Bellm:

There is a tender figure who stands watch

Over the bookends of our lives,

Holding us in our birth and in our death.

It is Mary who rejoices at our kicks in the womb

Just as she did at the visitation.

It is Mary who celebrates our first breaths at birth,

Just as she did at the nativity.

It is Mary who keeps vigil with us as we pass into death,

Just as she did at the crucifixion.

And it is Mary who stands ready to embrace us

At every moment in between.