Now is an excellent time to start or spruce up your Mary garden before May, the month dedicated to Our Lady. It can be as simple or elaborate as you like – just be sure to include an image or statue of Mary. From “Our Lady’s Slippers” (columbine flowers said to have sprung forth from Mary’s feet on her way to visit Elizabeth) to “Assumption Lilies” (hostas), a wide variety of blooms were given Marian names during medieval times, making it easy to create a garden fit for a queen and your personal devotion to Our Lady. Ideas abound online from Pinterest to the University of Dayton’s website. Peruse your options and take advantage of those April showers.
Have you ever seen a Ladder to Heaven? You may have without realizing it. That’s the name of the bloom dedicated to the Feast of the Ascension and otherwise known as a gladiolus. Liturgical feasts and each mystery of the rosary have flowers associated with them. Even if you aren’t able to start a Mary garden this year, you can appreciate these Marian blooms through art. Find inspiration for your prayers and the garden of your soul with the Marian botanical art at www.RoseHarrington.com, a shop and blog operated by Katrina Rose Harrington, who researches historical flower theology and Mary gardens.