Mary Gardens originated among the monasteries and convents of medieval Europe. People in the Middle Ages saw reminders of Mary in the flowers and herbs growing around them and recalled stories associated with the various plants. The first reference to a garden specifically dedicated to Mary is that of St. Fiacre, the patron saint of gardening, in 7th century France. At his hospice for the poor and infirm, he planted a garden around the oratory dedicated to Mary. St. Mary’s Gold, another name for the calendula, is the first recorded instance of a flower named after Mary, found in a 1373 English recipe for a drink to ward of plague. Frances Crane Little established the first public Mary Garden in the United States in 1932 at St. Joseph’s Church in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. She was inspired by the symbolic flowers and herbs she encountered during a visit to England. This garden inspired Edward McTague and John Stokes to establish their own Mary’s Gardens in Philadelphis in 1951. These gardens served as a project to research flowers associated with Mary and to make seeds and information available to start Mary Gardens throughout the United States.
Almost any flower or herb can be used in a Mary Garden, but several have specific Marian legends associated with them. Some of the more famous include:
- Carnation (Mary’s Love of God) which is said to have bloomed at Christ’s Nativity;
- Columbine (Our Lady’s Shoes) which are said to have sprung up under Mary’s feet as she went to visit Elizabeth;
- Madonna Lily which is the lily Gabriel presented to Mary at the Annunciation;
- Ox-Eye Daisy (Mary’s Star) which legend says Melchior picked upon the arrival of Magi in Bethlehem because of its similarity to the star they had followed; this caused the door to the stable to open and reveal the Holy Family;
- Rose which symbolizes Mary herself; roses and lilies are said to have filled Mary’s tomb when it was opened by the Apostles;
- Thrift (Our Lady’s Cushion) which is said to have made a place for Mary to sit during the Flight into Egypt;
- Snowdrops (Candlemas Bells) which are said to have bloomed on the day Mary presented Jesus in the Temple;
- Violets which are a symbol of Mary’s modesty, simplicity and humility;
- Bluebells (Our Lady’s Thimbles) whose flowers resemble tiny thimbles and represent Mary’s working hands;
- Rosemary, upon which Mary is said to have the clothes of the Child Jesus causing a sweet aroma to be left behind on its branches;
- Lily of the Valley (Our Lady’s Tears) which are said to have sprung up at the foot of the cross where Mary’s tears fell; and
- Marigolds which were placed around statues of Mary be early Christians in place of coins and were called Mary’s gold.