Plants for a Mary Garden: Baby’s Breath (Gypsophilia paniculata)
Karen Meyers Baby’s breath is a relatively new introduction in Mary gardens. It was first introduced to European gardens in the early 19th century as an ornamental plant and was absorbed into…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Cranesbill (Geranium maculata) Our Lady’s Pins
Early European settlers learned about the medicinal use of G. maculata from the indigenous people of North America where the plant was native and they incorporated it into their own…
Wildflowers: Iris Native to the Pacific Coast
Iris is a genus of 310 species and is in the plant family Iridaceae that also included gladiolus, crocus and freesia. The plants are all perennial and grow from rhizomes…
Plant Profile: Spiny Bear’s-Breeches (Acanthus spinosus)
Karen This clump-forming evergreen herbaceous perennial is native to woodlands and scrub of southern Europe from Italy to western Turkey. It is a member of the Acanthaceae family that also includes…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum AKA Asperula odorata) Our Lady’s Lace, Our Lady’s Needlework
Sweet woodruff has been valued since the Middle Ages for its medicinal and aromatic properties. It was used to treat various ailments from wounds to heart problems, and to freshen…
Groundcovers for Shade: Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Lily of the valley is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial native to the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere and grows best where summers are warm but not hot. Each plant…
Plant Profile: Thinleaf Sunflower (Helianthus decapetalus)
Also called rough sunflower and ten-petal sunflower, this herbaceous perennial is native to the woodlands and forests of Eastern and Central US. It is a member of the daisy family,…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Common Speedwell (Veronica officinalis) Our Lady’s Resting Place
According to the Bible, Mary made several significant journeys in her adult life that could have involved a resting place along the way: to the hill country of Judea to…
Plants for a Mary: Longleaf Speedwell (Veronica longafolia aka Pseudolysimachion longifolium) Our Lady’s Faith
The link between Veronica longafolia and the Virgin Mary is vague but probably began in the Middle Ages when the plant was believed to have medicinal properties and was used…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis aka Chamaemelum nobile) Mary’s Plant
Roman Chamomile has been valued for over 2000 years. The ancient Egyptians associated it with their sun god, Ra, while the ancient Greeks and Romans used it medicinally to promote…