Plants for a Mary Garden: Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis),”Sweet Mary”
Karen Meyers Lemon balm has a long history as a medicinal herb and was valued for its calming, healing, and uplifting properties. The ancient Greeks believed it had the power to improve…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
In the Bible, mantles symbolize authority, responsibility, and the transfer of spiritual power as illustrated in the story of Elijah and Elisha. During the Middle Ages people, especially the monks…
Plants for a Mary Garden: Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
During the Middle Ages people, the people, especially monks, who cultivated monastic gardens, often named plants to connect them to the attributes of the Virgin Mary and to the life…