Each spring, some Catholics plant flowers around a statue of the Virgin Mary, reviving a tradition that goes back to medieval England when holy figures were remembered and shared through plant and flower names.
In Mary gardens, plants and flowers have specific Marian names or religious names in addition to their botanical and common names. For example, the plant today known as foxglove or Digitalis purpurea was once known as “Our Lady’s Glove.” Mary gardens also usually include a statue or image of Mary, sometimes holding the infant Jesus, as a focal point for devotion.
