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Mary Gardens - Page 2

© Kirk Johnson

The lily is a symbol of Mary's purity and chastity. In traditional paintings of the annunciation (the announcement which the Angel Gabriel makes to Mary, as described in the first chapter of The Gospel According to Saint Luke), the Angel Gabriel often holds a white lily. This is especially characteristic of Florentine art, because the lily was the symbol of Florence. Siena was the enemy of Florence, so in Sienese paintings of the Annunciation, Gabriel often holds an olive branch of peace. In the Annunciation painted by the Sienese painter Simone Martini around 1330, Gabriel holds an olive branch and there is a vase of lilies between Gabriel and Mary. The lily in these paintings is almost always Lilium candidium, also known as the Madonna Lily. If this lily is planted, it will be best to not plant any other lilies near it, as it is very susceptible to disease.

The iris was introduced into religious art by early Flemish painters as a symbol for the Queen of Heaven and the Immaculate conception. In the Portinari alterpiece, which was painted between 1473 and 1475 by Hugo van der Goes, there is a vase containing lilies and iris between the kneeling angels. The iris was called the "sword lily" because of the sword shaped leaves of the bearded iris. Its leaves were connected with the sorrow of the Virgin Mary at the crucifixion of her son, the leaves were seen to represent the words which Simeon spoke to Mary, when she and Joseph were in the temple to present the infant Jesus. Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah. Simeon's word to Mary were "This child is destined to be a sign which men will reject; and you too shall be pierced to the heart" - Luke 2:35.

The focal point in a Mary Garden is usually a statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue that you choose will have a huge impact on the atmosphere of the garden. A Mary Garden should have the atmosphere of a chapel or shrine, a place for solitary meditation, the atmosphere should be quiet, peaceful and dignified. Much mass produced religious statuary is a bit vulgar and stereotyped, if you can afford an original work of art, it will often be a more tasteful and interesting focal point.

I wasn't brought up Catholic, and I doubt if a Mary Garden would mean as much to me as it would to a devout Catholic. I would most appreciate a Mary Garden at Christmastime, but I live on the southern Oregon coast and there wouldn't be much in bloom at that time of year. I lived in Adelaide, South Australia, for eighteen months, I have experienced a Southern Hemisphere Christmas. To someone from the Northern Hemisphere, it didn't seem much like Christmas. We had a poor excuse for a Christmas tree, and we even ate plum pudding in spite of the heat. If I lived in South Australia, I would be very inclined to create a Mary Garden as the focal point for my celebration of Christmas. It would be a serene retreat throughout the year, but I would love it most at Christmastime. A Mary Garden would make a Southern Hemisphere Christmas really feel like Christmas; it would be an acceptable replacement for those Northern Hemisphere traditions which aren't well suited to an Australian summer.

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