The Catholic Garden: A Place for Prayer

Here in Pittsburgh, we are nearing our last frost date. Every year, it feels like it is never going to come. But these days, I know it's coming; more and more porches are donning hanging baskets, and pretty soon, beautiful arrays of flowers will be bursting through planned garden beds and wild plots along the side of the road alike. It's the best time of year - the pleasant reminder of the cyclical nature of God's creation. As Scripture reminds us, "There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven: A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting what has been planted," (Eccl. 3:1-2). And, thank God, right now we are in a time for planting! The conditions that nourish our flowers nourish our souls as well, so let's get outside and plant!

Planting with Prayer

It's pretty easy to bring a little bit of color and life to your yard with minimal effort. A couple pots, some annuals from Home Depot, and five minutes with a hand shovel gives the impression that someone at least lives at your house. It's also fairly easy to create lush, intricate landscape design - if you have the money to pay a professional! But finding that in-between, the lovely and intentional garden that reflects your own sensibilities and hard work, can be the hardest to achieve. However, it's the one that will also bring you the greatest satisfaction and, with some intention, hopefully deepen your relationship with the Creator. 

Creating a proper, individualized garden takes some planning and obviously a lot of hands-on work. It is in this work that you can honor God: by learning to work the land according to His design, by taking delight in the beauty and uniqueness of His plants and flowers, and by contemplating His goodness in the finished product. Use Margaret Rose Realy's Planting with Prayer: The Catholic Gardening Handbook to guide you in your discernment, design, and implementation of your own unique prayer garden. This isn't some by-the-book landscape design advice; this book will help you discover what you delight in. Chock-full of essential gardening wisdom, space for journaling and planning, and plenty of spiritual insights thrown in, Planting with Prayer is the perfect beginner's guide to developing your own Catholic garden.

Mary's Flowers

Have you ever realized how many flowers are named after Our Lady? Probably not, because the common names have evolved over the years, just as many evolved to honor Mary in the first place! As Christianity was spreading in the early centuries, missionaries would often adopt pagan practices to assimilate local cultures to the life of the church. Plants and flowers were often attributed to different gods; ivy was traditionally associated with Bacchus, the Roman god of revelry, but soon became quickly identified with Christian celebrations. Likewise, over the centuries, many flowers were named and renamed in honor of Mary (a well-known one being the Madonna lily).

Medieval Christians in particular likened Mary herself to a garden, and monasteries and convents began to plant Mary gardens, special prayer spaces filled with flowers, herbs, and plants that honored Mary. These flowers were often not only named after Mary, but also had attributes that represented her virtue. They also often had legends attached to them. An example: the rosemary bush is also called Saint Mary's Tree. According to legend, while the Holy Family fled to Egypt to escape King Herod, they were supposedly hidden behind a rosemary bush, one of the first to flower in the spring. Legend also holds that Mary used the rosemary bush to hang Jesus' linens upon, after which the bush became fragrant and evergreen. You can find beautiful examples of these flowers and their legends in the charming book Mary's Flowers: Gardens, Legends, and Meditations.

Create your own Mary garden by planting your favorite of Mary's flowers in a dedicated corner of your yard, or simply place a Mary statue near some perennials that are already established and thriving.

Arranging the Seasons

No need to only enjoy the colorful blossoms outside in your garden; cut some to bring the beauty inside your home, too! Besides being pretty, fresh flowers inside the home is a proven mood enhancer. 

Learn the art of arranging flowers, stems, branches, and greens all year round with Theology of Home IV: Arranging the Seasons. The women behind Theology of Home are back at it with another gorgeous book, perfect for just leafing through for design ideas or for real spiritual nourishment, this time focused on gardening and the art of arrangements. No matter what the season, there is beauty to be found in God's creation. With a bit of creativity, we can bring that beauty into our homes as a reminder of His natural goodness!

"Beauty is God's Handwriting"

Ralph Waldo Emerson was surely thinking of May and June's flowers when writing about God's handwriting. Put a little extra effort into your own garden this year and your hard work will be rewarded with blooms and blessings alike!

Shop our garden section for more inspiration for your outdoor spaces.