I love the idea of a Marian Garden. A special place set aside for Mary is a beautiful way to honor our Blessed Mother. If you don’t have the space, energy, know how or budget to create a flower garden, I’ve got you covered. You can make one in a planter for just a little bit of cash. All you need is a pot of your choice, dirt, a few plants and an image of Mary. You can easily pull this project off in a day! It’s perfect for the month of May, would make a fun party/play date activity, or would even make a great gift for a Mama on Mother’s Day!
Here’s how I put together my Mini-Mary Planter:
Planter– Choose your planter. Any size or shape will do. You might even have one on hand. Keep in mind it’s size will determine how many plants & dirt you will need. If you are on a budget go smaller. Terra Cotta pots are pretty inexpensive and come in a range of sizes. I went with a 8″ terra cotta pot, which I decided to spray paint…obviously a totally optional step. You can definitely purchase a pot in your desired color. I plan to add some lettering to my pot…but sadly my vinyl cutting machine is on the brink, so that is on hold. I wanted it to say, “our life, our sweetness and our hope.”
Plants– Any plant would be beautiful for a Mary garden, but I was wanting to include flowers that had a name or association having to do with Mary. Don’t worry, there are a lot of “Mary Plants” out there, so you really aren’t limited if you want to stick to these plants. Here is a full list I found. I also created a printable with some flowers that are little more common. I am not a garden/flower expert, but I wanted a few flowers in my pot…it might be a smidge on the crowded side. (If you are a master gardener and my planter made you cringe, my apologies!) I went with marigolds, daisies, and alyssum.
Mary Image– If you have a small Mary statue you are all set. I did not. You can certainly order one online or hit up your local catholic gift store if you have one. I decided to create my own using a Mary image I printed online. I downloaded this image that I really liked from BeAHeart, she has such fun downloads! I cut it out, laminated it and hot glued it to a skewer. If you don’t have access to a laminator you may want to set your planter somewhere that is protected from rain, like a porch, or bring Mary in when the weather looks dicey. Using a printed image of Mary helps save on cost and gives you the freedom to choose an image that is meaningful to you.
Gifting Ideas:
If you picked a smaller pot you could put together several “gardens” without spending a lot. Many flowers come in multiples, so you could divide them into multiple pots. I think they would make sweet gifts for Mother’s Day, or for a friend who going through a difficult time. You could tailor the image to a particular devotion to Mary that might fit their struggle. Maybe Our Lady of Good Counsel if they are wrestling with a decision, or Our Lady Undoer of Knots if they have a difficult situation in their life. You could also pair the garden with a rosary, prayer cards or rosary meditation book. I’m including some free prayer cards and a Fruits of the Rosary bookmark printable that you could include! Just print the bookmark document on both sides, punch a whole and tie a ribbon.
Make it a Gathering:
I think a Marian Garden planting party or play date would be so fun! Grab some terra cotta pots, an assortment of flowers and print out some images of Mary. Then gather and let everyone put together a mini-garden to take home!
Happy Planting!
Meg
For other fun ways to honor Mary is May check out This post!
