Book Review: Seasons in my Garden

Seasons in My Garden: Meditations from a Hermitage
by Sr. Elizabeth Wagner
Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2016

Sr. Elizabeth Wagner is one of the founders of Transfiguration Hermitage, a semi-eremitical community in Maine devoted to prayer and solitude. In “Seasons in My Garden,” she meditates on “human desire and human struggle, with human weakness and vulnerability” as well as on “the experience of God’s presence.” Though her individual lifestyle is not one most of us are called to experience, her reflections speak to universal “emotions, needs, and desires.” She invites us to God wherever our lives may take us.

The garden in the title refers not only to the physical garden she tends throughout the year, but also her interior spiritual garden which also needs cultivation and which changes along with the physical seasons.

All of us, whether we realize it or not, are connected with nature. Those of us who live in areas with four distinct seasons can certainly relate to Sr. Elizabeth’s ebb and flow as she sojourns through the year. 

“Seasons in My Garden” is a meditative book and while reading it in a traditional fashion provides a cohesive experience, the chapters can also be read independently as mini-retreats in the midst of a busy day. This work provides a gift of peace and reflection and invites us to contemplate life in harmony with the natural world around us.

My New Garden Statue of St. Anne

This garden statue was listed on Amazon as Design Toscano Madonna's Garden Blessings Statue, which is partially true since the young girl in the image is our Blessed Mother. I have never seen a garden statue of St. Anne before, and I'm thrilled to have it in my garden as Anne is my confirmation name and she is one of my patron saints. I think it looks lovely!

Book Review: Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children

by Sharon Lovejoy
New York: Workman Books, 1999

The first thing one notices about Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy is how beautiful it is. Lovejoy's watercolor illustrations add so much to this book, making it inviting and a joy to peruse. It's a book about gardening with children and even those too young to read the words will love to look at the pictures.

Lovejoy offers a list of easy-to-grow plants for children and suggests theme gardens, such as the pizza patch, a sunflower house, and the flowery maze. There are also ideas for interesting containers to grow plants in. She also provides many practical, organic tips on helping your plants to grow.

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots will be enjoyed by anyone who loves to garden, but especially by those hoping to instill a love of gardening in their children. 

Book Review: A Catholic Gardener's Spiritual Almanac

A Catholic Gardener's Spiritual Almanac: Cultivating Your Faith Throughout the Year

by Margaret Rose Realy
Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2015

A Catholic Gardener's Spiritual Almanac by Margaret Rose Realy is a "book designed to take your desire to be near god and find a way to make him more apparent through your gardens. We can bring elements of our faith into outdoor spaces to help us focus on prayer, see more clearly relevant Bible passages about nature and appreciate our Catholic heritage on a deeper level." Designed for an experienced gardener, it offers both spiritual and practical information on gardening.

Realy offers a topic for each month: January, seeding; February, light; March, pruning; April, preparing the soil; May, beginning to flower; June, transformation and new life; July, storms; August, fruitfulness; September, harvesting; October, preparing for winter; November, dormancy and rest; and December, discerning what is of value. Each month includes "a garden theme focused on the Church's monthly dedication; liturgical events or topics during the month, Bible stories or verses related to the theme; stories of saints . . . including gardening-related saints; practical gardening tips . . . and faith-filled gardening activities." Realy includes some innovative ideas for creating themed gardens, including ones based on the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and a Christmas garden.

A Catholic Gardener's Spiritual Almanac would be a lovely addition to any Catholic gardener's library. Even as a non-gardener, I found the symbolism and saint stories to be very interesting.

Book Review: A Mystic Garden

A Mystic Garden: Working with Soil, Attending to Soul

by Gunilla Norris

New York: Bluebridge Books, 2006

A Mystic Garden was originally published in 2006 but was released this  year in paperback. Honestly, it has been sitting in my “to-be-reviewed” pile for a while. I grabbed it recently and thought, “Wow – I guess I should have picked this up in the spring,” but then I opened it up and discovered Norris traced her work in her garden over the course of a year and began November 1^st. Perfect!

Anyone who enjoys working in a garden will enjoy the meditations in this book. As Norris writes:

A garden tends to get inside us. If we go there to accomplish something or get something, the garden soon becomes a burden. With expectations that it must look good or that it has to produce no matter what, we will soon grow tired. The garden is really a place in which we can give ourselves away. This is true of any serious contemplation, too. We are transformed by it. We are reduced and revealed by it. In it we may experience a lived sense of our connection to the earth, to our inner freedom, and to the Sacred, the ground of our existence. . .  Gardening brings food and flowers to the table and sustenance to the soul.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention the beautiful pencil drawings by John Giuliani. They are simple, but elegant, and add so much to the text. 

Plant a Biblical Garden

Spring has finally come to my part of the world. My daffodils are blooming and the tulips should be opening up soon.

I read an interesting article on Biblical Gardens in the April 2013 issue of St. Anthony Messenger. Unfortunately, they seem to have to change the policy on that site and no longer have all their articles available to link to.

I did however come across this site on Biblical Gardens and it seems like a great project for some of the ambitious gardeners that I know. http://www.biblicalgardens.com/Biblical_Garden_Basics.html

How to Plant a Mary Garden

Spring has come at last! It is time to plant and tend a garden. Mary Gardens, gardens dedicated to our Blessed Mother, have been gaining popularity in recent years. How does one create a Mary garden?

Many flowers and plants are associated with our Blessed Mother and various aspects of her life. These traditions hearken back to the Middle Ages, when religious devotion permeated almost every aspect of life. Some flowers are associated with Mary simply by virtue of their names. Others feature legends used as one means to instruct others about Jesus and Mary. It was one more way to teach the Gospel stories during a time when books and reading were not widespread.

While we may not need the stories about these flowers to teach us, we can nevertheless create a place of prayer and devotion by planting a garden with the intention of honoring Mary. Such a garden may be a lavish outdoor space or some simple indoor plantings. A Mary Garden also usually contains a statue or image of Mary.

This list of flowers and their meanings may help you get started:
Rose – Roses have been associated with Mary since the earliest days. They are a symbol of her glory and sorrow. Roses are often known as the queen of flowers. As such, they are also a sign of Mary’s queenship of heaven.

Lily of the Valley - Mary’s Tears – Legend holds that when Mary wept at the foot of the cross, her tears fell to the ground and these flowers blossomed. With its pure white flowers, it has also been associated with her Immaculate Conception.

Ox-Eye Daisy - Mary’s Star – This flower is associated with the Star of Bethlehem which led the Magi to the Christ child.

Fleur-de-lis - Yellow flag iris – A symbol of the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel came to Mary to ask her to be the mother of God’s son.

Chrysanthemum – All Saint’s Flower – This flower is believed to have been present when Christ was laid in the tomb.

Snowdrop - Candlemas Bells – These are said to have bloomed at Candlemas, when Mary brought Jesus to the temple for his presentation.

Gladiolus – the name of this flower comes from the Latin word for “sword” and stands for the sword that would pierce Mary’s heart.

Violet – a symbol of Mary’s constancy, humility, and innocence

Marigold – Mary’s Gold – a symbol of Mary’s simplicity and domesticity. Sometimes also associated with her sorrows.

Carnations – their name reminds one of the Incarnation of Christ. They also are a symbol of the Crucifixion.

For more information on flowers and herbs associated with Mary, please visit: http://www.fisheaters.com/marygardens.html

Create a Rosary Garden

Here in New England, the weather has been unseasonably warm. It has many people's thoughts turning to their gardens. Today I finished reading Through the Wild Heart of Mary; Teachings of the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary and the Herbs and Foods Associated with Them by Gail Faith Edwards. In it she discusses all 20 mysteries of the rosary and what plants are associated with each of them. It provides a fascinating introduction to the meanings of some of these plants, as well as medicinal uses attributed to them. For someone who wanted to create a rosary garden, this book would be very valuable.

Acts of Hope

My tulips lost the last of their petals yesterday which meant it was time to plant some new flowers for the summer. We went out after supper to our local garden center to pick out a few choice plants. David always loves to have his marigolds. They are a "must-have" for our garden. Isaac picked out some purple petunias. We also picked up a couple of perennials. Every year I try to pick up one or two to try to limit the number of plants we have to buy the following year. The boys also picked out some seeds to try to grow some vegetables. As soon as we got home, the boys asked if we could plant the flowers, so we spent a very enjoyable hour working together digging in the dirt.

I love gardens even though I'm not very successful at growing them. Every time I put a plant in the ground it is an act of hope on my part. I say a prayer that they will grow!